Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
north side
344-0330, south side 662-6640;
north side 9:30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm Sat, Sun & holidays, south side
10am-8pm)
.
Taxi
Taxis are a convenient, but expensive, way of getting from place to place about town. A
taxi can usually be flagged down in most parts of the city at any time. There are also a
large number of
takushī noriba
(taxi stands) in town, outside most train/subway stations,
department stores etc.
There is no need to touch the back doors of the cars at all - the opening/closing mech-
anism is controlled by the driver.
Fares generally start at ¥630 for the first 2km. The exception is
MK Taxi
( 721-2237)
,
where fares start at ¥580. Regardless of which taxi company you go for, there's a 20%
surcharge for rides between midnight and 6am. MK Taxi also provides tours of the city
with English-speaking drivers. For a group of up to four people, prices start at ¥21,800 for
three hours.
Two other companies that offer a similar tour service, English-speaking drivers and
competitive prices are
Kyōren Taxi Service
(
672-5111)
and
Kyoto Daiichi Kōtsū
(
602-8162).
Car & Motorcycle
Kyoto's heavy traffic and narrow roads make driving in the city difficult and stressful.
You will almost always do better riding a bicycle or catching public transport. Unless you
have specific needs, do not even entertain the idea of renting a car to tour the city - it's far
more cost and headache than any traveller needs (plus parking fines start at ¥15,000).
However, it makes sense to rent a car if you plan to explore certain rural areas that
hand side in Japan. A litre of petrol costs around ¥159.
