Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [287]
Most rental outfits require you to leave ID such as a passport or driver’s licence.
Bus
Kyoto has an extensive network of bus routes providing an efficient way of getting around at moderate cost. Many of the routes used by visitors have announcements in English. The core timetable for buses is between 7am and 9pm, though a few run earlier or later.
The main bus terminals are Kyoto Station on the JR and Kintetsu lines, Sanjō Station on the Keihan line/Tōzai subway line, Karasuma-Shijō Station on the Hankyū line/Karasuma subway line, and Kitaōji Station on the Karasuma subway line. The bus terminal at Kyoto Station is on the north side and has three main departure bays (departure points are indicated by the letter of the bay and number of the stop within that bay).
The TIC Click here stocks the Bus Navi: Kyoto City Bus Sightseeing Map, which is a good map of the city’s main bus lines. This map is not exhaustive. If you can read a little Japanese, pick up a copy of the regular (and more detailed) Japanese bus map available at major bus terminals throughout the city.
Bus stops usually display a map of destinations from that stop on the top section. On the bottom section there’s a timetable for the buses serving that stop. Unfortunately, all of this information is in Japanese, and nonspeakers will simply have to ask locals for help.
Entry to the bus is usually through the back door and exit is via the front door. Inner-city buses charge a flat fare (¥220), which you drop into the clear plastic receptacle on top of the machine next to the driver on your way out. A separate machine gives change for ¥100 and ¥500 coins or ¥1000 notes.
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KYOTO BUS/SUBWAY PASSES
To save time and money, you can buy a kaisū-ken (book of five tickets) for ¥1000. There’s also a one-day card (shi-basu senyō ichinichi jōshaken cādo) valid for unlimited travel on city buses, which costs ¥500. A similar pass (Kyoto kankō ichinichi jōsha-ken) that allows unlimited use of the bus and subway costs ¥1200. A two-day bus/subway pass (Kyoto kankō futsuka jōsha-ken) costs ¥2000. Kaisū-ken can be purchased directly from bus drivers. The other passes and cards can be purchased at major bus terminals and at the bus information centre (Map).
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On buses serving the outer areas, you take a numbered ticket (seiri-ken) when entering. When you leave, an electronic board above the driver displays the fare corresponding to your ticket number (drop the seiri-ken into the ticket box with your fare).
The main bus information centre (Map) is located in front of Kyoto Station. Here you can pick up bus maps, purchase bus tickets and passes (on all lines, including highway buses), and get additional information. Nearby, there’s a convenient English/Japanese bus-information computer terminal; just enter your intended destination and it will tell you the correct bus and bus stop.
Three-digit numbers written against a red background denote loop lines: bus 204 runs around the northern part of the city and buses 205 and 206 circle the city via Kyoto Station. Buses with route numbers on a blue background take other routes.
When heading for locations outside the city centre, be careful which bus you board. Kyoto city buses are green, Kyoto buses are tan and Keihan buses are red and white.
Scooter
Scooters are a good way to get around the city. Just be sure you have a valid international licence. Kyoto Rental Scooters (864-1635; http://kyotorentalscooter.com/e.htm) rents 50cc scooters for ¥4000/14,000 per day/week.
Subway
Kyoto has two efficient subway lines, which operate from 5.30am to 11.30pm. The minimum fare is ¥210 (children ¥110).
The quickest way to travel between the north and south of the city is the Karasuma subway line. The line has 15 stops and runs from Takeda in the far south, via Kyoto Station, to the Kyoto International Conference Hall (Kokusaikaikan Station) in the north.