Originally Posted By Malin Next year I'm thinking of planning a big trip to Tokyo with the option of staying for up to 2 weeks. Disney with the opening of Monsters Inc will be very high on my list. And 5 of these days would be devoted to visiting the parks. But I would actually like to see more of Tokyo this time around too, reason for wanting to stay longer. I have a couple of questions to get this topic started! 1) I'm looking into staying somewhere that offers 3-5 star accomendation that is close to the centre of everything and caters well to Western guest. Also must be close to train station. 2) How many days longer should I look into booking in order to have time to check out Tokyo?
Originally Posted By X-san Not knowing your budget, I can think of 2 ways to approach this (I'll let someone else recommend hotels, SuperDry would be a good candidate as would MagicalNezumi)...one way would be to do Tokyo and ONLY Tokyo and do it right (like, really relax and explore the whole city), and to do that I would recommend 4-5 days. Three days at minimum to give the city it's fair due. HOWEVER, I would recommend strongly that you opt for the X-san special EXTENDED tour of the region, and for that you'll need 9-10 days (any way to cut one day out of your Disney plans?). The reason for this is that I would recommend spending at least one full day in Yokohama, and the better part of another day in Kamakura. These are reasonably easy day trips so you don't need to rearrange your hotel. In addition, I would recommend an overnight excursion or two, to Hakkone and Nikko. Both are POSSIBLE day trips but rather grueling, and aside from that the best way to experience either place is to overnight at a Ryokan (otherwise, it's almost like "why bother"? right?). You could probably leave most of your luggage at the hotel in Tokyo and just bring a backpack for overnighting it, there's no need to pay for two rooms of course (Tokyo hotels are very accommodating). So figuring 2 days in each place, a day in Yokohama and a day in Kamakura, plus a minimum of 3 days in Tokyo (you can enjoy the city other days as well since your return from the excursions can be easily done in a couple hours in the early or late afternoon), my official recommendation would be no less than 9 days if possible. But again, of course your budget is something to consider (maybe a rail pass would be useful for you if you go for the excursions which I would HIGHLY recommend). If this sounds hectic, do keep in mind that Hakkone and Nikko are very tranquil, restful kind of places and with a stay at the proper Ryokan you'll feel like you're vacation starts all over again the next day, and then again on the SECOND excursion Just as an afterthough, I realize I'm thinking like a local...it would probably be useful to turn those two excursions into one and go from Nikko to Hakkone or vice-versa so you're only spending three complete days "out of town". But on the other hand (always another hand lol), like I said they are very restful sorts of trips so it might be nice to spread them out (like one near the beginning of the stay and one near the end). Anyway, hope this helps.
Originally Posted By Malin First things first thanks to you X for the detailed reply. I should of mention that the trip I would like to plan would be a once in a life time experience with money being no issue. I've been to the Tokyo Disney Resort a couple of times but I've never actually seen much of the city except for Shinjuku. The problem with Tokyo from my short visits is that the city is very large and so very complex. Every path in the city will take you to about 10 new locations, and I've always strugled to keep by bearings. Even a short walk from the Shinjuku station to the Govement Building is a challenge and I have gotten lost before very easily. But at the same time I kind of enjoyed walking around a strange city with no idea of where I'm going. I guess I'm kind of after a part sightseeing tour but also time to sit back and enjoy the experience. Regarding the excursions another idea I'm looking at is to go on one of these sight seeing tours where you can be dropped off at your hotel each night. Or spending a week in Osaka, which a friend recently did and had a good time.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones The rail pass is the way to go. A 7-day pass costs roughly $260 and includes unlimited travel on all shinkansen services except for Nozomi. You could take the Tokaido line to Osaka on any Hikari or Kodama train, which would cost over two hundred bucks round trip by itself. The journey takes about 3 hours.
Originally Posted By Malin Thanks for the advice SpokkerJones its given me plenty to think about. I have with me also brouchers on Australia and China, which are two other destinations I would like to visit at some point in my life. Looks like I'm going to have to review all options here!
Originally Posted By X-san Well, your mileage may very but I found Osaka to be a little bland. Great food though. Personally I would recommend Hakkone and Nikko over Osaka (and, really, Kyoto as well but I was thinking in my head that Malin might not want to stray too far from Tokyo. Anyway, good luck with the trip and you're welcome on the response. Re-reading my own comments I would say that if time becomes an issue Yokohama is shippable (but very nice if you have the time, and a great Chinatown). Another option is to do Kamakura and Yokohama all in one day, they are very close to each other.
