Osaka stay, Kyoto visit, doable?

Hello,

I%26#39;m planning a holiday to Japan with my wife, and plan to spend 4 days in Kyoto (31st Mar check-in - 4Apr checkout). I%26#39;m looking for accommodation for around JPY 10000/night (for the two of us), but most places in that range seem to be full already (I couldn%26#39;t book earlier because of visa).

I therefore wanted to know if staying in Osaka is a doable option - we should have JR passes, and I see that the train takes around half an hour one way. So is this a workable option, or will we spend way too much time in travel?

This is our first time in Japan, and I%26#39;m at my wit%26#39;s end trying to figure it all out :) So any recommendations/suggestions on places in Kyoto/Osaka is more than welcome!

Regards,

- JK

Osaka stay, Kyoto visit, doable?

It%26#39;s not a problem to stay in Osaka and get to Kyoto. That%26#39;s what I did.

I stayed in the Umeda section of Osaka and Shin-Osaka station was two subway stops away. From Shin-Osaka, it was about 40 minutes to Kyoto Station, although total time depends on whether you take a local, express, or limited-express train. With a JR pass, I suppose you can take a Shinkansen, which I think only took about 15 minutes.

Osaka stay, Kyoto visit, doable?

Late March is the peak of the cherry blossom, so availability in Kyoto is close to zero. With the JR pass it is free to take the shinkansen, which takes only a few minutes, so no problem at all to stay in Osaka. Osaka Castle Park is a great place for viewing the blossom.

By staying at the Osaka/Umeda area, you give yourself the most convenient access to Kyoto, Nara and Himeji. You can take the JR Special Rapid Service from Osaka Station to Kyoto with no transfers involved. There is really no need to take the train or subway to Shinosaka to transfer to Shinkansen. Both methods take about the same amount of time (around 30 minutes).

Since you will be going to Kyoto daily, stick to Osaka and Umeda and not Shinsaibashi/Namba. You%26#39;d have to take the subway to transfer if you stay at Shinsaibashi/Namba, thus adding 20 minutes and a subway ticket to your daily ride.

Hello everyone,

Thanks very much for your replies, it%26#39;s really reassuring to know that a stay in Osaka will work!

Btw, I just learnt that The Palace Side Hotel in Kyoto has rooms available. Any thoughts on the place - location wise, is it close to the Kyoto attractions, or will I be better off staying in Osaka?

Another factor is that I%26#39;m in Japan for 10 days (first 6 days in Osaka/Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima etc, last 4 days in Tokyo)...and plan to buy a 7 day JR Pass. So should I save the JR pass for the latter part of the trip (will staying at Palace Side help me do that?

I apologize for these basic questions, but I%26#39;m still getting used to the maps and remembering Japanese names of places, so appreciate your help!

Regards,

-JK

I would use a regional pass for the first days; there are some good ones for the Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) region. A good breakdown:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html

As another poster said, Osaka is good for day trips to other Kansai locations. Make sure to visit Himeji on your way to Hiroshima; you can take a half day if you only do the castle and Kokoen (gardens next to the castle); Mt. Shosha (Himeji) is also worthwhile and will require 2-3 hours longer. If you do go to Himeji, I suggest taking the local train. It%26#39;s marginally longer, but I like that route; it goes along the coast just past Kobe and very close to the Akashi Bridge.

Good luck!

John W.

Kyoto is not a large city and Palace Side is close to a subway station. If Kyoto is your main interest I would be inclined to stay there, although in my experience, hotels in Osaka are better value. Be sure to have a look at the hotel reviews on TA before you decide.

Hi there,

Thanks very much for your invaluable inputs! Based on these, I am now inclined to have my base in Osaka.

I reach Kansai Int%26#39;l airport on 30th, and am planning to buy

* the Kansai Thru Pass (Surutto Kansai) for Mar 30-Apr 1 and

* the JR Pass from Apr 2-8. I leave Narita on 9th morning.

* Does this make sense?

* Is the Surutto Kansai pass a good option, to go from Kansai airport to Osaka?

* Does this cover a good part of local travel in Osaka, Kyoto etc?

* And given that this is not valid on JR Trains, is staying in Osaka still a good idea?

* Finally how can I get schedules of trains that are covered by hte Surutto Kansai trains? I believe www.hyperdia.com gives schedules only for JR trains. Am I right?

Once again, I really appreciate your help folks; these multiple train lines are driving me insane, and your help is what is still keeping me sane :)

-JK

The only real downside of the Surutto pass is that if you%26#39;re not staying in the Namba area of Osaka it%26#39;s not that convenient for trains. However, you can usually take a bus rather than train from the airport; I%26#39;d ask your hotel. I personally feel that Namba is a bit inefficient to get to Kyoto when compared to Osaka (called Umeda on the subways)/Shin Osaka. Otherwise it%26#39;s a great deal and I think you should go for it.

John W.

Thanks for all the useful information! Any thoughts on the Weekly Mansion Osaka at Otemae?

The address says:

1-3-2 Tokui-Cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-Shi, Osaka 540-0025 Japan

and when I check a map, I see a subway station nearby. Is this a good area/place to stay at? The reviews are pretty good and the rate is reasonable. So if the location is convenient (couldn%26#39;t get a clear idea on that from the reviews), I%26#39;ll seriously consider this!

Thanks,

JK

You can also try http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english for your train schedules. Of course, the best thing to do is double check with tourist info office when you get into Osaka

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