Chubu International Airport or 'Centrair', Japan's third major international
airport, opens on February 17 2005.  This article summarizes transportation to
and from the airport.

1. By train
2. By bus
3. By boat
4. By taxi and car
5. Getting to Expo Park
6. More Information, Disclaimer

[ All links to English-language pages, unless stated otherwise ]

1. By train

Meitetsu (Nagoya Railway) is the only railroad to the airport.

http://www.centrair.jp/en/access/ac-to-train/index.html
Fine map, but no timetable.

Meitetsu home has information only in Japanese:
http://www.meitetsu.co.jp/ (J text)

Here are the major points, from the Meitetsu pages:

During the daytime (9:00-16:00) six trains depart from the airport hourly.

Two Kaisoku-Tokkyuu ("Rapid Limited Express") to Nagoya and beyond
* 28 minutes to Nagoya
* All cars special-class, blue and white car body
* 350 yen surcharge
* Stops at Jinguu-mae and Kanayama between Airport and Nagoya
* Beyond Nagoya, one hourly run advances to Gifu, the other to Inuyama
* All trains of this type get to Nagoya

One Tokkyuu ("Limited Express") to Nagoya and beyond
One Tokkyuu to Toyohashi via Kanayama
* 37 minutes to Nagoya
* Partly special-class, red and white car body
* 350 yen surcharge for special-class
* 7 stops between Airport and Nagoya
* Toyohashi train does not serve Nagoya (connection provided)
* Nagoya train proceeds to Gifu
* Trains terminate at Kanayama (=no service to Nagoya) after 16:00

Two Kyuukou ("Express") to Nagoya and beyond
* 46 minutes to Nagoya
* 12 stops between Airport and Nagoya
* Commuter cars
* Through service into Inuyama Line beyond Nagoya

Service differs somewhat before 9:00 and after 16:00.

Meitetsu Nagoya (formerly Shin-Nagoya) is a labyrinthine underground terminal. 
Declan Murphy reports that multilingual signs are up now
(http://groups.google.co.jp/groups?selm=41FE3FD2.9060105%40hotmail.com). 
Arrive early if it's your first time there.  Kanayama is a smaller, friendlier
joint station, like JR/Keisei Nippori in Tokyo.

Meitetsu Gifu is several blocks away from JR Gifu.  If going to Hida-Takayama,
transfer at Nagoya.

The JR Pass is not good for Meitetsu.

Airport limited timetable and fare table:
http://www.meitetsu.jp/centrair/access.html (J text)


2. By bus

Airport shuttle buses travel to major hotels in Nagoya, most cities in the
area.  On the outside rim buses from Centrair reach Fukui, Nagano and Fuji City.

http://www.centrair.jp/en/access/ac-to-bus/index.html

The bus to Hamamatsu is an hourly service.

Entetsu Bus:
http://navi.entetsu.co.jp/highway/centrair.htm (J text)

Bus to Hamamatsu
2 hours, 3000 yen (traffic permitting)

Train to Hamamatsu
86 + 30 minutes + transit time at Toyohashi
1590 (Meitetsu base fare) + 350 (Meitetsu surcharge) + 650 (JR base) yen

For Iida, the highway bus from Nagoya Station (2-3 hours Nagoya-Iida; hourly)
looks better than JR Iida Line (2.5 hours from Toyohashi; two 'Inaji' limited
express runs daily).

http://www.meitetsu-highwaybus.com/ (J text)


3. By boat

Two ferry lines cross Ise Bay, to Tsu and Toba on the Mie-ken coast.

http://www.centrair.jp/en/access/ac-to-vessel/index.html

Tsu Airport Line
http://www.tsu-airportline.co.jp/ (J text)

Airport - Toba ferry
http://www.isewanferry.co.jp/tokoname/tokoname.htm (J text)


4. By taxi and car

Centrair pages provide taxi fare estimations and info on airport parking lots:

http://www.centrair.jp/en/access/ac-to-taxi/index.html
http://www.centrair.jp/en/access/ac-to-car/index.html


5. Getting to Expo Park

There are two rail routes to Expo 2005 Park:

1) Subway Higashiyama Line (Nagoya-Fujigaoka) and linear motor car
2) JR Chuo Line (Kanayama-Kouzouji) and Aichi Kanjou Railroad.

Though the first course is the straighter, it is likely to take much more time
due to capacity limitations of the linear motor ("linimo") line.

JR Central will run special shuttle trains to the Bampaku-Yakusa Expo Station on
the Aichi Kanjou Railroad ("Aikan", "Aichi Loop").  Get on this train at Nagoya
if you want a seat.

Expo 2005 site:
http://www-1.expo2005.or.jp/en/ticket/ (transportation guide)

http://www.expo2005.or.jp/ (other languages)


6. More information, Disclaimer

Hitachi Information Systems Hyperdia automatic timetable:
http://www.hyperdia.com/

Previous post: Meitetsu timetable changes January 29
http://groups.google.co.jp/groups?selm=41FAC7D4.3F7404A6%40wta.att.ne.jp


This is a private translation of railroad, bus, airport company announcements.
Despite my efforts, there may be errors in this writing.  Any tourist should
make independent confirmations, especially when buying a long-distance ticket or
using airport express service.  If you notice any problems, please let me know.

Slight additions from the version posted Feb 16 on scj(m).

Bon Voyage,

Douso, The Prophet of the Way