Shuttle service from ship to city - Kochi, Japan

[thehowlingroad]

6 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Perspective .... I'm a solo

 

Yes, for a solo traveler it's perfectly reasonable! but we're a family of 3, so a cab for 3500Y seems more economical for us; that's only about $25 USD to Kochi Station, and our plan is to use the local tourist shuttle around town, and then take a shorter cab ride back from the Botanical Gardens at the end of the day.

[Traveler1946]

On 3/12/2023 at 11:12 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Is that per person round-trip?  Seems a ridiculous amount!

 

I'll be joining Westerdam March 27.

How much was the tram to Kochi Castle and which tram is it?

[cruisemom42]

44 minutes ago, Traveler1946 said:

How much was the tram to Kochi Castle and which tram is it?

 

I'm not sure I can fully answer your question. My cruise stopped at Kochi twice. First time it was pouring rain all day so I stayed on board knowing I'd be back. Second day was better. I paid $25 for Holland America's port shuttle (they give you a wrist band, you can ride as much as you like). The shuttle drops off in town. From there you can either take a a local tram or walk to the castle. I just opted to walk, as I knew that climbing around the castle was probably going to be more than my knee was up to (it is a steep climb up a hill with lots of steps even once you're up there). I got some information from HAL's port talk on what else to see and visited a picturesque arched red bridge in town, then went to a local market.

 

If you have a Suica card, I seem to remember you could use it on the tram -- that's originally what I was planning to do before I heard from others (on the first visit) how difficult it was to get to the castle. If you're planning to DIY, getting the Welcome Suica card at the airport is really the way to go as surprisingly Japan is not great about using a credit card for things like bus/tram fares.

 

 

[monkey@cruise]

On 3/12/2024 at 1:42 PM, Ombud said:

Perspective .... I'm a solo

I was on Celebrity last October and city of Kochi offered free shuttle from cruise terminal to downtown Harimayabashi bus terminal, 1 mile from Kochi castle, either walk or ride the tram (200 yen). Kochi castle is on a hilltop, must shoe remove to climb the top tower. Do the castle if no mobility issue.

[monkey@cruise]

44 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

. If you're planning to DIY, getting the Welcome Suica card at the airport is really the way to go as surprisingly Japan is not great about using a credit card for things like bus/tram fares.

 

 

For DIY, purchase the https://visitkochijapan.com/en/usefuls/MY-YU bus pass with 50% off ( foreign passport holders) the pass include city zone tram ride. Kochi is still a cash city, credit cards are seldom accepted.