Haruka Express

A railway journey is a convenient way to explore the country. Whether you are after a quintessentially old-school experience with a slow long-haul train or a super modern highspeed express, train travel allows you to get to your destination in style and enjoy the trip at its most. Haruka Express is one of the operators you can book a train ride with. Before you confirm your booking, please remember to check your travel date, class, price, and fare conditions.

What are the Main Stations of Haruka Express?

The main stations covered by Haruka Express’s route map include:

Tennoji, Osaka, Shin Osaka, Kyoto
Nara, Kansai Airport Station, Kobe Sannomiya Hanshin and Kobe.

What are the most popular routes for Haruka Express?

Here are some of the routes offered by Haruka Express which enjoy the greatest popularity with travelers:

• Kyoto - Kansai Airport
• Kansai Airport - Osaka
• Osaka - Kansai Airport
• Kansai Airport - Kyoto
• Kansai Airport - Nara
• Nara - Kansai Airport
• Kansai Airport - Kobe
• Kobe - Kansai Airport
• Kyoto - Tokyo
• Kyoto - Narita Airport

What are the Train Classes & Prices of Haruka Express?

Depending on the length of your trip and your preferences, you can choose a first or second-class ticket in a sleeper coach for an overnight trip or opt for a hard or soft seat if available. Note that the ticket class choice depends on the route and the length of your trip. Your train may feature first-class berths, but you cannot book one if you are doing just a short two-hour stretch. Second-class berths are a good choice for longer trips, and soft seats get you covered if your train ride is supposed to take under 4-5 hours.

Pros & Cons of Train Travel

Pros of Train Travel

The best thing about railway travel is that there are no traffic jams. Even on rush hour, long weekends, or during the high season.
An easy online booking process – you do not need to go to the railway station, which has recently been the case in many places!

Train tickets are usually more affordable than airplane tickets, yet the total travel time can be almost the same for specific destinations and trips.
While rail travel is slower than air travel, railway stations are often located in the center of the city, which saves you time getting to/from there, while airports are almost always a pretty long way out of town.

Traveling by night allows you to save on a hotel room and sleep well simultaneously—the opposite of a night bus, where even the sleeping class is a considerable compromise.
Luxury service is available on specific routes.

Cons of Train Travel

A train ride is more time-consuming than an air journey for longer trips.
Trains ride on schedule, but being out of schedule is not unheard of for train travel—and delays can be huge. So, if you are planning a connection to your flight, carefully check the time your train arrives at the station and think twice.
Cleanliness is sometimes an issue with second and third-class tickets and toilets.
If your train makes a lot of stops, in some cases, it is difficult to figure out when to get off as stops are not always clearly announced or marked except for an electronic screen.

HARUKA One-Way Ticket Tips

This ticket allows you to travel conveniently from Kansai Airport to downtown by West Japan Railway Company (JR-WEST).

What’s included in this product?

One-way travel from Kansai Airport by HARUKA Express to downtown Osaka or Kyoto.

Trains available: Kansai-airport Express HARUKA, local trains to your final destination.

How to use it?

Once your booking is completed, 12Go will send you the confirmation with a 12Go voucher.
You can exchange and activate it for a rail pass ticket at the ticket office or the ticket machine with the blue passport logo. You need your passport and a voucher with a QR code.
Please also bring your passport to conveniently reserve a seat on HARUKA at the dedicated ticket machine.
Traveling on any JR train with a ticket in your hand through the gate is very easy!

Restriction

This pass is valid only for non-Japanese passport holders with a "Temporary Visitor" visa stamp. Obtain a Temporary Visitor stamp at immigration to obtain a JR Pass. Do not pass through the automatic gates, as no stamp will be affixed.
Individual customers are not allowed to purchase or exchange more than one of the same tickets for the same use period.
Standard luggage size: Total dimensions (A + B + C) up to 160 cm.