Subject: Re: [76attendees] transport from Hiroshima airport to hotel

From: Ronald van der Pol <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:45:47 +0900

On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 16:36:55 +0200, Akira Kato wrote:

> If you will be arriving via an International fligt, the bus
> may not change the schedule. When you miss the last bus departure,
> there is no nice way to get your hotel.

This happened to me last evening. My flight from Seoul was delayed
by more than an hour and I arrived ar Hiroshima airport at 21:30.
Fortunately, I still could get a bus. I got one to the bus center
at 21:50.

I noticed a few things that might be useful to others who are
in a similar rush. So these are NOT complaints. I am enjoying
the visit so far.

The immigration, customs and baggage reclaim procedures went
very quickly. I think I went through them in less than 15 minutes.

You can buy a ticket in the bus with cash. Credit cards are not
accepted in the bus.

The bus ticket vending machines in the domestic terminal did not
seem to accept credit cards. However, there is a shop right next
to the vending machines that sells bus tickets and takes credit
cards.

There was bus personal at the bus stop that was helpful and
spoke English.

There did not seem to be an ATM at the domestic terminal.

Avoid window seats in the bus. The heating is on the floor
at the window side and it was probably at full capacity. It
was uncomfortably hot in the bus, dispite that I was only
wearing a T-shirt. Many public places seem to be quite warm
(~ 25 Celsius), so be sure to pack some T-shirts.

	rvdp

---

From: Akira Kato <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:39:42 +0900 (JST)

Dear Ronald,

Thanks for your report. Probably you're #1 arrival before any
local team members :-)

The bus costs 1,300 JPY one-way. For those who will arrive at
Hiroshima Airport from Incheon or Taipei, I'd suggest you to change
your money into JPY at least 5,000 JPY prior to bording (Ticket
vending machines in the domestic terminal accept 1000/5000/10000 JPY
bills as well as coins) to minimize hasssle in Hiroshima Airport.  As
Ronald suggested, the ticket vending machines don't accept credit
cards.

> There did not seem to be an ATM at the domestic terminal.

Actually there is an ATM machine in the post office at the departure
level of the domestic terminal. But don't depent it; it is at the
other end of the domestic terminal to the international termainal, it
is available 9am to 8pm in weekday and 9am to 5pm in weekend, and
operation of the ATM machine is very complicated.

I talked several Taxi drivers in Hiroshima. While they understood
"Crowneplaza Hotel", they preferred to refer the hotel as "ANA, or
"Anna" as Ole suggested (see the following)
       http://www.yikes.com/~ole/store/Hiroshima/Hiroshima.html

Anyway, have a safe trip to Hiroshima, please!

-- Akira Kato

---

From: Ben Campbell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 08:52:30 -0600

If you connect through Narita on to Hiroshima, do you go through  
customs and immigration in Tokyo or in Hiroshima?

On Nov 2, 2009, at 2:45 AM, Ronald van der Pol wrote:

> _______________________________________________
> 76attendees mailing list
> [email-masked]
> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/76attendees

---

From: Akira Kato <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:43:05 +0900 (JST)

> customs and immigration in Tokyo or in Hiroshima?

You need to clear custom and immegration process in Narita even
if you take a direct daily flight to Hiroshima.

-- Akira Kato

---

From: Keith Davidson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:59:48 +1300

Always you clear customs at the point of entry into the country.

I didn't think you could connect from Narita to Hiroshima for a domestic 
flight, and that flights from Tokyo to Hiroshima depart from Haneda 
airport, which is about 1 hour by train away from Narita airport?

Keith Davidson

Ben Campbell wrote:
> If you connect through Narita on to Hiroshima, do you go through customs 
> and immigration in Tokyo or in Hiroshima?
>

---

From: Peter Lovell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:10:33 -0500

>Always you clear customs at the point of entry into the country.

That's true but the "point of entry" is not always the first airport at
which you land. It depends upon the country.

In the United States, the point of entry is always the first airport.
But, for example, if you fly United from LA to Melbourne, Australia you
land at Sydney first and then fly on to Melbourne. Although you land at
Sydney, your "point of entry" is Melbourne and that's where Customs &
Immigration happens. When you fly Melbourne -> LA then Melbourne is your
departure point, even though you land in Sydney.

Cheers.....Peter

---

From: Ben Campbell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 16:12:04 -0600

On Nov 2, 2009, at 3:59 PM, Keith Davidson wrote:

> I didn't think you could connect from Narita to Hiroshima for a  
> domestic flight, and that flights from Tokyo to Hiroshima depart  
> from Haneda airport, which is about 1 hour by train away from Narita  
> airport?
>

ANA 3129 theoretically leaves NRT at 17:25 Friday and arrives at HIJ  
at 19:20.

