Kyoto to Yakushima

Our family is visiting Japan for 4 weeks in April-May. We want to travel from Kyoto to Yakushima. We are 4 adults and 2 children. Should we take the train to Kagoshima or fly? Should we fly from Kagoshima to Yakushima or take the ferry or jetfoil? Is the train route scenic? Is it difficult with children and some baggage? We can pay for green car or a suite on a night train, or a flight instead. What do you guys think?
Thanks for your help!
Elizabeth

Should we take the train to Kagoshima or fly?

By train, it is 5.5 hours and costs about 22,000 Yen from Kyoto to Kagoshima. Children under 12 travel half price. Children under 6 travel for free.

By plae, it takes about an hour. Plus 60 minutes to get to Itami Airport from Kyoto. Plus about an hour advance arrival. Plus about an hour to get from remotely located Kagoshima Airport into the city center. That results in a total travel time of about 4 hours from city center to city center. The regular one way airfare is about 25,000 Yen, but discount tickets are typically available for around 13,000 to 22,000 Yen. And there are the air passes for around 12,000 Yen per flight:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.html

Should we fly from Kagoshima to Yakushima or take the ferry or jetfoil?

The jetfoil costs 7000 yen one way and takes 2-3 hours. There are multiple departures per day.

The ferry departs only once per day, takes 4 hours and costs 5200 yen one way.

Is the train route scenic?

There are some senic views between the many tunnels along the Sanyo Shinkansen. The Kyushu Shinkansen is mostly through Kyushu countryside. It is not a particularly scenic trip, but I find the views not uninteresting.

Is it difficult with children and some baggage?

Depends on the children and amount of baggage :)

We can pay for green car or a suite on a night train, or a flight instead. What do you guys think?

Another option would be flying all the way? There are flights from Kagoshima Airport to Yakushima. It would be fastest, quite comfortable and can be quite inexpensive if you can get discount tickets.

I personally go to Yakushima next week. I fly to Kagoshima (from Tokyo), then take the jetfoil to Yakushima, and then fly back from Yakushima via Kagoshima.