KIX to Takayama by train

Hi,

Ifm planning to take the train from Kansai Airport to Takayama Station right after I arrive in the morning.

According to google maps, the fastest route will require me to transfer in Shin-Osaka and Nagoya.

My question is do I have to purchase individual tickets during each transfer? For example get off train at shin-Osaka, buy new ticket to Nagoya, than get off Nagoya and buy new ticket to takayama. Or is the entire journey incl the transfers all lumped into the one ticket that I buy in Kansai? Than I can transfer seamlessly at the transfer stations?

And last question is will I be able to buy bento boxes for lunch when I transfer platforms and trains in Nagoya? Or should I buy something before I start the entire journey in Kansai?

Thanks so much.

Assuming you take JR from KIX to Shin-Osaka, you can just buy one ticket that covers the whole journey. If you do not use JR to get to Shin-Osaka, then you can buy a ticket from Shin-Osaka straight through to Takayama because you will be taking JR trains the whole way.

I would buy snacks in either Shin-Osaka or Nagoya. I have spent too much time within the JR line gates (but not shinkansen gates) in Shin-Osaka, so I know what shops I like and where they are. In Nagoya I usually have a rail pass so I dip in and out of the gates and I just don't remember what is within the gates in Nagoya. If you don't have a rail pass make sure to not use gates that take you out of the station, make sure you follow the signs to transfer to the Nagoya regular lines. We're also super picky, so....

good luck!

You pay
: the basic fare for the whole JR route;
: the surcharges respectively for Limited Express Haruka,
Shinkansen Hikari | Nozomi and Limited Express Hida.

Regarding your Nagoya transfer,
when you buy all the necessary tickets together at once,
you get a 50 percent discount on the Limited Express Hida surcharge.

When will you come?
How is your itinerary after getting to Takayama?

> According to google maps, the fastest route will require me to transfer in Shin-Osaka and Nagoya.
> And last question is will I be able to buy bento boxes for lunch when I transfer platforms and trains in Nagoya?
> Or should I buy something before I start the entire journey in Kansai?

(Please say "Kansai Airport" or use the airport code "KIX";
"Kansai" usually refers to Kansai Region.)

You can make your Haruka - to - Shinkansen transfer
at Kyoto Station instead of Shin-Osaka;
I guess you see a wider variety of bento in Kyoto Station Building.

At the JR ticket counter in KIX,
tell that you will search for bento at Kyoto or Nagoya.

I recommend you expect at least 25 minutes
to buy your bento, get through the Shinkansen Transfer Gate,
reach the platform and find the correct car of your train.

rkold:
> If you don't have a rail pass make sure to not use gates that take you out of the station, make sure you follow the signs to transfer to the Nagoya regular lines.

Your JR basic-fare ticket
(to get from Kansai-airport to Takayama)
allows you to make a stopover;
however, gate machines may not handle properly your stopover,
so please show the ticket at the manned gate;
a gate attendant puts a stamp on the ticket when you leave the station
then check the stamp when you enter the station.

At the Shinkansen Transfer Gate,
you can get though the automatic gate with your Shinkansen ticket.

Oh man it still seems abit confusing lol.

Ifm arriving in KIX at around 8.30am on February 7th. After going through immigration and collecting luggage, I HOPE I will be able to catch the 10.44am (or earlier!) JR Haruka to Shin-Osaka. Than transfer to a Nozomi (is this a JR train?) to Nagoya. Than from there transfer to JR Hida train to reach final stop in Takayama. Will be renting a car to go around takayama for 2 days before taking train back to Kyoto where I spend 3 nights, than take train to Osaka where I spend final 2 nights there.

From what Ifve gathered from your two replies, as long as the trains are part of JR, I can buy the entire journey on one ticket?

And transferring platforms to another train may require me to go out the platform gates to walk through the station to another platform gate? So I will be able to grab something if therefs enough time between transfers.

Will this entire journey be easier if I buy a JR Pass or an Icoco Card?

Ifve always felt JR Passes arenft good value for me because they donft cover limited-express trains and shinkansens. And I just want to get to my destination fast.

Um, you got a few things wrong but donft worry.

- Most passes and definitely the JR Pass cover Shinkansen, just doesnft cover the Nozomi variant of it.

