Japan Guide
Nara
Arrival
Nara has two competing train stations: the JR station, on the west side of the town centre, and the private Kintetsu-Nara Station right in the thick of things. Arriving from Kyoto, the quickest option is a Limited Express train on the private Kintetsu– Kyoto line (every 30min; 40min; ¥1110); the ordinary express takes a little longer and you have to change at Yamato-Saidaiji (1–2 hourly; 50min; ¥610). JR also has a choice of express trains (8 daily; 45min; ¥740) and regular trains (every 30min; 1hr 20min; ¥690) from Kyoto. Travelling from Ōsaka, trains on the private Kintetsu– Nara line (from Ōsaka's Kintetsu-Namba Station) arrive at the Kintetsu– Nara Station (every 15min; 30–40min; ¥540–1040). Alternatively, take a JR line train from Ōsaka Station (every 20min; 40min; ¥780) or from JR Namba Station (every 20min; 30–40min; ¥740) to JR Nara Station. If you're coming here from Kansai International airport, you can go into central Ōsaka to pick up a train, or hop on a limousine bus (hourly; 1hr 35min; ¥1800), which stops at both Nara's train stations.