To travel between Kansai Airport and Kobe, there are three transportation options available:
A. Taking the Airport Limousine Bus
B. Taking the train
C. Taking the high-speed ferry.
In this article, we will briefly explain these three transportation options, providing choices for those who want to reach Kobe directly from Kansai Airport on their first day.
Take the Airport Limousine Bus
You can first go to the ticket office at Airport Limousine Bus Stop to purchase a ticket (￥2000), and then take the bus to Sannomiya, which takes about 71 minutes.
Taking the train
There are two options for taking the train: one is to take the Nankai Electric Railway, and the other is to take the JR West train.
b-1. Take the Nankai Electric Railway.
After taking the Nankai Electric Railway to Namba Station, You need to exit the station and to Osaka-Namba Station, then take the Hanshin Electric Railway to Sannomiya.
This journey takes approximately 109-122 minutes, and the ticket cost is ￥1150.
(This is the price of the Kobe transportation ticket, if purchased at the regular price, it would be ￥1350).
It is important to note that this method requires changing trains after exiting the station.
You will need to walk from Nankai Electric Railway’s Namba Station to Hanshin Electric Railway’s Osaka-Namba Station, which takes about 10-15 minutes on foot.
(For detailed walking directions, you can refer to this: Nankai Namba Station to Midosuji Line Namba Station and Kintetsu．Hanshin Osaka-Namba Station).
From Kansai Airport, take the Nankai Electric Railway to Namba Station. There are two types of trains to choose from.
One is the cheaper option, but it takes longer and does not have assigned seats, called “空港急行” (Airport Express).
The other option is the “特急 Rapi:t” (Limited Express Rapi:t), which has assigned seats. If you want to take the Rapi:t, you will need to purchase a limited express ticket.
b-2. Take the JR train.
The Haruka limited express train arrives in Osaka, and then transfer to the special rapid train within the station to Sannomiya Station, which takes about 82 minutes.
The discounted ticket price is ¥1700 (this is the price of the ICOCA & Haruka package ticket, if purchasing the ticket at regular price, it would be ¥3270).
Please note that the Haruka Limited Express train has a higher fare.
To save money, you can purchase the ICOCA & Haruka package ticket, which is currently priced at ¥1700.
I have previously written about the methods of taking the train, which you can refer to.
Take a high-speed ferry
Although Kansai Airport has a high-speed boat terminal that can take you to the Kobe area, the terminal in the Kobe area is not located at the familiar Mosaic Garden, but at the Kobe Airport.
From Kobe Airport to downtown Kobe, you will also need to take the Port Liner.
The boat ride from Kansai Airport to Kobe Airport takes about 31 minutes and costs 500 yen (discounted price for foreigners, children half price).
The Port Liner ride from Kobe Airport to the Sannomiya area in Kobe takes about 18 minutes and costs 340 yen (adult fare, children half price).
However, the total travel time from Kansai Airport to downtown Kobe is definitely not 31+18=49 minutes.
The entire process will be explained in detail below.
1. Buying Tickets at Kansai Airport
The ticket counter of Yihang is located in the corner of the north wing of Kansai Airport, near the direction of the road. (Upper right corner of Map 1)
Map 1: Kansai Airport Terminal 1, 1st floor (International Arrivals)
(This image is taken from the official website of the high-speed boat)
From Kansai Airport to Kobe Airport, there is usually one flight per hour, but in the afternoon, there is approximately one flight every two hours. (For detailed timetable, click here).
10 minutes before departure, there will be a free Shuttle Bus to transport passengers to the pier.
Tickets can be purchased using the automated ticket machines.
However, foreign tourists are eligible for discounts, so please present your passport to the ticketing staff and purchase your tickets.
The one-way original price is ￥1880. Children (6-12 years old) are half price.
If you show a foreign passport at the ticket counter, adult tickets are only ￥500 and children are ￥250.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket counters for the first terminal, second terminal, and Kobe. For detailed locations, click here.
(From Kobe Airport to Kansai Airport, the discounted price of ￥500 also applies.)
The following image is the old picture.
2. Take the Shuttle Bus to the pier and board the boat.
First, let’s take a look at the map. There is a considerable distance between Kansai Airport Terminal and the high-speed ferry pier.
After purchasing tickets from the ticket counter, you can walk out of the terminal through the nearby door and find the boarding area for Bus No. 12.
This is also the place where you can catch the Shuttle Bus to RINKU PREMIUM OUTLETS.
This is the free Shuttle Bus.
It is a low-floor bus, so it is not difficult to handle when carrying luggage.
These are the photos taken after arriving at the pier.
3. Take a boat to Kobe Airport Pier.
The ferry pier is relatively simple in length.
Just like this, you can see the boat by walking forward.
This is the boat to board.
