Japan Guide
Kyoto
Getting around
Kyoto's two subway lines are the quickest way to scoot around the city. The Karasuma line runs from southerly Takeda, via Kyoto Station and Kita-ōji, to Kokusai Kaikan in the north, while the Tōzai line starts at Nijō in the west (with the Tenjingawa extension from Nijo to Arashiyama due for completion in early 2008) and cuts east through Sanjō-Keihan and Higashiyama to Daigō in the southeast suburbs; the two lines intersect at Karasuma-Oike Station (5.30am–11.30pm; ¥200–320). As well as single tickets, you can also buy stored-fare cards (Torafika Kyō Kādo) for ¥1000 or ¥3000, which you can use to buy subway tickets and on City Bus services.
Several private railways also operate within the city. Trains on Hankyū railway's Kyoto line for Ōsaka (Umeda) run beneath the city centre from Kawaramachi Station west along Shijō-dōri; a branch line heads northwest from Katsura Station in west Kyoto to Arashiyama. Arashiyama is also served by the Keifuku Railway from Shijō-Ōmiya Station, with another branch line (the Kitano Line) looping north. In northeast Kyoto, Demachiyanagi is the terminus for the Eizan line, which covers Shūgaku-in Rikyū and Yase-yūen, one of the routes up Hiei-zan. Keihan mainline services start from a separate station in Demachiyanagi and then head south via Sanjō-Keihan to Ōsaka (Yodoyabashi). Finally, trains on the Kintetsu-Kyoto line depart from the south side of Kyoto Station, from where they link into the main Kintetsu network, with services to Nara, Kōya-san and Ise.
Kyoto's excellent bus system is relatively easy to use. The buses are colour-coded, the majority show their route numbers on the front and the most important stops are announced in English, either on the electronic display or over the internal speakers. Within the city there's a flat fare of ¥220, which you pay on exit. In most cases you enter via the back door, where you may need to take a numbered ticket if the bus is going into the suburbs, though the flat fare still applies within the central zone. The only problem is that most services stop running around 11pm, or earlier on less popular routes.
There is also a central area ¥100 bus service at the weekend and on national holidays. This one-direction-only, circular bus route runs in a loop from Kyoto City Hall to Karasuma Oike, Shijō Karasuma and Shijō Kawaramachi before heading back to Kyoto City Hall (every 10min 11am–5.50pm). Buses are easy to spot as they have "¥100" written on the side in big letters.
Though traffic in central Kyoto often gridlocks during rush hour, taxis can be useful for hopping short distances. The minimum fare is ¥580 for 2km. Renting a bike is a viable option for exploring central Kyoto, though not much use along the eastern hills, where you're better off walking.