osaka > kyoto > naoshima > osaka

Hi there,

The JR West Pass would cover your journey from Kansai Airport to Nishikujo. I would recommend taking the JR Airport express from Kansai Airport that travels directly to Osaka station, it also stops at Nishikujo on the way there, the fare is only ¥ 1,160.

I'd buy the Kansai WIDE Pass from JR West for 7,000Yen. This pass allows you to travel with the Shinkansen to Okayama and on the Uno from there. You can take the ferry from Uno to Naoshima (¥280).

The pass is valid for 4 days, I would buy normal tickets besides this as local travel in the Kansai area is relatively cheap.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

Thanks so much Daniel-san!

In that case, do you mean I should get the JR West Pass for:
- Kansai Airport > Nishikujo - 2 days in Osaka - JR train to Kyoto - JR buses in Kyoto - Kyoto back to Osaka Total:7 days

Then get the Kansai Wide Pass for:
- Shinkansen to Okayama & Uno - Uno back to Shin-Osaka - Osaka to Kansai Airport Total: 5 days

Or should i just get basic fares for most of the journey and buy the pass for the Naoshima trip and back?

I would go for the last option, buy the Kansai Wide Pass and local tickets for the rest.

As mentioned, prices in Kansai are rather low, for instance Osaka - Kyoto is 540 yen by JR.
For Kyoto an all day bus pass can be very useful and is only 500 Yen.

Thank you so much, Daniel-san! This really puts our transport itinerary into perspective :)

hi, just want to be sure.

is it ok to go to Okayama station straight from Kyoto via Shinkansen, then from Naoshima > Okayama > Osaka station via shinkansen and would this still fall under the Kansai wide pass?

Hi Cobi,

The Kansai Wide pass does not cover the Shinkansen from Kyoto, instead you can take the normal train from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka and take the Shinkansen from there (this way the full trip is covered). Then you can take the train to Uno, from where you can take the ferry to Naoshima. This way the full route (up to the ferry) is covered. The way back to Osaka is also covered if you travel the same route back, including the Shinkansen :)

Best wishes,
Daniel

ahhh i see, thank daniel-san. i've finalised my itinerary with the relevant transport/pass, can you take a look and see if it's right? Meaning the kansai wide pass will only serve the purpose of my Naoshima trip, afterwhich it will not be of use anymore right?

day 1:
kansai airport > nishikujo station by JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service (1160yen individual fare)

day 2:
stay in osaka

day 3
osaka > kyoto by Osaka Loop Line to JR Special Rapid Service (780yen individual fare)

day 4-6
stay in kyoto, buy daily bus pass @ 500yen/day

day 7
- Kyoto > Shin-Osaka by normal train > Okayama (using the 4-day Kansai Wide Pass from now onwards) - Okayama > Uno, still covered by the kansai wide pass - Uno > Naoshima by ferry (one-off fare)

day 8
Naoshima > Uno> Okayama > Osaka by Shinkansen (Kansai Wide Pass)

day 9 - 10
stay in Osaka (using basic/individual fares)

day 11 @7am
Namba area > Kansai airport by Nankai Airport Express (890yen individual fare)

Looks all good to me!
One tip I can give you is that, the Kansai Wide Pass is valid for 4 consecutive days, meaning that you could use it for some additional travel for instance on day 10 for local JR lines around Osaka. You can find the full coverage map here.

i was also wondering if it would make more sense to get the yokoso japan ticket from kansai airport instead? http://www.howto-osaka.com/top/ticket/pdf/2013yokosoticket_en.pdf

since its 1500yen and includes the nankai airport express service and 1 day transport pass in osaka and also discount to some tourist spots on that day itself. what do you think?

It is a decent ticket but it would depend on the amount of travel you plan to do on the same day. It would pay of if you plan to do sightseeing on your arrival day, I think you are better of if just buying normal tickets if you plan to catching up from some jet-lag.

will the JR Pass i get cover the following?
1. Narita airport to Tokyo downtown
2. Tokyo to Kyoto
3. Kyoto to Okayama-Uno
4. Uno-Okayama-Tokyo
5. Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport

Thanks,

Hi cottage82,

Sort but sweet answer, yes the JR Pass covers it all and will allow you to make good savings.
-Daniel

i understand JR pass doesn't cover Nozomi and Mizuho, so are the other types of train less frequent and slower?
thanks,

Hi Again,

Yes you can use the Hikari or Sakura Shinkansen instead. These trains do make a couple more stops on the way but the difference in time is minimum. For instance, there's only a 19min difference between the Hikari and Nozomi for a one way Tokyo - Kyoto.

thanks.