Icoca and Haruka

Hi, I understand that I can buy a discount ticket from Kansai Airport Station to Kyoto Station (3600 yen) using the ICOCA and Haruka discount card at airport JR Ticket Office. Please advise may I buy a ticket to Inari Station instead of Kyoto Station at the airport JR Ticket Office? If yes, when the train arrives at Kyoto Station, I must change a train to Inari Station and can I change the train in the same platform? Thank you and have a nice day.

Haruka is a airport express train service, that serves three of the main train station, Tennoji, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto, I think if you don't leave the station ticket gate, you can connect to other station, but you have to confirm this.

Kyoto Station is a big station. Information on trains serving Kyoto Station https://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/station-info...

Unfortunately,
Inari Station is outside the validity area
of the Haruka discount ticket (Kyoto version, 1600 yen).
You pay 140 yen separately for section Kyoto -- Inari,
which is a part of the Nara Line.

- West Japan Railway Company: ICOCA and HARUKA
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/

Haruka trains leaving KIX mostly run to Kyoto Station,
arriving at Track 30.
A few Haruka trains run beyond Kyoto to Maibara Station;
they arrive at Track 0 in Kyoto Station.
The both tracks are around the north end, near the Central Gate.

- West Japan Railway Company: Maps of Kyoto Station
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/timetable/pdf/station_kyoto.pdf

Trains on the Nara Line depart at Tracks 8 to 10.
Inari Station is the second stop for Local trains.
Note: Any rapid trains skip Inari Station.

You can go out with your Haruka discount ticket
then go in with your ICOCA Card,
each through any automatic gate at the Central Gate;
when you go out from Inari Station with your same ICOCA Card,
the fare 140 yen is deducted.

- Japan Guide: IC cards
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html
: If this is your first time to use a Japanese IC transportation card,
check "How to use IC cards?" part of this article.

Alternatively,
you can change trains inside the gates of Kyoto Station
then make a fare adjustment when you get to Inari Station,
using your ICOCA Card,
either at a fare adjustment machine or at a manned gate.

Enjoy your trips!

Thank you so much for the inputs and especially Emotenashi for your great effort to explain in detail, they are very informative. I will be travelling with 7 other family members and have 12 days stay so the baggage will be a burden to us. We prefer to change the trains inside the gates in Kyoto Station if possible.

Is it an easy process to make fare adjustment using our ICOCA cards at Inari Station? Will someone at the manned gate to guide us if we are not familiar with the fare adjustment machine? Is it a problem when we did not insert our ICOCA card at Kyoto Station and proceed straight to Inari Station? Further advice on these questions would be highly appreciated. Thank you and have a nice day.

In a case where you carry all your baggage,
yes, it sounds better to change trains inside the gates then head to Inari Station.

Is it an easy process to make fare adjustment using our ICOCA cards at Inari Station?

Yes; you hand your Haruka discount ticket and ICOCA Card to a station attendant.
To use a fare adjustment machine, you push a button for a text guide in English.
A possible problem is crowdedness around the gate of Inari Station.

By the way, when in the day is your flight arrival expected?
Will you stay overnight just near Inari Station?

Getting to Kyoto Station by around 1:40 pm,
you can send some luggage items from the station building
to a hotel or inn which is listed together with a green train mark in the list on the following webpage.
(The same delivery service is available also from Kansai Airport,
though it costs double, to a facility shown with a blue airplane mark.)
- List of the accommodation facilities
https://handsfree-japan.com/en/service/carry/list/
- Details of the delivery service
https://handsfree-japan.com/en/service/carry/

The service office in Kyoto Station Building
is near the Underground Central Gate on the 1st basement,
probably found more quickly than a post office or a convenience store around the station.
- Location of the service office
https://handsfree-japan.com/en/access/#floor-1f

Hi, Omotenashi (Sorry for wrongly typed your name in the previous reply) Thank you so much for your prompt reply. My flight touch down at 0540 hrs on Nov 28. The JR Ticket Office opens at 7am. Hopefully that there is no long queue during that time. I expect to get my things done (buying the ICOCA Haruka, Osaka Amazing Pass and Sagano Romantic Train tickets) by 7.30am and hope to board the Haruka Express Train by 8am. My family and I will be staying in an Airbnb quite near to Fushimi Inari Shrine for 5 nights.

I watched a video clip in youtube about the fare adjustment machine and find that it is quite easy to use. I may try it out and if I can't, I will approach the station attendant for help. Once again, thank you very much, Omotenashi and have a nice day.

The JR Ticket Office in Kansai-airport Station opens at 5:30.

You had better check again whether the Airbnb entry for your room is reliable.
An honest host can give you the postal code (in 000-0000 form) for its location.

I hope that Airbnb has shut out any entries with a false license number by unlawful business carriers.
The company was late in preparing for the new legal regulation for businesses related to minpaku [private house lodgment], which was put fully into force on June 15.

I wouldn't be in too much of a rush. The later you arrive at Kyoto station, the better. The ramps and stairs to the Nara line platforms are somewhat narrow, and get crowded quite badly in peak hour. So with lots of luggage, try to arrive after 9am.

Hi, Omotenashi. Thanks for you prompt reply again and thanks for the update on JR Ticket Office opening hours at Kansai airport. Maybe I can reach Inari Station much earlier then. And thanks again for reminding me on the new ruling on Airbnb. I checked and confirmed it's a licenced Airbnb and I could see guests putting up reviews recently. Hopefully the host will allow us to leave our baggage in the guest house when the previous guests suppose to check out at 10am and our check in time is 3pm.
As for Hakata14, thanks for your input. Have a nice evening to both of you. Thanks again.

You just need to ask your host. I've had some have concrete set of rules you cannot access earlier. Others have said yeah you can drop off earlier, "don't scare the cleaning lady." The earlier you find out, the earlier you can make plans for you luggage.

https://www.kyotostation.com/kyoto-station-lockers-luggage-storage/

Baggage room opens at 8am inside Kyoto station.

Hi, Hakata14, Thank you so much for your valuable information. It's really useful indeed. Thanks again and have a very nice.