Kansai kyoto to osaka · Kyoto to Osaka in Kansai
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Kyoto to Osaka in Kansai
Kyoto to Osaka in Kansai
The JR Kyoto Line connects Kyoto Station in southern Kyoto with Osaka Station in northern Osaka, stopping at Shin-Osaka for the Tokaido and San'yo Shinkansen trains. 28 minutes between Kyoto and Osaka via Special Rapid, �540. Free with the Japan Rail Pass.
The Hankyū Line (阪急) runs from central Kyoto, starting at Shijo and Kawaramachi streets. Trains exit Kyoto to the west and run into the massive Hankyū Umeda Terminal, located to the north of JR Osaka station. Limited express trains depart every ten minutes during most of the day. 45 minutes between Kawaramachi and Umeda, �390. Not vaild with the Japan Rail Pass.
The Keihan Line (京阪) runs from eastern Kyoto, starting from Demachiyanagi or Sanjo Street and operating parallel to the Kamo River past Gion and Kiyomizu Temple. Trains exit Kyoto to the south and run into central Osaka. After stops at Kyobashi (along the JR Osaka Loop Line) and Tenmabashi, the line splits: the main line runs to Yodoyabashi, while the Nakanoshima Line runs to Nakanoshima island. The fastest trains depart every ten minutes during most of the day. 51 minutes between Sanjo and Yodoyabashi, �400. One hour between Sanjo and Nakanoshima, �460. Not valid with the Japan Rail Pass.
If you do travel via the Keihan, an interesting thing to listen out for are the departure melodies - songs that are played before the train departs a station. Composed by Casiopea keyboardist and railroad enthusiast Minoru Mukaiya (向谷 実), each departure melody is part of an entire song - you will hear all parts of the song if you travel along the full route.
Another private railway that runs into Kyoto and Osaka is the Kintetsu Line (近鉄). However, traveling via Kintetsu between the two cities is not recommended. Services run on separate lines requiring you to change trains, and the total travel time is not worth the cost. On the other hand, Kintetsu is a great way to travel between Kyoto and Nara.
To go from Kyoto to southern Osaka (where Kintetsu trains terminate), you would be better off taking one of the other routes listed above; when you reach Osaka, change to the southbound Midosuji subway line and get off at Nanba.
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Kansai Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.