Search flights to Osaka Intl. Airport

Being the second largest city with over 17 million habitants in Japan, Osaka is also one of the world's top 10 largest metropolises. The city is located on Honshu Island, which is the largest island of Japan, which is an archipelago.

Osaka is considered as one of the centers for shopping and gourmet delicacies in Japan. The city also offers a very lively nightlife. The transportation is mainly provided by metro in the city. It is possible to reach every corner of the city by 8 subway lines in different colors. In addition, there is a ring trip around the city center in Kanjo-Sen loop line.

This loop line also offers transfer option for all other lines. As a result of the density and widespread use of this underground transportation network, a virtual second city is located in the metro network. You can see many places in subway stations ranging from shopping stores to restaurants. You can buy tickets in cash or by credit card from the ticket machines at the stations. You need to pay for tickets based on distance. You need to choose your destination on the screen of the ticket machine to buy a ticket; ticket cost is determined according to your destination and it costs about 200 to 360 Japanese Yen. Please remember to swipe the ticket prior to boarding and after getting off the metro.

Metro services generally run between 5 a.m. and midnight. Osaka also offers bus services in terms of public transportation. However, bus services are preferred that much by tourists thanks to the popularity and simplicity of the subway network and because only Japanese is spoken at the bus stops and on buses. If you get the Icoca Smart Card which will make your transportation in Osaka very easy, you can use it on all subway lines, buses, and JR lines. You need to pay 500 Japanese Yen deposit to get this card and then you can travel to anywhere in Osaka by adding the required amount of money to travel.

You can get buy daily tickets if you are going to get on metro or bus several times during the day. The price of these cards called Osaka One Day Pass is 850 Japanese Yen. Although there is a train network in the city, it is mostly preferred for intercity transportation. Railway transportation is provided by high-speed trains called Shinkansen, which was put into service during the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. The prices for intercity train tickets are higher than the world average.

If you prefer to travel by train, you can get the weekly transportation cards called JR Rail Pass. However, these cards are not valid on the subway. The price of this card is 28.300 Japanese Yen for adults in standard trains. If you want to travel in the first class wagons, you need to pay 37.800 Japanese Yen for adults. Prices for children age 6-11 are 50% off.

Taxi is a very common means of transportation in the city. If the red light on the bottom left corner of the taxi's front window is on, it means that it is empty. The most important thing to remember is that almost all drivers can speak English, yet they cannot read the Latin alphabet. For this reason, you should certainly print the name and address of the place you are going beforehand.

You can freely explore the city yourself by renting an affordable car or a motorbike from the car rental companies at the train stations and at the airport. However, this option is not very popular because the toll charges are quite expensive and the metro is much more practical. You should also remember that you need a driver's license that is valid in Japan to rent a car.

Kansai International Airport, which is considered as one of the best airports in the world, serves for air transportation in the city and all international flights are arranged at this airport. However, Kobe Airport, which serves domestic flights and some international charter flights, is also available 37 kilometers from the city center. Both airports are located on artificial islands built in the middle of Osaka Bay. If you need to transfer between these airports, you can prefer fast ferries. You can reach the other airport in just 30 minutes by paying 1.850 Japanese Yen for adults and 930 JPY for children.

Buses and trains are the most preferred means of transportation from Kansai International Airport to the city center. However, you can also travel by taxi or rental car. Very few hotels in Osaka provide airport shuttle service. Getting to the city center takes about 1 hour no matter which transportation option you prefer.

You can get your tickets from the tourist office at the airport.

Bus

You can reach the city center by taking a bus from the bus stops at the exit of terminals 1 and 2 of the airport. You can get to different parts of the city center by choosing from the buses 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11. If the bus you need to take does not depart from Terminal 2, you can benefit from free shuttle service and reach Terminal 1 very easily. One-way ticket price is 1.500 Japanese Yen. The journey takes about one hour. You can purchase your ticket from the machines in both terminals.

Train

The most affordable way of getting to the city center from the airport is to take the train. You can reach the city center after a train journey that takes about 1 hour. Ticket price is 920 Japanese Yen. If you want to exactly get to the city center, you need to get off at Namba Station. Especially if you are planning to transfer to a different city, the train is the best alternative for you. You can buy a daily or 4-day ticket instead of one-way ticket in such cases.

You can also use this ticket in other cities as well. You can pay in cash or by credit card to buy tickets from the machine at the station. You can buy JR Rail Pass card from JR Office at Terminal 1. Please keep in mind that JR Rail Pass cards are only used on trains and you cannot use these cards on the metro.

Shuttle Services

You can make a comfortable journey to reach anywhere you want by taking the advantage of the shuttle services provided by private companies. Yasaka Kanku Shuttle buses take you to wherever you want for 3.500 Japanese Yen as (one-way). You can also travel on your own and you just need to make a reservation 2 days in advance. You can also benefit from MK Co. shuttle services to reach exactly wherever you want to go by paying 2000-4000 JPY per passenger depending on the area you want to go. You can also travel on your own with this company as well and you need to make a reservation 2 days in advance.

Limousine Bus

The limousine buses provide quite comfortable transportation service for the passengers to reach central points in Kinki and Shikoku areas. You can buy your ticket at 4 different points at the airport by paying in cash or by credit card.

Hotel Shuttle Services

The city has a large number of alternatives in terms of accommodation facilities; however, the number of hotels providing airport shuttle service is limited. For this reason, you should absolutely contact your hotel in advance.

Taxi

You can easily reach the city center by taking a taxi from the taxi stands at the exit of the terminals 1 and 2. You can understand that a taxi is available if the red light on the bottom left corner of its front window is on. Both small and large taxis are available. For transportation to the city center from the airport by taxi, taxi fares may vary depending on the size of the vehicle and "day" or "night" tariff between 13.000 and 17.000 Japanese Yen.

Rent a car

There are the offices of car rental companies at the airport. You can rent an affordable car from these offices. Please remember that you will need an international driver's license. Another important point is that the highway toll charges in Japan are extremely high. If you are going to rent a car, you should keep these two points in mind; you should contact a car rental company in advance if necessary.