Getting to Kyoto by Road

Getting to Kyoto by Road

Japan’s seventh largest city, Kyoto is a favorite destination among the tourists. Beautiful throughout the year, Kyoto is famous for its Buddhist shrines, exotic Zen gardens and parks. This beautiful city, however, looks at its elegant best during spring (March to May) and during the New Year season (from late December to the first week of January). The spring sees the cherry trees in full bloom and the city becomes overcrowded with domestic as well as foreign visitors. Linked by road, air and rail, getting to Kyoto by road is however mostly preferred by the travelers. The reason not only lies in comparatively low fare of a bus ride but a journey through Japan’s lush green country side is really considered a treat for the eyes.

There is no airport, either domestic or international, in Kyoto city. Osaka’s Itami Airport is the nearest domestic airport and Kansai International Airport (KIX) is for the foreign visitors. The travelers therefore avail the bus and taxi service from either of these airports for getting to Kyoto by road.

The Japanese airports are really very tourist friendly. Either in the same building or in the vicinity, there are different bus services to Kyoto city available during all times of the day. Some of the major bus services that operate from the airport are Airport Limousine Bus, JR Bus Kanto, Keisei Bus, Odakyu Bus and Tokyo Bus. All of these bus service providers sell tickets from their individual kiosks located inside the airport building. However, besides these providers, many other local bus companies also ferry passengers from the airport to Kyoto.

These bus services can likewise be availed from the train stations as well. All these bus service providers have their presence at important train stations. The bus service can be availed from Shinjuku Station to Kyoto Station. Likewise, anyone willing to travel to Kyoto from Tokyo may avail JR Bus Canto service from the Tokyo Station. A bus ride from Tokyo usually takes 7-8 hours to reach Kyoto. The lowest fare starts at around 5000 Yen and depending on the levels of comfort, the fare may go up to 8000 Yen.

There are however more comfortable ways of getting to Kyoto by road. Travelers can always avail taxi to reach Kyoto. There are many taxi companies shuttling between any parts of Japan to Kyoto. Some of the major taxi service providers are Jet Partner, Jet Harmony, Sky Gate Shuttle and Limousine Liner.

One can always take a car on rent and drive to Kyoto. However, an international driving permit is required for getting to Kyoto by road. Besides, since most of the directions are written in Japanese, it often poses problems for a tourist driver unfamiliar with the language.

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