Kobe and Kyoto and Trains

I am going to Kobe. I want to get to Kyoto. How much will it cost to go by train (return ticket)? How do I get a ticket? Do I book in advance? How long should I stay in Kyoto to see it well?

And what are the top hot spots that you would recommend seeing in both of these cities?

Thanks a lot!!

From JR Kobe to JR Kyoto station the fare is 1050 Yen by JR Special Rapid Service and takes 56 mins. Buy your at the station, there is no need to buy in advance.

As I don't know what the rest of your schedule is, it is difficult to say how much time you should spend in Kyoto, but 3-4 days might be a good amount of time to aim for.

If you want to move cheaply, you might take the Hankyu Line. It's 600 yen from Kobe Sannomiya to Kyoto Kawaramachi for one way, takes 70 minutes and runs every ten minutes, though you need to change trains once.

Places to visit:
-Mt Rokko near Kobe at night
-Golden Pavillion (Ginkakuji) in Kyoto
-Gion Area in Kyoto
-Philosopher's walk in Kyoto

Kobe:
visit Kitano-cho, on the lower slopes, of Mt Rokko, with Victorian style foreigners houses in an area with lots of boutiques and restaurants. from there you can walk to east to the Shin-Kobe area and take the ropeway (gondola) to see the Nunobiki alpine gardens, with a spectacular day time view of the town way down below. other places to see are the port area with the Mosaic shopping area, Rokko Island and the fashion museum, the Sannomiya and Motomachi pedestrian arcades, Chinatown etc.
in Kyoto Kiomizu-dera and the Fushimi-Inari shrine just outside the town towards Nara shouldn't be missed. Unless you have a JR pass Hankyu is a better deal. there are booths not far from the JR and Hankyu Sannomiya stations (they are side by side)selling discount tickets if you can travel outside rush hours.