Day 2 - Taking a Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Tokyo to Kyoto

The Shangri-La hotel is located right next to Tokyo Station, so it was a very short walk for us to get into the station and make our way to the JR Railway ticketing office.  Using our JR passes that we had purchased prior to leaving for Japan, we were quickly able to reserve seats for a Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Kyoto.  We did not have to reserve seats as there are cars on the Shinkansen that offer general seating, but we chose reserve seating as these cars are usually less full and it of course gave us the peace of mind that we would be able to sit together.

 

 

 

The abundance of signs in English is amazing throughout Japan and definitely made navigating the train stations very easy.

 

 

 

Finding the right train platform was remarkably easy as, once again, the signage, as once again, in Tokyo Station provides information in English and is clearly marked.  All of the trains in Japan run on-time and we were able to board our train with no delays or issues. 

 

 

The seating in the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) is very similar to that of trains here in Canada and I highly recommend reserving your seats although it is not always necessary.

 

 

  

 

 Being prepared for a week of travel through Japan, we were travelling with two large pieces of luggage and I was a little concerned about being able to store them safely on the train as the Shinkansen does not have a baggage car nor an area dedicated to storing luggage, but I quickly found that our luggage fit nicely either behind the rears seat of the car or on the overhead racks with no problems.

  My large bag securely stored above my seat.

Our ride on the Shinkansen to Kyoto was very relaxing and the cars offer quite comfortable seating with seats that recline and tray tables like those you would find on an airplane.  The windows are large and offer terrific views of the cities, towns, and countryside.  In just over 2 hours we had made our way the approximately 370 km to Kyoto.

Even inside the Shinkansen you can be sure that you won’t miss your stop as they include announcements in English and display the next stop on the signs above the doors at the front and rear of the train car.

 

Our Train in Kyoto Station.







We had been to Kyoto Station a few years ago and remembered as beings a beautiful facility, and our memories were correct.   The signs here also offer English and we were quite easily able to navigate our way through the station and elected to take a taxi to our next destination, the boat pier for the Ryokan that we would be staying at that night, Hoshinoya Kyoto situated in the western area of Kyoto.

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