Only one layer.
This boat weighs about 84 tons and can accommodate 110 people.
Since the boat tickets do not have assigned seats, you can find a spot and sit down.
The boat has a spacious interior, with designated areas for luggage and also accessible spaces.
Even vending machines are available, so there’s no need to worry about drinking water.
Luggage storage area. This is where dedicated staff assist with handling.
Approximately 30 minutes, and you will arrive at Kobe Airport Pier.
4. Take the Shuttle Bus or walk to Kobe Airport Station.
First, take a look at the map of Kobe Airport Pier. There is a distance between Kobe Airport Pier and Port Liner Kobe Airport Station.
Usually, when we arrive at the pier by high-speed boat, we can see a free Shuttle Bus that will take you to Kobe Airport Station on the Kobe New Transit – Airport Subway Line.
The transportation time is approximately less than 3 minutes. You will arrive at Kobe Airport Station.
5. Take the Port Liner of Kobe New Transit (Airport Subway Line).
Since the drop-off location is at Kobe Airport, but the Port Liner station is on the second floor, we need to take the escalator up to the second floor and walk a short distance to reach the station.
You will be able to see the sign for “Kobe Airport Station”.
You can choose to purchase your train ticket with cash or use ICOCA to ride the tram.
From Kobe Airport to Sannomiya, the fare is ¥340.
This airport subway line goes directly to Sannomiya Station without any transfers along the way.
However, it does pass through several stations, so make sure to keep your luggage secure to avoid inconveniencing others.
To purchase tickets, simply insert the money first, then select the number of people, and finally press the amount.
Then, you can get this train ticket.
Below is an old picture.
Upon entering the station, you will need to insert your ticket at the red arrow mark shown in the image below, and then retrieve it at the yellow arrow mark.
When exiting the station, simply insert your ticket at the red arrow mark, and it will not be returned to you.
If you are using ICOCA or Suica, you can simply tap it on the ticket gate machine when passing through, and tap it again when exiting, just like with regular trains.
The train on the airport subway line runs quite frequently, with a train arriving every 5 to 7 minutes.
It feels similar to the Yurikamome on Daiba, both being unmanned automated trains.
If you like, you can go to the first carriage to take a ride. It feels amazing!
In about 18 minutes, you will arrive at Sannomiya Station.
Above is a simple guide on how to get from Kansai Airport to Kobe.
The estimated time is as follows:
starting from the shuttle bus at 13:05, arriving at Kobe Airport by boat at around 13:46, then taking the shuttle bus to the station, and finally taking the Port Liner to Sannomiya.
It is estimated that you can arrive at Kobe Sannomiya Station by 14:18.
Transportation Recommendations for Round-trip Travel from Kansai Airport to Kobe
Which mode of transportation has the lowest cost?
The answer is taking the high-speed boat (￥840), followed by taking the Nankai Electric Railway and transferring to the Hanshin Electric Railway (￥1150). Next is taking the JR (￥1700), and finally taking the Airport Limousine Bus (￥2000).
However, the easiest methods are as follows: the first is to take the Airport Limousine Bus, the second is to take the high-speed boat, and the third and fourth options are JR and Nankai Electric Railway + Hanshin Electric Railway, each with its own differences. As for the definition of “ease”, it depends on individual preferences.
In terms of high-speed boats, although there are frequent transfers in between, the main transportation part can be guaranteed to have a seat. However, for the JR (Osaka → Sannomiya) and Hanshin Electric Railway, there is a high possibility that you may need to stand.
In addition, JR’s Haruka train runs every 30 minutes, while Nankai Electric Railway’s Rapi:t currently runs every hour (in most time periods).
Furthermore, Nankai Electric Railway requires transferring outside the station, while JR only requires transferring within the station.
However, there are often long queues for purchasing JR tickets, while Nankai Electric Railway has very few people and sometimes no need to queue.
Therefore, it is really difficult to distinguish who is better or worse between the two.
So, if you plan to go directly from Kansai Airport to downtown Kobe on the first day, I would highly recommend taking the high-speed boat as the first choice, followed by the Airport Limousine Bus. Only then should you consider JR or Nankai Electric Railway.
Additional Explanation
1. Kobe New Transit is a private transportation company that currently operates two lines, namely the Rokko Line and the Port Liner. The Port Liner, also known as the airport subway line, provides transportation between the Sannomiya area and Kobe Airport.
2. High-speed boats cannot use KTP, but Port Liner can accept KTP.
3. When there are strong winds and waves, high-speed boats may suspend their services. Additionally, please consider your own issues with motion sickness (as strong winds and waves can easily cause nausea and vomiting).
Reference Materials
Kansai Airport
Kobe New Transit
Kobe Access
Airport Limousine Bus
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/1178/』
