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Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/6 18:46
Hello, I am new to this forum and I hope somebody can help us. Any input is highly appreciate.
We are group consist of 12 people and have a quite tight budget. We wont buy JR pass but willing to buy city day pass/Kansai Pass.

1. Our Osaka airbnb is near Keihan Line. What is the best budget friendly option to go from Osaka to Kyoto? And how about from Osaka to Nara?
2. We want to go to Kinkakuji, Kiyomizu & Fushimi Inari Shrine. I noticed we can go there with city bus, but Im afraid group will get separated because city bus are usually crowded. Maybe the best way is the subway? I went to Tokyo before, but Kyoto is totally new for me.
3. After 4 days in Osaka, we are going to Tokyo by night bus. We want to send luggage to Tokyo. Can we drop our luggage to any nearby combini for takkyubin service?

Thank you very much for the help.

by nyancat (guest)  

Re: Help: Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/6 23:49
2) bus will be fine. also subway may be crowded and fitting 12 people in a bus should still work. if one bus is full, just take the next.
3) check the service you want to use (general they have maps, where you can see their dropoff locations), but generally the answer is: yes
by Glimpigumpi rate this post as useful

Re: Help: Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/7 00:57
Hi Nyancat,

If you're staying in Osaka on the Keihan line, why not just take the Keihan line to Kyoto. Kiyomizu dera and Fushimi Inari are both reachable from the Keihan line. It's 400 yen one way no reserved seat from Yodoyobahi to Fushimi Inari Station. Hyperdia recommends changing at Tambashi from a Limited Express to a local as neither Fushimi Inari or Gojo Kiyomizu are Limited Express stops. It would be more if you require a seat, but I'm not sure it's worth it. I would see Fushimi Inari first, then take the Keihan to Gojo for Kiyomizudera. I would then use the bus from there.

The buses are really crowded, but they do a great job of packing people in, it's why I don't ever recommend taking a bus with luggage. You just might not have seats.

There is a one day Keihan Pass, which I think it on special until 3/31/18 but valid until 4/30/18 for 700 yen. Since you could presumably do a round trip to Osaka+ the fare from Fushimi Inari to Gojo Kiyomizu it should pay off. You can catch the 205 from Kiyomizu to Kinkakuji and be there in about 1 hour.

There is some walking involved, Gojo Kiyomizu is a longer walk from Kiyomizudera than the bus stop though.

If your group is not into walking or has members who can't walk well, you can do: JR Osaka/Shin-Osaka to JR Kyoto, buy a bus pass. Take the bus to Fushimi Inari. Take a bus back towards Kyoto station to transfer at I think Nana Keihan Mae, and catch a 205 to Kiyomizu with another eventual bus to Kinkakuji.

In terms of cost, it's going to be 560 yen one way from JR Osaka to JR Kyoto Station + whatever it costs you to get to JR Osaka Station/Shin-Osaka station + 500 yen for a bus pass, so 1620+whatever it costs to get from your accommodation to JR Osaka/Shin-Osaka.

or

700 yen for the Keihan pass +500 in bus fares. If your group is all adults (or any children are under 6) and you wanted to go to other places via bus you can buy a bus pass on the actual bus supposedly. So 1200 yen or 1300 yen if the Keihan day pass goes up.

You can get to Kyoto via Hankyuu line but since you're on the Keihan line and the Hankyuu line terminus is not near your 3 listed destinations someone else can figure out the math for it.

Good luck!
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: Help: Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/7 01:27
The buses usually have plenty of luggage storage (unless specifically noted otherwise) and allow 2 bags each. If you want to save money, you should just bring your luggage on the bus.

If you are on the Keihan line and will be visiting Osaka and Kyoto, then you may wish to utilize one of the Keihan passes: http://www.keihan.co.jp/travel/en/tickets/special

by Me2 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Help: Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/7 01:57
I just want to note my comments about luggage and buses and crowding are specifically about the local city buses in Kyoto. The comments were not about highway buses. My only experience with a highway bus was from Tsuroka to Yamagata and then Yamagata to Zao. I'd already takyuubinned my big bag to Tokyo, as I was doing a lot of one night stays, but the bus seemed to have plenty of room underneath for bags. City buses do not, and I have seen people want to take bags as tall as my child onto them which is a disaster.
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: Help: Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/7 03:07
Yes, I was referring to the highway overnight bus to Tokyo trip when I said there was plenty of room for luggage.

