Osaka and daily trips

Hi, guys,

I will be staying for 4 nights in Osaka and am also planning to use it as a base point to explore Kansai. Will most probably be travelling to Kobe, Nara and Himeji and will be using a JR pass for that purpose.

Can you, please, tell me, which would be the most suitable region to stay in Osaka that would allow us to both explore and travel through the city, using the JR pass and also be able to reach those places nearby conveniently?

Thanks and regards,

Boris

Shin-Osaka would be your best choice.

Hi Boris,

Shin-Osaka is where the JR bullet trains comes into Osaka. Staying by the station is a good location since it is an easy subway ride to Umeda and Namba. I used Osaka as a base to travel to Kobe, Nara and to Toba. The Osaka Awesome pass is something you should look into to save some Yen while in Osaka.

I recommend to stay in Namba area where is near JR Namba station and in the midst of downtown.
In terms of convenience for transportation, Shin-Osaka may be better, however you'd better consider eating and amusument during your stay in Osaka.

I would go for JR Osaka area (also referred to as Umeda area), because this is just one JR station stop away from JR Shin-Osaka (where the JR Shinkansen/bullet trains stop at), is an easy location for going to Kobe, Himeji, and Nara, AND is central enough in Osaka itself to go out on town. Shin-Osaka is a hub in terms of Shinkansen travel, but not that central for Osaka city itself.

I'd recommend staying around Shin-Osaka station. You can easily travel to Himeji and Kobe in one day, spend one day in Nara, and use the rest of the time exploring Osaka itself.

Hope this helps. I also have tons of suggestions/tips on my blog, you might want to have a look for inspiration.

cheers, nano | Travel With Nano B. - Travel & Food Blog

My recommendation: Don't stay in Shin-Osaka! It is far from the center of Osaka.
It should be in Namba, or Umeda, where you still have good connection to Shin-Osaka, and also convenient to explore night-light of Osaka.

Hi guys,

Sorry to bother again, just wanted to ask, do you think it would also make sense to try and go to Mount Koya while we are in Osaka during those 4 nights? Do you think it would be possible or it is too far away and too hard to reach which could result in wasting too much time to get there? I am just trying to figure out whether it would be possible, because I am really looking forward to exploring what is Japan in it's most authentic form. Should I then consider skipping any of Kobe, Himeji and Nara if I am to go to Mount Koya?

Thanks much! Truly appreciated!

Best regards, Boris

Mt Koya can be reached from Namba Station in 2 hours and should be okay for a day trip depending on how many key sights you want to cover. I don't know what you're going to Nara for, but if it's temples then pick one or the other. Unless you are keen on them, there can only be so many temples you visit before you are templed out.
Check this site for example sightseeing routes:
http://eng.shukubo.net/sightseeing.html

Also, I recommend Osaka/Umeda station. There's nothing near Shin Osaka to do.