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  • [Kyoto ]If you want to get around on time, the train is the way to go! Summary of trains and train lines in Kyoto

[Kyoto ]If you want to get around on time, the train is the way to go! Summary of trains and train lines in Kyoto

[Kyoto ]If you want to get around on time, the train is the way to go! Summary of trains and train lines in Kyoto
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2022-08-25 Management office

Kyoto is not only a tourist destination, but also a large city with a population of 1.5 million people. There are various train lines running through the city, including subways and private railways from Osaka, Kobe, Nara, and other cities. By using these trains, you can enjoy Kyoto to the fullest when you visit the city as a tourist. In this article, we will introduce some recommendations for fully enjoying sightseeing in Kyoto by train.
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Management office

Table of Contents

  1. 1.
    JR West Japan
  3. 2.
    Hankyu Railway
  5. 3.
    Keihan Railway
  7. 4.
    Kintetsu Railway
  9. 5.
    Kyoto City Transportation Bureau (Kyoto Municipal Subway)
  11. 6.
    Randen (Keifuku Electric Railway)
  13. 7.
    Eizan Railway
  15. 8.
    summary

JR West Japan

Convenience: Access to Kyoto from outside Kyoto, Arashiyama/Sagano area, Fushimi area, Uji area
This company operates the JR Kyoto Line and JR Biwako Line (Tokaido Main Line) connecting Kyoto with Osaka and Shiga, the JR Sagano Line (Sanin Main Line) connecting Arashiyama and Kameoka, and the JR Nara Line connecting Nara.

First, let us introduce the JR Kyoto Line and JR Biwako Line, the main lines that serve JR Kyoto Station. The JR Sagano Line, which runs northwest from JR Kyoto Station, allows you to enjoy the Wataratsukibashi Bridge, Tenryuji Temple, and Arashiyama, and access to the Arashiyama and Sagano areas in the northwest is also smoother than the bus lines. The JR Nara Line, which runs south from JR Kyoto Station, provides convenient access to the Fushimi and Uji areas, and JR Uji Station, located in downtown Uji, is very convenient for sightseeing in the city and can be reached without changing trains from JR Kyoto Station, the gateway to Kyoto.
There are not many discount tickets available for JR, but the seasonal "Kansai 1-Day Pass "not only allows unlimited travel on all JR trains in the Kansai region, but you can also choose a set "Kyoto Regular Sightseeing Ticket "that gives you a round-trip ticket on Keihan trains (between Kyobashi and Tofukuji stations) and one of five courses on the Kyoto Regular Sightseeing Bus You can use one ride on any of the five Kyoto sightseeing buses.

(New Fast)



(Sagano Line)


(Nara Line)


Hankyu Railway

Convenience: Access to Kyoto from Osaka and Kobe area, Kawaramachi/Karasuma area, Arashiyama/Sagano area
The trains are characterized by their brown cars, called maroon. It operates on the Kyoto Main Line, which runs from Umeda, Osaka to the north side of the Yodo River and into Kyoto City, and on the Arashiyama Line, which extends from Katsura Station to Arashiyama Station.

First, let me introduce the main Kyoto Main Line. This line connects Osaka-Umeda Station to Kyoto, and runs underground on Shijo Dori between Saiin Station and its terminus at Kyoto Kawaramachi Station. There are two stations along this underground line, Omiya and Karasuma. Karasuma Station is also connected to Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line, so that the combined use of the two stations allows for a wider range of travel from north to south. Note that express trains pass through Saiin and Omiya Stations, so be sure to check the stops carefully when using these stations. Next, the Arashiyama Line provides direct access to Arashiyama from the Osaka area without passing through the crowded city center. If you are visiting Arashiyama during the tourist season, using the Hankyu Arashiyama Line to narrow down the area to visit is another way to make your travel schedule more flexible.

