Annyone take the train from Kyoto back to Tokyo at the end of the trip?
Starting to look at flights for next year's Japan trip (fly into Tokyo, home from Osaka). When I was originally booked on this trip last year, I was scheduled on a Delta flight, non-stop from Osaka to Seattle, but it no longer exists. As of this writing, any flight I would take home from Osaka would be 2 stops. So I was thinking about a train (~ 2.5 hours) from Kyoto to Tokyo, then flying back home from Tokyo, which offers many more options, including non-stop. I presume Tauck would drop me at the train station, instead of one of the Osaka airports. Thoughts? Anyone who has been on this trip do something like this?
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We haven't taken that trip but your idea sounds like a good plan. Many will travel to a major airport via another carrier or method of transportation when departing the US- we plan to do it for J&E next year. Many also do it overseas. We aren't doing it to get a better flight, but to see something else, so are headed to Hamburg via train after XMAS Mkts. Instead of starting our journey home from Dusseldorf where the tour ends, we'll be flying home from Hamburg. Just remember where and when the Tauck travel insurance ends.
I suspect the Delta flight will be added to their schedule in the coming months as things get back to normal. So the question is, how long do you want to wait and hope that happens. We are kinda in the same boat- Delta does not currently fly to Amman, (we could have flown Delta to Athens or other stop in Europe, then take a non-alliance airline to Amman, but it just got too hard.) Even though we still have 300 days to go, we booked flights on Turkish Airlines.
When I was in Japan with Tauck, I took the train independently multiple on my pre-trip days (from Osaka to Kyoto etc). The trains were very efficient, quiet and spotless. It would be best to have the hotel secure the tickets - that was tricky because the signage was all in Japanese!
Hi, we have taken the high-speed train from Kyoto to Tokyo and it is a pleasurable trip. One suggestion, you can arrange with the hotel concierge to have your luggage shipped to Tokyo overnight so you don't have to lug them to the train, onto the train, and then to the Tokyo hotel. It is not expensive and they deliver your luggage to your hotel where your bags are waiting for you at check-in. From what I recall, you had to leave them with the concierge by 4:00 PM for delivery by the next morning. This is the only way to go if you take the train.
We are booked on the Japan trip too in 2022. Japan Airlines has a direct flight from Osaka (KIX) to Los Angeles (LAX). Not sure where you want to get to in the U.S. We are also so looking at flights for that trip.
So sad we are no longer going to Japan in September. It will now be 2023
Thanks for all the ideas. Will check out JAL. My home airport is DEN, so easy flight from LAX. I also have a lot of oneworld points, so that may help with that flight.
British - Japan seems far behind the Covid 8 ball for a first world country. I hope they are open by Spring 2022!
Knowing the Japanese, don’t hold your breath, they hate vaccinations historically anyway.
Booked flights this morning using oneworld FF miles. Last week, the biz/first round trip (DEN to TYO and OSA to DEN via LAX both ways) was 510K miles. This week it's a reasonable 120K miles with no onerous surcharges ($65 total), as is the case with Europe/BA.
Thanks for the info on the LAX connection, manycruises1_.
You're welcome! Glad it worked out for you. We are checking prices each day.
BKMD, what time of year are you going to Japan? This was one of our all time favorite trips. We flew in and out of Tokyo, so evidently the itinerary is new.
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Early April 2022. Looking forward to it, s this will be our first post-Covid international trip.
That is exactly when we were there. IT is bound to be perfect cherry blossom time. IN Kyoto, there were city maps at our hotel which showed which variety of cherry tree was blossoming at what time and where. Quite something!