Also with a large group, sometimes a taxi comes out better than a crowded bus for shorter distances because you can share fares, and the taxi will have a trunk(boot) for luggage.
by Me2 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: your luggage 2018/2/7 06:58
we are going to Tokyo by night bus.
We want to send luggage to Tokyo.

It is strongly recommended that you pack lightly.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

Depending on bus operators and types of bus cars,
maybe you can have one luggage piece per person kept in the trunk room of your overnight bus.
(Please pay attention to the upper limits of size and weight.)

When you find a hotel which has rooms suitable for you 12 travelers,
it is worth asking the hotel staff whether they can receive your luggage and keep it until you appear.

Delivery might be delayed due to crowdedness during a busy season, congestion of the road traffic and bad weather conditions.
I recommend you get ready to collect your luggage on the day following the expected delivery day.

Can we drop our luggage to any nearby combini for takkyubin service?

Unfortunately the answer seems to be: No, unless someone who lives in Japan can receive it.

In order to pick up your TA-Q-BIN parcel at a certain shop of convenience store, you have to join Kuroneko Members; in order to gain the membership, you have to register your address in Japan.

You can send your luggage by TA-Q-BIN to Yoyogi-Kita TA-Q-BIN Center,
which is near Busta Shinjuku and open from 8:00 to 21:00 on weekdays.
(The width + the depth + the height should be within 160 cm; the weight should be up to 25 kg.)
(YAMATO-BIN, which is capable of larger or heavier luggage pieces, cannot be combined with this center pick-up service.)

Busta Shinjuku is in front of New South Gate of (JR) Shinjuku Station, which is around the boundary of Shinjuku City and Shibuya City.
Both the highway bus arrival concourse and the taxi stand are on the 3rd floor.
You can walk or take a taxi to this TA-Q-BIN Center.
http://shinjuku-busterminal.co.jp/en/floormap/3f.html

Yoyogi-Kita TA-Q-BIN Center
Postal code: 151-0053
Center code: 032-610
Name: Yoyogi-Kita Center
Address: 2-6-3 Yoyogi, Shibuya City.

When you are in any of the following situations, it sounds better to send your luggage by Yu-Pack postal service to a post office which has an out-of-hours window.
(The width + the depth + the height should be within 170 cm; the weight should be up to 30 kg.)
: Your bus arrives on a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday.
: Your bus arrives in the very early morning.
: Your bus arrives to a stop near Tokyo Station.

In this case, even the nearest post office (which has such a window) may be too far away to walk to; it would be better to prepare cash for your taxi fare(s).

Shinjuku Post Office
Postal code: 163-8799
Address: 1-8-8 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City.

Tokyo Central Post Office
Postal code: 100-8994
Location: In JP Tower KITTE, near Marunouchi South Gate of (JR) Tokyo Station.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Tight budget group to Osaka-Kyoto 2018/2/7 18:45
Thank you very much for your replies, you guys are really helpful!

@rkold:
I still have problem to figure out what is the best pass for 3 days itinerary: 1st day Osaka sightseeing, 2nd day Kyoto sightseeing, and 3rd day Nara sightseeing. And I can't open the pdf brochure at [url]http://www.keihan.co.jp/travel/en/tickets/special[/url] and [url]http://www.keihan.co.jp/travel/en/tickets/special-osaka[/url]
Maybe the best option is Keihan Pass + Kyoto City Bus for 2nd day and Keihan Pass only for 1st & 3rd day? I wonder if Keihan Pass is more suitable for Osaka-Kyoto, not for Nara? Is it easy to stroll around Osaka with Keihan Pass? Our Osaka spot include Osaka Castle, Namba Shinsaibashi & Universal Studio.

@omotenashi:
Yes, the luggage is one of my main concern. We are going to Tokyo by willer night bus, I understand we can take luggage inside the bus. But our airbnb is quite far from the bus stop, and find taxis at night for 12 people + luggages will be a problem, so I consider to sending luggage to Tokyo first. But if we can't drop luggage at any nearby combini, then I have to find another solution.


by nyancat (guest) rate this post as useful

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