Hankyu Railways offers a number of special tickets, and one of the most convenient and long-lasting is a free ticket called "Good Old Ticket ", which includes unlimited rides on subways and city buses. This ticket also includes unlimited rides on the Osaka Metro, Hanshin Railway, and Sanyo Railway as well as the Hankyu Railway. It is a convenient and economical way to visit Kyoto from the Osaka-Kobe area. In addition, limited time offer tickets and free tickets are sometimes available. In addition, the sightseeing train "KYOTOREIN ", which operates from Osaka Umeda Station mainly on weekends and holidays, is popular with those who want to feel the atmosphere of Kyoto while traveling between Kyoto and Osaka, as it has a garden and tatami-mat seats inside the train, even though no special fare or advance reservation is required. Recommended.

(Kyoto Line)



(Ranzan Line)


(Kyotorein)




Keihan Railway

Convenience: Access to Kyoto from Osaka and Kobe area, Fushimi area, Kiyomizu Temple and Gion area, Ginkaku and Okazaki area, Uji area
These trains feature two-tone enji and yellow express trains and two-tone green and white regular trains. It operates on the Keihan Main Line, which runs from Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka to Kyoto City via the south side of the Yodo River, and the Uji Line, which extends from Nakashojima Station to Keihan Uji Station.

First, let us introduce the main Keihan Main Line. This line runs from Osaka to Kyoto, and from Shichijo Station to the terminus at Demachiyanagi Station, it runs north-south under Kawabata Dori on the east bank of the Kamo River. There are stations along the underground line at Kiyomizu Gojo, Gion Shijo, Sanjo, and Jingu Marutamachi. From Shichijo, Kiyomizu Gojo, and Gion Shijo stations, many tourist facilities in the Kiyomizu-Dera and Gion areas are accessible on foot. Gion-Shijo Station offers a wider range of activities by train, as you can cross the Shijo Ohashi Bridge over the Kamo River to transfer to Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Railway. Shichijo Station is also accessible to JR Kyoto Station, which is a 10-minute walk away. Demachiyanagi Station on the Keihan Main Line connects with the Eizan Train to Yase-Hieiyamaguchi Station and Kurama Station, providing convenient access to the northern part of the city. In the Fushimi area to the south, Fushimi Inari Station is located in the town in front of the gate at the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. In addition, Tambabashi and Nakashojima Stations are convenient for exploring sake breweries in the Fushimi area.

Next is the Uji Line from Nakashojima Station, which runs parallel to the JR Nara Line and arrives at Uji via Rokujizo Station and Obaku Station. Keihan Uji Station is located on the outskirts of Uji, across the Uji River from Byodoin Temple and other tourist facilities in the city, so the JR Nara Line's Uji Station is more conveniently located, but it is attractive to be able to access Uji from Kawaramachi and Gion by Keihan trains alone.

There are not many free tickets for Keihan trains, but some useful ones are the "Baby Train Kyoto 1-Day Sightseeing Ticket ", which allows unlimited travel on Keihan trains in the Kyoto area, and the "Eizan Train/Keihan Train 1-Day Sightseeing Ticket ", which is convenient for visiting Kurama and Yase in combination with the Eizan Train. Also, the express trains from Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka are connected with "premium seats "and double-decker cars, which require a special fare, and are recommended for those who want to travel as comfortably as possible between Keihan and Osaka, which are often crowded.

(Keihan Express)



(Double-decker vehicle)


(Uji Line)


(Premium car)


Kintetsu Railway

Convenience: Access to Kyoto from Nara area, Fushimi area
This train features a regular train with a white background and dark red band, and an express train with a white background and orange band.
The train serves Kyoto Station from Nara, and some trains connect directly to the Karasuma Subway Line from Takeda Station in the south. These trains are convenient if you are visiting both Kyoto and Nara.
The station also passes through the Fushimi area, making it convenient for visiting tourist facilities in Fushimi. At Tambabashi Station, the station is connected to the Keihan Line, which extends the range of activities to the Kiyomizu-dera and Gion areas.

There are not many free tickets available for sightseeing in Kyoto on Kintetsu trains, but "Kyo Meguri "includes unlimited rides on Kintetsu trains from Nara to Kyoto, Kyoto municipal subway and city buses, and Kyoto buses. Recommended if you plan to visit both Kyoto and Nara.