---

From: Seiichi Kawamura <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:34:25 +0900

Ben Campbell wrote:
>> domestic flight, and that flights from Tokyo to Hiroshima depart from
>> Haneda airport, which is about 1 hour by train away from Narita airport?
>>
> 
> ANA 3129 theoretically leaves NRT at 17:25 Friday and arrives at HIJ at
> 19:20.

Correct. If you are traveling NRT-HND-HIJ, you have a choice of
taking either bus or train from Narita to Haneda. Both will take around 1.5hours.
http://www.ietf76.jp/access/#NRT-Hiroshima

Seiichi

---

From: Akira Kato <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:09:42 +0900 (JST)

> ANA 3129 theoretically leaves NRT at 17:25 Friday and arrives at HIJ

This is a domestic flight; you need to clear the immegration, pick
your luggages up at the baggage claim, clear the custom, then go to
the domestic check-in counter at the very south end of 1F in the
Terminal-1 of Narita Airport. If you will be arriving at Terminal-2,
after clearing the custom, take free shuttle bus to go to Terminal-1.
UA9731 is another name of this flight; do not go to 4F United check-in
counter.

By the way, while only few people will be applicable, there are some
exceptional cases to "CIQ at the first aiport" principle. If you're
going take NW327 from NRT to KIX, you need to clear the immegration
and others at Kansai rather than Narita. This flight arrives at KIX at
9:20pm, there is no same-day connection to Hiroshima, unfortunately.

-- Akira Kato

---

From: Ben Campbell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:27:59 -0600

Thanks--that's very helpful.

Do you know what the current carry-on rules are for  domestic flights  
out of NRT? Can I carry the usual "1 carry on bag and one personal  
item" that I would typically have on the international leg?

Thanks!

Ben.

---

From: Go Kawaguchi <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:29:44 +0900

Hi
Sufferer from Japanese complex air transportation.

If you can transfer to HIJ(Hiroshima) at NRT(Narita), you are lucky.

If you have to transfer to HND(Haneda) from NRT to get to HIJ, and you
can afford time to drop into Akihabara in Tokyo, that you are also lucky.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara

If you wanna go to Akihabara,
refer to
http://wikitravel.org/en/Tokyo/Akihabara

And you might be able to choose the ways to get to Hiroshima mainly.

#1 Akihabara station -> local line(10m) -> Tokyo(or Shinagawa) station
-> bullet train(4h) -> Hiroshima station

#2 Akihabara station -> local line 1(20m) -> Shinagawa station -> local
line 2(30m) -> Haneda Airport station -> waiting(1h) -> Haneda
Airport(HND) -> 1h -> Hiroshima Airport (HIJ) -> Limousine(1h) ->
Hiroshima station

As #1, better making a reservation for the bullet train(Shinkansen)
ticket at JR(Japan-Railways) Narita-Airport station.

#2 is so complicated though, it depends on your airline's service
including domestic ticket from HND to HIJ.

Which is faster?
God only knows.

GO

From: Seiichi Kawamura <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Nov 03 2009 10:34:25 GMT+0900

---

From: Keith Davidson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:49:06 +1300

All,

I see some discussion on difficulties using ATM's with foreign credit 
cards in Japan.

The Post Offices usually have ATM's that accept foreign cards, but also 
and maybe less well known, so do most 7-11 shops. I have just returned 
from not being able to find the Kyoto Post Office and stopped into a 
7-11 where some Germans were withdrawing cash from the ATM, and I was 
able to get cash too, which surprised me as our NZ credit cards dont 
have all the fiddly additional security features the USA cards have. The 
lady in the 7-11 told me that she thinks maybe half of all 7-11 shops in 
Japan will allow foreign credit cards.

And then walking back to the hotel, I found the Post Office, even though 
I had walked past it 3 times in the past 2 days!

Regards

Keith Davidson

---

From: Peny Yang <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:22:22 +0800

Hi,

>From NRT to HND, there is bus service. Check the link below for
time-table and fare.
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/global.html

Basically, I don't think it's a good idea to take bullet train
(Shinkansen) from Tokyo to Hiroshima. It's too far.
If transfer in KIX, bullet train is a good option.

Peny

---

From: Ole Jacobsen <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 02:21:19 -0800 (PST)

> If transfer in KIX, bullet train is a good option.

Strong disagreement!

