This is part 5 with Kyoto, Otsu and Nagoya. Part one from Tokyo, two from Osaka, three from Onomichi and part four from Kinosaki Onsen.

As mentioned, we took the Limited Express from Kinosaki Onsen to Kyoto. The main benefit of this train is that it provides a direct connection to Kyoto. With the train card in Japan, you can use most regional trains directly and without reservation, but some trains do require a special reservation. The Limited Express is one such case. So we spent the money to get a little more comfort, as well as a direct connection.