Plan your Fukuoka trip here

Most travellers take the Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train from Shin-Osaka to Hakata Station, since it runs frequently and drops you in central Fukuoka without airport transfers. Flying is a close second, especially if you're already near Kansai Airport, though total door-to-door time ends up similar once airport procedures are factored in. Overnight buses and a ferry exist for budget travellers willing to trade time for cost.

• train · about 2.5 hours Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station, city center to city center.
• flight · about 1 hour in the air, roughly 3 hours door-to-door with a Flights connect Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Itami Airport to Fukuoka Airport (FUK), which is unusually close to central Fukuoka.
• bus · about 9 to 10 hours Overnight or daytime highway buses run between Osaka and Fukuoka, cheaper than the train but much slower.
• ferry · about 11 to 12 hours overnight An overnight ferry sails from Osaka Nanko to Shin-Moji, near Kitakyushu, with a bus or train connection onward to central Fukuoka.

Almost all travellers take the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Hakata Station to Kyoto Station, since it runs city-center to city-center with no airport transfers and is faster overall than flying once you account for getting to and from Kansai Airport, which sits well outside Kyoto. Flying is a secondary option mainly for those connecting through Kansai for other reasons, and overnight highway buses serve budget travellers.

• train · about 2.5 to 3 hours Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen (Nozomi or similar) direct from Hakata Station to Kyoto Station, the default choice for most travellers.
• flight · about 1 hour in the air, 3 to 4 hours door-to-door Fukuoka Airport (FUK) to Kansai International Airport (KIX), plus a further train or bus ride of roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from KIX into Kyoto since the airport is far from the city.
• bus · about 8 to 10 hours Overnight or daytime highway bus between Fukuoka and Kyoto, slower than the train but generally cheaper.
• car · about 6 to 7 hours Driving via the Sanyo and Meishin/Chugoku expressways; used mainly by those who want a vehicle at the destination rather than as a time-saving option.

Fukuoka and Okinawa are separated by open sea and roughly 861 km, so flying is the only practical way to travel between them — there is no train, bus, or direct ferry link. Domestic flights connect Fukuoka Airport (FUK) and Naha Airport (OKA) frequently and are the default choice for virtually all travellers.

• flight · about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours in the air Direct domestic flights link Fukuoka Airport (FUK) and Naha Airport (OKA); this is the standard and essentially only way to make this trip.

At 877 km apart, flying is the default way most travellers cover this route, since it's roughly a 2-hour flight versus about 5 hours by bullet train. The Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen is a strong alternative for those who prefer city-center-to-city-center travel without airport transfers, and overnight buses exist mainly for budget travelers willing to spend the night on the road.

• flight · about 2 hours in the air, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours door-to-doo Frequent flights connect Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) with Fukuoka Airport (FUK), which sits close to central Fukuoka.
• train · about 5 hours Shinkansen (Nozomi service) runs from Tokyo Station to Hakata Station in central Fukuoka, with no transfers needed.
• bus · about 10 to 12 hours, usually overnight Overnight highway buses run between Tokyo and Fukuoka for travelers prioritizing cost over speed.