By the time you get to/from the airports at either end and in time for 
regular check-in, you will have spent about the same time as just 
taking the train. Tokyo --> Hiroshima on a Nozomi is about 3:47

Ole

---

From: Martin Hoffmann <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:32:38 +0100

> taking the train. Tokyo --> Hiroshima on a Nozomi is about 3:47

A suggestion for those who have an early flight back from Narita and
feel adventurous is the Sunrise Seto overnight train. You'd leave
Hiroshima at 21:50, change to the overnight at Himeji at half past
eleven, and arrive in Tokyo at 7 in the morning.

Various types of accomodation are available:

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise_Seto#Accommodations_and_fees

With a Type B sleeping compartment, prizes should be at Nozomi level.

Regards,
Martin

---

From: Rob Evans <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:14:41 +0000

Hi all,

With apologies to those who are arriving by means other than Hiroshima 
Airport.

> to the vending machines that sells bus tickets and takes credit

Just to reiterate this.  If you are a bit dim, like me, and arrive at 
HIJ at 20:35 without any Yen, there are no cash machines and no money 
exchangers open.  You will need to use a credit card to buy a bus ticket 
at the shop in the domestic arrivals terminal.  This worked fine for me.

The instructions on <http://www.ietf76.jp/access/#Bus-Center> were 
crystal clear for walking from the bus stop.  Where the bus pulls in, 
there is an escalator down to the road, turn right and walk down the 
street to the escalator.  In the subway, walk around the curved wall and 
continue south.

You will not miss the shrine mentioned in the walking directions.  If 
you think you have missed it, you haven't reached it yet!  It is on a 
major junction.  Turn left at that and the ANA is next door.  Arriving 
by night, you can also see the neon sign for the Sunroute on the right 
as you approach the shrine.

I will just add that the bus I was on stops once before it reaches 
Hiroshima Bus Stop.  If you see a supermarket called "Lawson," stay on 
the bus!  You will know when you reach Hiroshima Bus Station as the bus 
takes a ramp up to the second floor (first floor for us Brits).

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the local guides!

Now, to do a bit of exploration until Sunday. Nara looks interesting.

Rob (at the ANA until Saturday, then the Sunroute for the meeting itself)

---

From: Go Kawaguchi <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:54:34 +0900

Hi
Martin

You might know, unfortunately,
named Blue Train via Hiroshima Station is not available now, except
seasonal ones.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Train_(Japan)

So, if someone wants to get that train as an accommodation,
should go to Himeji, Hyogo pref., next to Osaka to transfer it to normal
one.

Well,
when someone wants to come to Hiroshima by bullet train(Shinkansen),
if you could choose Hiroshima as a terminal station,
it's a relief with deep sleep.
There are some trains a day on weekday.
http://www.shinkansen.co.jp/jikoku_hyo/en/sanyou/sdh_tokyo.html
Also Saturday and Holiday by choosing tabs.

Take care

From: Martin Hoffmann <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Nov 03 2009 19:32:38 GMT+0900

---

From: "Lu, Guang" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 14:55:18 -0500

Hello all, 

I need to take the shuttle bus from Hiroshima airport to Hiroshima bus
center. The IETF guide says to buy the bus ticket at the vending
machine. Is it possible to buy the ticket after we get on the bus? Our
flight from Seoul touches down at 8:05pm. The last bus to Hiroshima bus
center leaves at 9pm. It is pretty tight ... 

Thanks for the information,
Guang

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email-masked] [mailto:76attendees-
> [email-masked]] On Behalf Of Rob Evans
> Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 8:15 AM
> To: [email-masked]
> Subject: Re: [76attendees] transport from Hiroshima airport to hotel
> 
> Hi all,
>

---

From: Akira Kato <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:51:36 +0900 (JST)

> Is it possible to buy the ticket after we get on the bus? Our flight
> from Seoul touches down at 8:05pm. The last bus to Hiroshima bus

The last bus for Hiroshima bus center departs at 9:20pm, and you have
enough time to buy a ticket unless the flight delays. If the bus is
about to depart, talk to the driver first. Usually the driver requires
a passenger to buy a ticket, but he may accept the fare by cash or he
may give you another one minute to buy your ticket while the staff
manages your luggage.

When you miss the last bus to the bus center unfortunately, take the
very last bus to JR Hiroshima station which departs at 9:40pm, and
then take a taxi to your hotel.

Have a safe trip (and your flights will be on-time)

-- Akira Kato

---

From: "Lu, Guang" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 09:51:37 -0500

Thanks Akira Kato and Rob for the helpful information!

> From: Akira Kato [mailto:[email-masked]]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 5:52 PM
> To: Lu, Guang
> Cc: [email-masked]