Kagoshima Flights

Kagoshima has it's own airport with regular flights from major Japanese cities. The best way to get to the city from the airport is to take an Airport Limousine Bus. Which leaves the airport every 10 minutes between 5am - 9pm. One way adult ticket costs 1200 Yen.

I was already in Kyushu and so took the train from Fukuoka Prefecture down.
In Kyushu you should pay 500 Yen for a 'Nice Going Card' which gives you a 40% discount on return train tickets all over Kyushu (on Limited Express Trains) on the weekends and Fridays. The Kagoshima Line has regular trains running from Hakata Station in Fukuoka City. The journey was quite a long one but there are some nice views along the way. You could also break your journey down in Kumamoto too if you so desired (I did this on my return trip). The train to Kagoshima from Hakata is the Tsubame.

JR Kyushu also market a Kyushu Rail Pass which can only be bought overseas. The cost is 15,000 Yen for a 5 day pass and 20,000 Yen for a 7 day pass. It is only valid for local and limited express trains in Kyushu and not JR buses or the Shinkansen that runs from Fukuoka.

Buses and the ferry over to Sakurajima where the modes of transport we mostly used. There is a good ferry service between Kagoshima and Sakurajima Island. It is cheap and quick. The buses are easy to use and run frequently all over Kagoshima. They mostly leave from the JR Kagoshima Station.

There are ferry services to and from Kagoshima to various cities in Japan. I haven't used any of these services but I did some research on them after another VT'er asked me for information. Here is what I found out:

Okinawa via Amami Oshima Islands
Ferry Akebono. Naminoue
Ferry Queen Coral
About 24 hours / 1 ferry daily
7800~13200 Yen
Kagoshima Shin Port Marix Line
099-225-1551
Oshima Unyu
099-226-4141

Okinawa
Ferry Wakanatsu Okinawa
About 19 hours / 5 ferries a month
13200 Yen
Kagoshima Port Ryukyu Kaiun
098-868-8161

Nagasaki
Ferry Madam Butterfly
3.40 hours / 2 ferries daily 6500 Yen
Kagoshima: Kushikino port
Nagasaki: Nagasaki port J Ocean
095-822-0050

Getting to Kushikino port from Kagoshima City: Take JR Kagoshima Honsen line (Japan Rail) from Nishi Kagoshima Station to Kushikino station.

Osaka
Ferry Sun Flower
3~5 hours / 1 ferry daily 2950 Yen
Kagoshima?FShibushi port
Osaka?FNanko Kamome futo Blue Highway LIne
0994-73-0661

Getting to Shibushi port from Kagoshima City :
Take Kagoshima Kotsu Bus from City to Shibushi town. or Take a ferry from Kamoike port to Tarumizu port, and take bus bound for Shibushi.

Kobe-Osaka-Miyazaki-Amami Oshima Islands-Okinawa (Ferry doesn't stop Kagoshima main island)
Ferry Akatsuki 6 ~ 14 hours / About 10 ferries a month 4900 Yen
Kagoshima: Shibushi port
Tokyo Oshima Unyu
099-226-4141

Tokyo-Kagoshima-Amami Oshima-Yoron-Okinawa
Ferry Ariake 6 ~ 14 hours / About 10 ferries a month 4900 Yen
Kagoshima: Shibushi port
Tokyo Oshima Unyu
099-226-4141