Anyway, just get a ticket at a JR window at KIX to Takayama, take train to shin Osaka, there change to Shinkansen direction Tokyo (all will stop in Nagoya). There are faster ones like Nozomi and slightly slower ones like Kodakfs, but wouldnft worry too much about it. And in Nagoya go to the local train WITHOUT leaving the JRgate. Just leave the Shinkansen gate.

IC card will not work on this itinerary but May be useful in Takayama

Osaka-Takayama =10,500 (on Shinkansen , Ltd Express but NOT Nozomi Shinkansen, reserved seats.
Takayama-Kyoto = 10,140
Kyoto-Osaka =21,210\

JR 7 day national pass = 29,650
Just buy the pass as the cost difference is small provided the travel dates are within 7 consecutive days, gives you flexibility, takes away yr current dilemma on buying tickets.

Available passes. Pl study the coverage areas.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html

The Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass is cheaper but itfs only 5 days & the route is slightly different to your intended to get to Takayama unless you pay the additional fares to Nagoya. Just do yr maths.

Use this link to calculate fares, timetable. If using passes, tick Nozomi (to exclude it).

https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/timetable/

Ifve read that currently going through airports takes longer than pre Covid (again depends on arrival time). So your proposed time may/ may not work for someone not familiar with gates, platforms, buy bento etc.
I suggest you research, read more on this from reliable sources such as JR station maps ,Japan Guide. Stop watching, reading unreliable material online.

Finally, driving is not recommended unless you are versed in icy, snowy blizzard conditions. There are buses to Shirakawago if thatfs where you are heading.

Buy JR PASS from official sources either online or registered vendors in yr home country.
Please read what it entails - self explanatory.

https://japanrailpass.net/en/

I agree with @aa, if you don't have driving experience in the snow, you don't want to be driving in Takayama. Is it faster than waiting for a bus, sure, but it's not faster if you get yourself into a car accident which can happen if you're not use to driving in snow, how bad roads are can really vary and change within a few kilometers. Takayama is known for its snow, that is the whole reason the gassho zukuri look like they do.

I rented a car in Koriyama this December because I knew snow was not likely, I rented a car in Kuwana because again I knew snow was even less likely, though Nagoya got several inches on 12/24. I used my ryokan's free shuttle on 1/1-1/2 round trip, because I didn't want to drive in snow (i have driven in snow but driving in snow on unfamiliar roads in an unfamiliar car, is not my idea of fun.) and... it snowed on both 1/1 and 1/2 and the roads we took were never fully plowed. I was honestly glad the bus got through with no problem.

As for gates, my point was in December I accidentally exited the Shin-Osaka gates out of the shinkansen area into the station and not to the local JR lines. I was attempting to meet a friend and spent a lot of time going in and out of the gates trying to figure out a meeting place and where my friend was. I had a pass so it was not a big deal, but it would have sucked with an individual tickets. And sure I could have gotten it stamped, but I would have to know to do that and realize I was exiting fully. Sometimes you are just distracted.

JR Nationwide Passes let you go on every shinkansen except the Mizuho and Nozomi. They also cover all Limited Expresses, though if you go on private line tracks you might need to pay a surcharge. They can be a great deal depending on where you want to go and what your plans. Regional passes have their own pluses and minuses. The old JR East flex 5 day was the best! Like seriously it was an amazing deal.

gThe old JR East flex 5 day was the best! Like seriously it was an amazing dealh -

That WAS the best pass ever! It enabled me to travel extensively within the region /covered area at a leisurely pace but the current version is restrictive & not worthy for that region.

From my last transfer at Nagoya, there are kiosks on the platform serving the Hida trains - so getting something to eat on the train is pretty easy - watch the transfer times. Using the transfer gates there is pretty simple.
Given the round trip and trains are only around 23k, spending an extra 7,000 yen and not being able to use the Nozomi makes no sense to me.
Ifve always felt JR Passes arenft good value for me because they donft cover limited-express trains and shinkansens.
??? Of course they cover shinkansen and limited express. Only Mizuho and Nozomi services are excluded.

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I have much better clarity now on how the trains and JR Passes work!

I'm not worried about finding snacks now after reading comments and watching some Youtube videos showing the train-transferring process in Shin-osaka and Nagoya Station.

I will now do my own due-diligence and calculation into whether the JR Pass is something worth buying for me. At the moment it looks like the JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass costs about the same as buying the tickets individually (minus the Nozomi portion) and is something I can use.