(Kintetsu)


Kyoto City Transportation Bureau (Kyoto Municipal Subway)

Convenience: Kawaramachi/Karasuma area, Ginkaku/Okazaki area, Yamashina area, Iwakura/Ohara area
It is a public subway operated by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. There are two lines: the Karasuma Line, which runs mainly under Karasuma Dori, and the Tozai Line, which runs along Oike Dori and Sanjo Dori and extends its route to the Yamashina area.

First, the main line, the Karasuma Line, runs north-south through the center of the city, providing convenient access from JR Kyoto Station to the Kawaramachi/Karasuma area and other central areas of the city.
In addition, some trains have direct connections with the Kintetsu Line, allowing direct access from Nara to the center of Kyoto.
There is a large bus terminal in front of Kitaoji Station on the north side of the city, which, combined with the buses, will expand your range of activities to the Ginkaku/Okazaki area and the Kinkaku/Kitano area.

Next, the Tozai Line crosses the Karasuma Line at Karasuma-Oike Station and runs east-west through the city center. On the east side, the line passes through the Ginkaku/Okazaki area and Yamashina area, and major tourist facilities such as Nanzenji Temple, Heian Shrine, and Daigoji Temple are accessible on foot from their nearest stations. On the west side, there is a station right in front of Nijo Castle, and the last station, Taimada Tenjingawa Station, is connected to the Randen, so you can extend your range of activities to the Kinkaku/Kitano area and the Arashiyama/Sagano area by combining the stations.

There are many free tickets available for the Kyoto City Subway, but the most representative is the "Subway/Bus One-Day Pass ". With this ticket, you can ride not only the subway but also city buses, Kyoto buses, Nishi-Nippon JR buses, and other bus routes for one day. There are also free tickets that are combined with other private railways, so it is recommended that you gather information and select the best ticket for your needs.

(Karasuma Line)



(Tozai Line)

Randen (Keifuku Electric Railway)

Convenience: Kinkaku/Kitano area, Arashiyama/Sagano area
This is a train with an old-fashioned atmosphere that runs on the street in some parts of the city, connecting the Arashiyama Main Line, which runs from Shijo-Omiya Station in front of Hankyu Railway Omiya Station to Randen Arashiyama Station, and Kitano-Shiraume-cho near Kitano Tenmangu Shrine from Katabonotsuji Station in the middle of the Arashiyama Main Line. It covers the Kinkaku/Kitano area and the Arashiyama/Sagano area, and is recommended for travel within these areas as it is more punctual than buses.
It is also connected to the Hankyu Railway at Shijo-Omiya and Saiin Stations, and to the Tozai Subway Line at Hadatenjingawa Station.

In addition to one-day passes that allow unlimited rides on all Randen lines, free passes that include the Kyoto Municipal Subway, Hankyu Railway, and Kyoto Bus are also available. We recommend that you choose a combination based on your point of departure and the sightseeing facilities you plan to visit.

(Arashi Denki)

Eizan Railway

Convenience: Ginkaku/Okazaki area, Iwakura/Ohara area, Yase/Kibune/Kurama area
This train connects Demachiyanagi Station, the last stop on the Keihan Line, to Yase-Hieiyamaguchi Station and Kurama Station at the foot of the western side of Mount Hiei. It is convenient for visiting tourist facilities in the northern part of Rakuhoku.

Eizan Railway offers not only one-day passes for unlimited rides on all lines, but also free passes that include Keihan Railway and Kyoto Buses, passes for a round trip to Mount Hiei, and unique passes that include a meal ticket for a ramen restaurant near Ichijyoji Station. By using different tickets according to your departure point, destination, and purpose, you will be able to enjoy sightseeing in Kyoto to the fullest.

(Eizan Train)



summary

We have introduced trains in Kyoto City by company and area. Each train line has different areas and convenient points, but the attraction of trains is their punctuality, which buses do not have. Only trains can take you around tourist facilities much more smoothly than buses, which become congested and crowded during the tourist season, making time unpredictable. By combining trains, buses, and walking, you can enjoy Kyoto at a reasonable price without wasting time.

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