Kansai Airport - Nankai Namba Station

Hi, Hyperdia shows two types of direct train to Nankai Namba Stn - Nankai Airport Express and Nankai Ltd Exp Rapit 30. Pl advise which is better and is there only a 9.33 am service on 15 Nov 2011?

I will be staying near Nankai Namba station and would go to Kyoto to view the autumn foliage. Would need guidance as to the best way to get to Kyoto. The places I very much like to visit are :- Mt Arashiyama, Minohgawa Valley, Gold Pavilion Temple, kiyomizu Temple, Gioji Temple and any other good spots that you could recommend. Am also interested to view the autumn illumination and if you could give me some ideas where and how to go. Lastly I will be staying in Namba and going to Kyoto daily for 2 days is there any use in buying the Kansai All Thru pass? Thanks a bunch!

Hyperdia shows two types of direct train to Nankai Namba Stn - Nankai Airport Express and Nankai Ltd Exp Rapit 30. Pl advise which is better

The express is cheaper and slower than the limited express as explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2033.html

and is there only a 9.33 am service on 15 Nov 2011?

I don't understand the question.

I will be staying near Nankai Namba station and would go to Kyoto to view the autumn foliage. Would need guidance as to the best way to get to Kyoto.

Your options are explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html?aFROM=2157_2158

Am also interested to view the autumn illumination and if you could give me some ideas where and how to go.

There are some suggestions here. The illumination data is from last year (and should be updated in the near future), but you can expect a lot to be the same like last year:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3953.html

Lastly I will be staying in Namba and going to Kyoto daily for 2 days is there any use in buying the Kansai All Thru pass?

The pass is unlikely to pay off for just two day trips to Kyoto from Osaka.

The 09.33 train is the Rapi:t service, it is the fastest train to Namba and costs 1,390 Yen one way, 500 Yen more than the slower Express service. There is a Rapi:t train every 30 minutes, even on November 15th. The train has a retro-modern design:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapi:t

Here is an interval timetable of all Nankai trains to Namba:

http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi/en/intervaltime.html?dep_node=KANSAI%20AIR...

As for travelling to Kyoto, most of the places listed are to the west of the city. Possible options for travelling to the Arashiyama area from the Namba using private railways:

http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=OSAKA-NAMBA&arv_no...

As you can see, fares could be 640-740 Yen one way, so maybe 2,800 Yen over two days (it is a similar fare to get to the west of the city). Add on to that any transport within Kyoto that comes to more than 500 Yen per day and it might be worth getting the Kansai Thru Pass. I would also suggest it might be worth getting the three day version and use it from the airport and travelling around Osaka on the subway for two or more rides if that fits your schedule. If you use the Rapi:t service you will only be able to use the Kansai Thru Pass towards the base fare (890 Yen), you will need to pay the additional 500 Yen reservation fee on top.

Thanks Rob and Uji for the detailed info. However I'm lost looking at the train schedule (Route 2) to go from Osaka to Arashiyama which needed 2 transfers. My hotel is near Namba Nankai Station

So?

Probably the easiest route is to take the subway and then Hankyu Railway. So from your hotel you go to the Namba subway station and take the Yotsubashi Line to Umeda. You then walk from the subway to the Hankyu Umeda train terminal. Take a Limited Express bound for Kawaramachi, get off at Katsura and transfer to the Hankyu Arashiyama Line bound for Arashiyama terminal.

@RobBeer
Sorry, but

I think it's unconvenient to take Yotsubashi line for Hankyu Umeda.
(Yotsubashi line is by JR Namba, is not located by Nankai Namba. And Nishi-Umeda station of Yotsubashi line is a bit far to Hankyu Umeda station).
It is more efficient to take subway Midosuji line for Umeda.

And Hankyu Arashiyama station is not near to main site of Arashiyama, for example Togetsukyo bridge and Tenryuji temple.
I always get off train, Hankyu Kyoto line, at Omiya station. And I transfer to Shijo-Omiya station of Keifuku Dentetsu , so-called Randen.

Actually I do not know how to read the hyperdia results. When there are transfers, is it within the station and how do I know from which side to take the train whether it is going to the place that I wish to go or it is bringing back to where I started. I notice they sometimes have arrival track/departure track I,m going bonkers trying to understand it.

@jtomi:
You are correct, I sould have said Midosuji line, which would have been correct for the directions given. I was doing the reply late at night, copying and pasting from Hyperdia and not paying enough attention. As for using the Keifuku Dentetsu line, this would add around 40 minutes to the journey, against a 10-15 minute walk across the river from Hankyu Arashiyama station to the area of Keifuku Arashiyama station.


@Edna Jill:

When there are transfers, is it within the station and how do I know from which side to take the train whether it is going to the place that I wish to go or it is bringing back to where I started.

Transfers vary from location to location. There are maps within the subway that will show you the exit number to Hankyu Umeda station. Hankyu Umeda station, as I stated above, is a terminal station, so you can only go one way. Also, I stated the final destination of the train you need to catch, and I also gave the same details for when you change at Katsura. Again, Hankyu Arashiyama station is a terminal station, you cannot go any further.


I notice they sometimes have arrival track/departure track I,m going bonkers trying to understand it.

This should only make things clearer, not more confusing.