How to go to Kyoto by train

Kyoto’s railway system consists of Tokaido-Sanyo Shinknasen, several lines of JR Railway, and numerous private trains. By taking Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, you can go to many major tourist cities in Japan, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and others. In addition, JR Lines and private railways across Kyoto can take you to both many famous tourist attractions in Tokyo and its nearby area, such as Arashiyama and Uji.

The Shinkansen platform at Kyoto Station

As the core of Kyoto railway system and one important transferring station, Kyoto Station connects almost all JR railway lines and Tokaido Shinkansen. You can take any line of Kyoto’s JR railway here. In addition, private railways distribute surrounding the Station. 
 

How to travel to Kyoto from Japan’s major cities?

From Osaka: 43 km (27 miles)

Available Trains: JR Kyoto Line of Local, Rapid, Special Rapid trains, & Limited Express Train, Shinkansen, and private trains.

Tokaido Shinkansen Line for Tokyo

Departure Station: Shin-Osaka Station 
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Available trains: Nozomi (the most rapid), Hikari, and Kodama (the slowest)
Time: about 15 minutes for Nozomi
Price: 1,450 yen

The Shinkansen train near the platform

The inside of Shinkansen trains

JR Kyoto Line of Local, Rapid, Special Rapid, and Limited Express trains

Departure Station: Shin-Osaka Station or Osaka Station
Off-boarding Station: Kyoto Station
Trains of Limited Express: Haruka for Kyoto and Thunderbird for Tsuruga
Price: 580 yen for Local, Rapid, and Special Rapid trains; 1,670 yen for Limited Express trains
Time: 25 minutes for Limited Express trains; 30 minutes for Special Rapid trains; longer for Local and Rapid trains
Departure Platform in Osaka Station:
1. Local Trains: 7
2. Special Rapid trains: 8 on common days; 9 &10 on tourist peak periods
Note that as for Thunderbird trains, there are only reserved seats.

Private Trains:

1. Keihan Main Line:
Departure station (Osaka): Kyobashi/Yodoyabashi/Nakanoshima stations
Off-board station (Kyoto): Tofukuji/Sanjo Kawaramachi/Demachiyanagi stations
Time: 60 minutes for Limited Express trains from Yodoyabashi to Sanjo 
Price: about 400 yen

2. Hankyu Kyoto Main Line: 
Departure station: Osaka-Umeda station
Off-board station: Arashiyama/ Karasuma stations
Time: 45 minutes for Limited Express trains to Kawaramachi 
Price: about 400 yen

From Tokyo: 510 km (315 miles)

Available Trains: Shinkansen (directly); transferring among JR trains

Tokaido Shinkansen for Shin-Osaka

Available Trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama
Departure station: Tokyo Station
Off-board Station: Kyoto Station
Time: about 2 hours and 10 minutes for Nozomi
Price: 13,320 yen for Nozomi

Travellers near the entrance of Kyoto Station

The limited express ticket of Shinkansen

Transferring among various JR Trains

Time: no less than 8 hours
Transferring trains: Local trains, Rapid, and Special Rapid trains
Transferring places: at least 3 times of transferring at Atami, Toyohashi, and Maibara
Price: at least 8,000 yen

From Nara: 42 km (26 miles)

Available trains: JR’s Local, Rapid, Regional Rapid, and Miyakoji Rapid trains (most rapid); private trains

JR trains – Nara Line for Kyoto

Departure station: Nara Station
Off-boarding station: Kyoto Station/Tofukuji Station/Inari Station
Time to Kyoto Station: around 45 minutes for Miyakoji Rapid trains; about 65 minutes for Local trains
Price: 720 yen 

Private Trains – Kintetsu Railway: Nara Line and Kyoto Line

Departure station: Kintetsu Nara Station
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Time: 45 minutes for Express trains; 30 minutes for Limited Express trains
Price: about 600 yen for Express trains; about 1,100 yen for Limited Express trains

From Nagoya: 148 km (92 miles)

Available trains: Shinkansen, transferring among JR’s trains, private trains

Tokaido Shinkansen for Shin-Osaka

Available trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama
Departure station: Nagoya Station
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Time: 34 minutes for Nozomi (the most rapid)
Prices: 5,170 yen for Nozomi (at most)

Transferring among JR trains of Tokaido Line and Biwako Line:

Transferring trains: Local trains+Rapid trains+Special Rapid trains+Limited express trains
Transferring: at least 1 transferring at Maibara
Time: no less than 2 hours
Price: at least 2,500 yen

From Yokohama: 485 km (300 miles)

Available trains: Shinkansen, transferring among JR trains, private trains

Tokaido Shinkansen for Shin-Osaka

Available trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama
Departure station: Shin-Yokohama Station
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Price: 12,650 yen
Time: about 1 hour and 55 minutes for Nozomi

Transferring among JR trains of Todaido Line:

Transferring trains: Local, Rapid, and Special Rapid trains
Transferring places: at least 3 times of transferring at Atami, Toyohashi, and Maibara
Time: about 8 hours
Price: about 8,000 yen

From Kobe: 80 km (50 miles)

Available trains: Shinkansen and JR trains

Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen for Tokyo

Available trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama
Departure station: Shin-Kobe Station
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Time: 27 minutes for Nozomi
Price: 2,870 yen

JR Kobe Line for Osaka

Departure station: Kobe Station/Sannomiya Station
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Time (from Kobe Station): 56 minutes for Rapid trains
Price (from Kobe Station): 1,110 yen for Rapid trains 

From Fukuoka: 660 km (410 miles)

Available trains: Shinkansen, transferring among JR trains

Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen for Tokyo

Available trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama 
Departure Station: Hakata Station
Off-board station: Kyoto Station
Time: 2 hours and 44 minutes for Nozomi
Price: 15,400 yen

Transferring among JR trains: 

Transferring trains: Limited trains, Local trains, and Special Rapid trains
Transferring places: at least 5 times of transferring at Hokura, Shimonoseki, Iwakuni, Itozaki, and Himeji
Time: no less than 12 hours
Price: at least 10,000 yen

From Hiroshima: 380 km (235 miles)

Available trains: Shinkansen, transferring among different trains

Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen for Tokyo

Available trains: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama 
Departure station: Hiroshima Station
Off-boarding station: Kyoto Station
Time: about 1 hour and 40 minutes for Nozomi
Price: 11,770 yen

Transferring among JR trains: 

Transferring trains: Local trains and Special Rapid trains
Transferring places: at least 2 transferring at Itozaki and Aioi
Time: at least 6 hours

Price: no less than 6,000 yen

Go to nearby areas in Kyoto by train

City	Time and least times of transferring
Nikko	At least 4.5 hours and 2 transferring
Sapporo	More than 10 hours; 2 transferring
Himeji	About 50 minutes for Shinkansen
Kanazawa	2 hours; 1 transferring
Takayama	About 3.5 hours; 1 transferring
Hakone	About 3.5 hours; 2 transferring
Wakayama	More than 1.5 hours; 2 transferring
Shimane	More than 5 hours; 1 transferring
Kagoshima	More than 5 hours; 2 transferring
Oita	More than 4 hours; 1 transferring
Kagoshima	About 5 hours; 2 transferring
Nagano	4 hours; 2 transferring
Matsumoto	3 hours; 2 transferring
Kamakura	3 hours; 2 transferring
Nagasaki	At least 4.5 hours; 2 transferring
Sendai	More than 4 hours; 1 transferring
Kumamoto	About 4 hours; 1 transferring