About 2 hours from Kyoto! A thorough guide to getting to Fukui
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There are several ways to get from Kyoto to Fukui, including by train, bus, and car. The Hokuriku Shinkansen will open between Fukui and Tsuruga in spring 2024. We will introduce how to get there by each means of transportation, the travel time, cost, and advantages.
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There are several ways to get from Kyoto to Fukui, including by train, bus, and car. The Hokuriku Shinkansen will open between Fukui and Tsuruga in spring 2024. We will introduce how to get there by each means of transportation, the travel time, cost, and advantages.
Let's go from Kyoto to Fukui!
Fukui Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan and is located in the Hokuriku region of Japan, adjacent to Kyoto Prefecture.
There are also many scenic spots such as Tojinbo, Eiheiji Temple, and the Mikata Five Lakes, tourist attractions such as the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins and the Dinosaur Museum, as well as many delicious local delicacies such as Echizen crab, sauce katsudon, and oroshi soba.
How to get from Kyoto to Fukui?
There are currently three ways to get from Kyoto to Fukui: train, express bus, and car. There are two ways to get there: by train: the Thunderbird Express + Hokuriku Shinkansen or local train. By car, you can either use the expressway or the general road. The one-way travel time and cost for each of the three modes of transportation, train, express bus, and car, are as follows:
*Although there is an airport in Fukui Prefecture, it is not a suitable means of transportation as there are no scheduled flights.
Fast and convenient! Thunderbird Express + Hokuriku Shinkansen
Limited express train + Hokuriku Shinkansen
Kyoto - Tsuruga (Thunderbird Express) Tsuruga - Fukui (Hokuriku Shinkansen) (one way)
Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
Price: 5,730 yen (board ticket + reserved seat express ticket)
Thunderbird is easy to use and highly recommended as travel times are short.
Tickets can be purchased at the JR station's "JR Ticket Office) or "Ticket Machine), or by reserving and purchasing tickets through JR West's online reservation service "e5489 (Iigoyoyaku)".
When transferring from Tsuruga to Hapi-line-Fukui
Limited express train + Hapi-line-Fukui
Kyoto - Tsuruga (Thunderbird Express) Tsuruga - Fukui (Hapi-line-Fukui) (One Way)
Duration: Approximately 1 hour 55 minutes
Price: 4,360 yen (board ticket + reserved seat express ticket)
At Tsuruga Station, transfer to the Hapi-line-Fukui. The fare is cheaper than the Shinkansen from Tsuruga Station.
If you want to take it easy and head to Fukui Station, we recommend transferring to the Hapi Line.
If you are transferring between JR lines and Hapi-line-Fukui
Journey time: Approximately 2 hours 50 minutes (one way)
Price: 2,830 yen (one way)
*If you are taking a local train, you will need to transfer.
JR Tokaido-Sanyo Main Line ⇒ JR Hokuriku Main Line ⇒ Hapi-line-Fukui
*The number of transfers may vary depending on the timetable.
Regular trains require transfers and take longer to travel, but the fare is cheaper.
In addition, the Seishun 18 Ticket is on sale, which allows unlimited travel on local JR trains nationwide for a certain period of time. We recommend using this ticket to travel.
However, if you are a tourist visiting Japan and have a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass), you can use JR lines, limited express trains, and the Shinkansen as much as you like, so we recommend it as it will help you save on transportation costs. Note that the only Shinkansen trains you can use the JR Pass to ride are the "Hikari" and "Kodama" trains, and you cannot use it to ride the "Nozomi" trains.
No transfers required! By express bus
If you travel by express bus, the time and cost will vary depending on the bus company.
Kyoto Station ⇒ Fukui Station
Duration: 3 hours 13 minutes
Price: 3,000 to 4,800 yen (one way)
As you can see, the advantage of using express buses is that they are cheap. However, please note that there are no direct buses and you will have to transfer.
We recommend that you make a reservation in advance as there may not be seats available on the day. You can make a reservation by phone at the ticket center of each bus company.
・West Japan JR Bus Co., Ltd. https://www.nishinihonjrbus.co.jp/express/
Alternatively, you can purchase tickets online at "Hatsusha Orainet" https://secure.j-bus.co.jp/hon.
If you like driving, rent a car!
