Saturday, January 4, 2014

Japan (Oct2013): Day 4 Osaka to Sapporo

Day 4 (29/10/13): Osaka to Sapporo 

Day breakdown:
0932-1008 ShinImamiya to Kansai Airport via Nankai Ltd Exp train
1020-1027 Airport shuttle bus to Peach Airline's terminal building
1230-1420 Flight from Kansai Airport to Shin Chitose Airport
1445-1515 Lunch at Shin Chitose Airport's Yoshinoya
1534-1610 Train ride from Shin Chitose Airport to Sapporo
1620 Check in Hotel near Sapporo station
1630-1745 Roamed around Sapporo
1745-1830 Dinner
1900 Back to hotel
2100-2200 Roamed around convenience stores near hotel and bought supper.

 Expenditures:
120yen Can of coffee
1390yen Nankai Airport Ltd Exp train from ShinImamiya to Kansai Airport
357yen nail polish
250yen Gyoza from 7-11 convenience store at airport before boarding flight
380yen Chicken bowl from Yoshinoya for late lunch
1040yen Train ride from Shin Chitose Airport to Sapporo station.
120yen Bottle of Pocari Sweat
2384yen Dinner at Crab restaurant
100yen Supper of udon from convenience store


While I was waiting at ShinImamiya station for my Nankai Airport Ltd Exp train, I came across this can of coffee being sold at the convenience store with an Initial D car freebie! Even though I don't drink this brand of coffee, but I bought it anyway.
For those who don't know what is Initial-D, well, Initial D is the name of a manga (which later adapted into anime as well as movie version) by Shuichi Shigeno. The entire series is about street racing and it started since 1995 and only recently completed in end 2013. 


For my transport from Shin Imamiya station in Osaka to Kansai Airport, I took the Nankai Ltd Exp Airport train which is a direct train to Kansai Airport. Nankai is a non-JR company, so JR railpass holders will not be able to take this train using the railpass.

For Nankai Airport train, they have 2 versions: 
1 is the Express train and the other is the Ltd Exp train. 
Although both are direct trains to Airport, but the Ltd Exp train is slightly faster, more comfortable seats, you get a guaranteed seat, have separate luggage rack area for your bulky luggage bags as well as a toilet onboard the train. 
I can't remember if there is a toilet onboard the regular Nankai Express train, even though I've taken the Express train on 1 of my previous trips.
As for fares, for the regular Express train, it costs 890yen from Shin Imamiya station to Kansai Airport. 
For Ltd Exp train, it costs 890yen + 500yen = 1390yen from Shin Imamiya station to Kansai Airport.
First I used the regular ticketing machines at the Nankai Shin Imamiya station to purchase my 890yen train fare, then I entered the station to go to the train platform to purchase the extra 500yen Ltd Exp top up which also gives me a confirmed seat number on the Ltd Exp top up ticket.

For those who stays at Namba area, using this Nankai airport train will be more convenient than the JR Haruka Express train since Haruka Express only stops at Tennoji, Shin-Osaka, and Kyoto stations.
But if you are staying at Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Tennoji areas, then Haruka Express will be better. 
Also something to consider, the Haruka Express + ICOCA package is pretty worthwhile getting if you are not using any railpass to cover your journey to/from Kansai Airport. 

Comparison between Nankai Ltd Exp train and JR Haruka Express train:
Nankai Ltd Exp train
Stops at: Kansai Airport, Rinkutown, Izumisano, Kishiwada, Sakai, Tengachaya, Shinimamiya, Namba (Nankai) stations.
Journey duration: From Kansai Airport to Namba (Nankai) station, it takes about 38mins (compared to 48mins for regular Exp train)
Costs: Kansai Airport to Namba (Nankai) station costs 890yen + 500yen = 1390yen.
Train facilities: Have luggage racks and toilets onboard the train.
Other notes: Cannot be used with the railpasses by JR company...since this is a Nankai company train and not a JR company train.

JR Haruka Express train
Stops at: Kansai Airport, Tennoji, Shin-Osaka, Kyoto stations.
Journey duration: From Kansai Airport to Tennoji (33mins), to Shin-Osaka (51mins), to Kyoto (76mins).
Costs: Kansai Airport to Tennoji costs 1660yen for unreserved seat or 2370yen for reserved seat. 
Kansai Airport to Shin-Osaka costs 2260yen for unreserved seat or 2970yen for reserved seat. 
Kansai Airport to Kyoto costs 2770yen for unreserved seat or 3480yen for reserved seat. 
Train facilities: Have luggage racks and toilets onboard the train.
Other notes: Can be used with JR Pass, JR Kansai Area Pass, JR Kansai Area Wide Pass, Sanyo Area Pass, Sanyo-Shikoku-Kyushu pass.

890yen fare ticket, and the 500yen top up ticket for the Ltd Exp train. My seat was in carriage number 3, seat 37.

Onboard the Nankai Ltd Exp train.

Luggage racks area onboard the train.
 Since my domestic flight from Kansai Airport to Shin-Chitose Airport in Hokkaido is via budget airlines Peach Airlines, so the flight departs in a smaller airport about 7mins free shuttle bus ride away from the main Kansai Airport. 
Inside Peach Airline's terminal near the main Kansai Airport terminal. It has a souvenir shop, a convenience store (7-11) and a few cafes.



7-11 at the terminal


The departure area only have this souvenir shop and a small restaurant. So I bought gyoza from the convenience store for my lunch.



Waiting for my flight.

Short walk to board the plane from the terminal building. The 1 way flight from Kansai Airport to Shin-Chitose airport costs me 6005yen (excludes the 1600yen topup for check-in luggage). Their rates differs daily so you will have to check Peach Airline's website. 
Saw these onboard the Peach airlines flight.

Met a nice Malaysian family during the flight, so we went to have a quick lunch at Yoshinoya at Shin-Chitose airport before taking a train ride together to Sapporo station where we then parted our ways.
The chicken bowl at Yoshinoya. Costs 380yen and the meat was tender and juicy, and nice so fluffy!
Taking the short 36mins train ride onboard the JR Rapid Airport train from Kansai Airport to Sapporo station. Train fares costs 1040yen for unreserved seat or 1340yen for reserved seat. I chose to get unreserved seat ticket.  Yes there is toilet onboard this train, but no separate luggage rack area. So you will have to put your luggage in front of you or above you on overhead racks.
Arrival at Sapporo station. 
Just a short 2mins walk from Sapporo station is Sapporo Aspen Hotel where I will be staying for the night.
The room. 5000yen for this single room. Think I got a cheap rate since I only booked this hotel about 1 day before my stay.  Had to re-arrange my travel plans last minute due to some issues with my train plans.

halloween themed donuts at Dunkin Donuts.

Sapporo station.




Odori Park




 Whenever I'm in Sapporo, I nearly always have my dinner at my fav crab restaurant.

2384yen for dinner (cream crab croquettes + breaded crab
Ever since I posted the pic of the coffee with Initial D toy car freebie on my facebook in the morning, I got many requests from my brothers and my friend to help them keep a lookout for it since they wanted it as well. So I roamed around the hotel at night to the many convenience stores nearby to try to look for it, but no luck. Well, though my search for the coffee with toy car didn't paid off, but my search for supper paid off. Found cheap yaki udon sold at a convenience store near the hotel which only costs 100yen and the taste is pretty alright for the cheap price.
100yen udon.

Go to previous entry (Oct 13) Day 3 Ise (Part 2)
/ Go to next entry (Oct 13) Day 5 Otaru
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