NRT - Kyoto by train
Apr 19, 2004, 5:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,438
NRT - Kyoto by train
As I've posted a number of questions about travelling from NRT to Kyoto, I thought I'd report on how it went.
Landed in NRT at about 12:40. Cleared passport control, etc. in about 20 minutes. Went downstairs and easily found JR ticket office. Asked for NEX tickets and Nozomi Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo tickets. TA suggested buying Kyoto-Tokyo at Kyoto. She printed out three tickets, on one she wrote Kyoto Zone, the other two she circled car/seat numbers (we didn't ask for reservations). Paid by credit card.
A bit of confusion as to which ticket to put in the automatic gate (seat reservation ticket alone is not sufficient, and the guard kept asking for our non-existent JR Pass), but that resolved quickly.
Car numbers painted on the platform. Caught the 13:16 NEX, arrving Tokyo 14:10, precisely on time. No problem following the signs to the Shinkansen. Caught the 14:33 Nozomi to Kyoto with about 10 minutes to spare. Ordinary car was fine. It was almost full. Conductor bowed every time he entered the car. Arrived Kyoto 16:53, again precisely on time. Found the 17:00 hotel bus for the Westin Miyako with a minute or two to spare. We were in our room by about 17:30.
Thanks to all who indulged my obsessive questioning on logistics.
Landed in NRT at about 12:40. Cleared passport control, etc. in about 20 minutes. Went downstairs and easily found JR ticket office. Asked for NEX tickets and Nozomi Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo tickets. TA suggested buying Kyoto-Tokyo at Kyoto. She printed out three tickets, on one she wrote Kyoto Zone, the other two she circled car/seat numbers (we didn't ask for reservations). Paid by credit card.
A bit of confusion as to which ticket to put in the automatic gate (seat reservation ticket alone is not sufficient, and the guard kept asking for our non-existent JR Pass), but that resolved quickly.
Car numbers painted on the platform. Caught the 13:16 NEX, arrving Tokyo 14:10, precisely on time. No problem following the signs to the Shinkansen. Caught the 14:33 Nozomi to Kyoto with about 10 minutes to spare. Ordinary car was fine. It was almost full. Conductor bowed every time he entered the car. Arrived Kyoto 16:53, again precisely on time. Found the 17:00 hotel bus for the Westin Miyako with a minute or two to spare. We were in our room by about 17:30.
Thanks to all who indulged my obsessive questioning on logistics.
Apr 19, 2004, 7:17 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Rafael, CA
Programs: Life SPG Plat, 7X NH DIA
Posts: 2,840
I'm happy things went so smoothly. A "Novice" Makes a 23 connection at Tokyo Station!!!!!!
That fires me up. We may be pointing to this thread forever to justify a 30 min connection recommendation!!! ^
Hope you make it back to the Okura in one piece!
Cheers
That fires me up. We may be pointing to this thread forever to justify a 30 min connection recommendation!!! ^
Hope you make it back to the Okura in one piece!
Cheers
Apr 20, 2004, 3:35 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,438
Thanks
The only hard part was realizing you have to insert both the main ticket and the seat reservation ticket in the turnstiles. There are guards who will point this out.
There are many signs and all seem to be both English and Japanese. There are also many guards, and I'm sure if you showed them a ticket they'd point in the right direction.
It took us about 12 minutes, but wouldn't really recommend such a short time. Also, we didn't have to fight rush hour crowds.
The only hard part was realizing you have to insert both the main ticket and the seat reservation ticket in the turnstiles. There are guards who will point this out.
There are many signs and all seem to be both English and Japanese. There are also many guards, and I'm sure if you showed them a ticket they'd point in the right direction.
It took us about 12 minutes, but wouldn't really recommend such a short time. Also, we didn't have to fight rush hour crowds.
Last edited by richarddd; Apr 20, 2004 at 5:11 am
Apr 25, 2004, 4:40 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Princeton, MO/Tonopah, AZ
Posts: 687
I also did NRT to Kyoto (and to Hiroshima) and back to Kyoto. First time in Japan. It was really very easy. I was amazed. Did not get lost, do not speak a word of Japanese, didn't even have a guide book with the usual phrases in it.
I bought a JR rail pass over the Internet and it was so EASY. Just turned it in at the first JR office I saw at NRT. JR office didn't take much looking-just asked. Told the CSR what I wanted at the airport, she gave me a whole handfull of tickets. The next day, I just kept getting on trains. When they asked for the JR pass, I showed it to them (only time was from Tokyo). The rest of the time, I just put those little tickets in the machine and I got on the train. Who knows what they meant? AFAIK, it just got me onto the platform. I actually missed the train from Hiroshima to Kyoto that I had a ticket for. Just got on the next train that came by that said it was going to Kyoto and I was OK. Nobody asked for anything. I was really surprised. Single woman, alone in a foreign land. I was prepared with passport, DL, tickets, air tickets, train tickets, hotel reservations, you name it, I had it. No one asked. What a system!!!
I have been all over the world (first trip to Asia). I was pleasantly surprised. I would do this again in an instant. I encourage everyone (especially single women) to go to Japan. I had a great time.
I bought a JR rail pass over the Internet and it was so EASY. Just turned it in at the first JR office I saw at NRT. JR office didn't take much looking-just asked. Told the CSR what I wanted at the airport, she gave me a whole handfull of tickets. The next day, I just kept getting on trains. When they asked for the JR pass, I showed it to them (only time was from Tokyo). The rest of the time, I just put those little tickets in the machine and I got on the train. Who knows what they meant? AFAIK, it just got me onto the platform. I actually missed the train from Hiroshima to Kyoto that I had a ticket for. Just got on the next train that came by that said it was going to Kyoto and I was OK. Nobody asked for anything. I was really surprised. Single woman, alone in a foreign land. I was prepared with passport, DL, tickets, air tickets, train tickets, hotel reservations, you name it, I had it. No one asked. What a system!!!
I have been all over the world (first trip to Asia). I was pleasantly surprised. I would do this again in an instant. I encourage everyone (especially single women) to go to Japan. I had a great time.