Kyoto 1 day bus trip
City : Kyoto
If you are looking for transportation in the city of Kyoto, there are many options at your disposal. You can always take the subway, but it doesn't cover many tourist sites since the subway only has two lines. You can walk, but then again getting to different area, for example from the Kiyomizu Temple to the Kinkakaji Temple, will take most of your time and energy.
The convenient solution that we propose is the City Bus All-Day Pass. It will help you see most of the major sightseeing spots in Kyoto at a very affordable price. For only 500 yens, you will be able to take the Kyoto City Bus for an unlimited amount of time in one day. Usually, one bus ride cost 220 yens, so the saving starts after you take the third ride. (For more details go to http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport )
We will now tell you how to make the most of this pass.
Preparations
First, you have to get the bus route map that you can find at http://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/cmsfiles/contents/0000019/19770/bus_navi_en200801.pdf or at the travel information center in the Kyoto Station.
Getting the Pass :
Once you decided the first bus you will take for the day, enter that bus from the back door. After reaching your destination, pay at the box near the front door where the driver is located. You can buy the pass directly from the driver at that time. It is possible, but not common, that a driver sells out all his passes. To be sure to get one, you can always buy your pass at the Kyoto Station.
Getting on a bus :
All City Bus stops have a sign that looks like a snow flake as shown on the top right picture. Be careful not to mix City Buses and buses run by private companies since the later do not accept the City Bus All-Day Pass. At a major bus stop, you can figure out the incoming bus by the yellow lights on the stop sign. You can then understand the bus number and its destination. Even if the bus doesn't go exactly where you want to go, you can always transfer bus if you need to. All buses follow a time table, but it's possible to have delays due to traffic conditions.
Getting off a bus :
If you need to get off on the next stop, just press the button nearby. Show your pass to the driver or just swipe it trough the machine next to the driver.
Useful lines :
This is three of the most useful bus lines for tourists using the "RAKU BUS - Kyoto Easy Sightseeing".
#100 Kyoto Station - Sanjusangen-do Temple - Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Ginkakuji Temple - Nanzenji Temple
#101 Kyoto Station - Nijo-jo Castle - Kinkakuji Temple
#102 Ginkakuji Temple - Kinkakuji Temple
The RAKU BUS is especially made for sightseeing and skips all the minor stops. You can recognise a RAKU BUS since it has a different color and design then the regular green City Buses.
Notice
There are some sightseeing spots, like Arashiyama, Sagano, Takao, Shugakuin, etc, that are not covered by the pass. They are a bit far from the center of the city but you can still get to them if you pay an extra fare.
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The Osaka One-Day Pass :
In Osaka, they also have a similar pass. However, this pass is not limited to buses but also include subway transportation as well. You can use this pass for an unlimited amount of time in one day for 850 yens. In Osaka, the subway can be a more convenient solution since the subway lines cover many of the most popular sites such as the Osakajo Castle, the Shinten-no-ji Temple and of course many shopping area and restaurants. You can buy your pass at any subway station. Another great feature of this pass is that you can get a special discount when you show the pass at many sites like the Osakajo Castle, the Shiten-no-ji Temple and the Sky Building in Umeda. But that's not all, on Fridays the pass is sold for only 600 yens and is named the "No-My-Car-Day Pass". This is meant to encourage people to stop using their car and start using the subway. (Refer to http://www.kotsu.city.osaka.jp/foreign/english/ticket/index.html )
Salim Larochelle