To get there by car, you can either take the expressway or head north on the local roads along the west side of Lake Biwa.
https://goo.gl/maps/6ixaqbZDfyWYg8EY8
Expressway
Meishin Expressway Kyoto Minami IC ⇒ Hokuriku Expressway Fukui IC
Duration: 2 hours
Price: 4,550 yen
Distance: 180.3 km
*Fares vary depending on the route. Please check a transportation information website for details.
This is recommended for those who want to use the expressway and get to their destination quickly.
Heading north on the west side of Lake Biwa on public roads
Lake Biwa West Longitudinal Road (Kosai Road) ⇒ Tsuruga Bypass ⇒ Tsuruga IC to Hokuriku Expressway Fukui IC
Duration: Approximately 3 hours
Price: 1,530 yen
*If you take the local roads, it will take about 4 hours. Please check the traffic information website for details.
When traveling by train or bus, you have to keep a specific time in mind, but when traveling by car, you can go at your own pace and it is easy to carry around a lot of luggage. If you don't want to be rushed or have a lot of luggage, we recommend traveling by car, even though it will take a little longer and cost more.
Also, if you are traveling with a large group such as a family, traveling by car may be cheaper.
Must-see tourist spots when you come to Fukui!
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
The Dinosaur Museum is one of Fukui's most popular tourist spots, with over 900,000 visitors a year. It is said to be one of the three largest dinosaur museums in the world, and the vast space is home to 44 complete fossil skeletons. It is scheduled to be renovated and reopened in the summer of 2023, making it a must-see tourist spot.
access
Public transport: Take the bus bound for the Dinosaur Museum from Katsuyama Station on the Echizen Railway and take it for 12 minutes.
Car: 15 minutes by car from Katsuyama IC on the Chubu Longitudinal Expressway
Tojinbo
Tojinbo is a large columnar joint that stretches for about 1 km along the coastline in Mikuni-cho, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture. Its sheer size has made it one of the "Three Great Scenic Spots in the World," making it a valuable geological site. For this reason, Tojinbo has been designated a national natural monument, and is one of Japan's most scenic spots, having been selected as one of the "Top 100 Geological Sites in Japan" and "Top 100 Sunsets in Japan."
access
Public transport: 10 minutes by Keifuku bus bound for Tojinbo from Echizen Railway Mikuni Station
By car: 30 minutes by car from Kanazu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway
●Mikatagoko Rainbow Line Summit Park
The Mikata Five Lakes are the collective name for the five lakes that straddle Mikata-ko, Suigetsu-ko, Kan-ko, Kugushi-ko, and Hinata-ko, which lie between Mihama-cho and Wakasa-cho in Fukui Prefecture. The five lakes have different water qualities and depths, and all appear to be different shades of blue, hence the name "Five Colored Lakes." The differences are easily visible from the 11.2km long Mikata Five Lakes Rainbow Line Prefectural Road, where you can enjoy the dynamic scenery of the five lakes and the Sea of Japan.
access
By car: Approximately 20 minutes by car from Wakasa Mihama IC on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway
Choose the access method that suits you best and enjoy your trip to Fukui
This time, we introduced how to get from Kyoto to Fukui. We introduced various means of transportation such as "train", "express bus", and "car", but if you want comfort, we recommend the "Thunderbird Express" + "Hokuriku Shinkansen", and if you want to keep the cost down, we recommend the "express bus". Find the transportation method that suits your itinerary, budget, and travel style, and enjoy your trip to Fukui Prefecture.
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Fukui
Katsuyama City is located in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture. The city is located on a river terrace formed along the course of the Kuzuryu River, and is a rural city rich in water and greenery, with commerce and industry based on the local textile industry since the Meiji period, and agriculture and forestry having been thriving since ancient times. Our company is a DMO (tourism region development organization) that works with local communities to develop tourist areas. Katsuyama City is a treasure trove of attractive tourist content, including the Dinosaur Museum and Heisenji Temple! We provide detailed services to customers visiting Katsuyama , such as guided tours that allow many people to experience Katsuyama , the Geo Terminal in the parking lot of the Dinosaur Museum, and the operation of the "Dinosaur Valley Katsuyama" Roadside Station , which opened in June 2020. We are also actively challenging ourselves to create new businesses centered around tourism, aiming to revitalize the town of Katsuyama.
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