Originally Posted By barboy I'm not sure how to interpret #4. You're saying about $260 will give one 7 days of unlimited Shinkansen rides. But does that include getting to Osaka and back or is Osaka another $200+? I guess my real question is: is Tokaido a Shinkansen?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Tokaido is a region as well as a road, but it is commonly used as the name of the first Shinkansen line, which runs from Tokyo to Osaka.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "You're saying about $260 will give one 7 days of unlimited Shinkansen rides." Yes, for non-Japanese citizens only. You can only buy the pass at certain agencies OUTSIDE of Japan. I know that JTB, a Japanese travel agency, sells the passes. You redeem your voucher for the actual pass in Japan. You can use your pass to reserve a seat on any bullet train EXCEPT for Nozomi service. Here's all the info: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_rail_pass" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...ail_pass</a>
Originally Posted By X-san Not just any bullet train though (as Spokker wrote, except for the Express Nozomi service), any JR trains anywhere. At least I think so (I've never bought such a pass but often wish I did!). So to put that into perspective, bullet trains aside there is a lot of getting around to do while in the cities, and a trip across Tokyo or Osaka can easily run from $3-4 one way and out of town is even more expensive (I think it's about $8 to take the subway to Yokohama, for instance). It adds up pretty quick, and with a handy pass on your person you need not think twice about tooling around wherever you want to go all day every day.
Originally Posted By X-san <a href="http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en004.html" target="_blank">http://www.japanrailpass.net/e...004.html</a> Looks like essentially all trains and also JR buses as well are covered. Except for the "with some exceptions" part, which is a bit confusing (I don't think people taking regular trains along regular routes would run into much trouble though). So, yeah. It's a steal. Possibly even WITHOUT taking any long distance trips.
Originally Posted By X-san I guess I exaggerated the price a bit there. Looks like a one-way from Tokyo station to Yokohama station is ¥450. I was probably thinking of times I had to go further into Yokohama or something. Anyway, yeah the trains do add up pretty quick. Nice to have a pass (though I suppose you'd need to justify it by taking a bullet train ride or two).
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Japan has a lot of private railways that are not a part of the JR system, and I think possibly the private railways are often cheaper. For instance, if you took the JR Narita Express (N'EX) from the airport into Tokyo (Tokyo station), the fare costs ¥2940-¥4430. But if you used the private Keisei Skyliner into Tokyo (Ueno station) it costs just ¥1920. Or, if you took the regular Keisei train (non-express, it's a commuter-style train), it drops to ¥1000. As X-san says, you'd probably have to use the Shinkansen trains a couple of times for a pass to be worthwhile.
Originally Posted By X-san True. Often there is little choice about which to use though (some point a to point b pretty much requires "Tokyo Metro" or some other railway), but if you DO have the JR pass you can plan your route accordingly (JR does go practically everywhere). I wouldn't say "a couple of times" but one round trip to Kyoto or Osaka would definitely justify it and then some. A quick check of the rate from Tokyo to Kyoto shows around $130 for a one way, for example. In fact, it appears cheaper to fly! (though longer, all said and done) Anyone who wants to noodle around with the prices can check out this website, that's where I've been getting all my quick rate quotes (I can't vouch for how accurate it is, but I use it for my daily travels and have never run into an error). <a href="http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english" target="_blank">http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english</a> All you need to know is the station names for departure and arrival (for example "Tokyo", "Kyoto"). You can also plan to the minute your optimum departure and/or arrival times. Great resource, I think.
Originally Posted By Malin Right I thought I'd give you guys an update. My plan is to possibly take a month away to travel to Australia with a possible stop over in Tokyo. It would probarely be around October to November time next year. Its still very early in the planning stages at the moment and nothing would be decided until after I come back from my up coming joint WDW and DLRP trip in November. I want to thank you guys for the advice already and feel free to continue this conversation and add anything you would like to add. Also regarding trains etc my biggest worry that after traveling long distance flights, is that I'd rather not spend to much time on trains or coaches either.
Originally Posted By X-san If you can push it til November, the foliage is spectacular down Kyoto/Osaka way. The cool thing with the rail pass is that you're only a couple hours away from pretty much anywhere you want to travel to.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara While Kyoto is beautiful in the spring and fall, it is stunning in the winter and snows there often. Airfares are cheaper in the winter, and it's quite an experience going to the Tokyo Disney Resort when it's cold. However, I always go in mid to late October to take advantage of the Halloween festivities in the park, and also because the foliage in Tokyo is beautiful at that time of year as already noted. I have done the following itinerary in Tokyo (3 day) before going to the Tokyo Disney Resort for 5 days: Arrive in Narita, take the Airport Limosine bus to the Hakuzaki terminal (in Tokyo). Hit my hotel (the Universe Hotel, nearby), then eat dinner in a close restaurant. Often Yakiniku (the Japanese version of Korean Barbecue). I'm exhausted by then, however if you can do it, it's a good night to go to the Ginza and go to some bars or clubs. Take the subway to the Asakusa temple. It's an enormous shrine with a lovely shopping arcade (gigantic) in front of it. Take the subway to Omote-Sando Ave. and go shopping. I always hit "Crayon," which is a remarkable children's bookstore and it's on a side street off to the left as you walk up the hill. Also hit Kiddy-Land, a great toy store. Also hit Oriental Bazaar, a store that sells Yukatas and Jin Be (which make great pajamas), as well as lots of great trinkets which make good gifts for friends at home. Lots of great places to eat here. When you reach the top of the hill where Omote-Sando Avenue ends, you'll be at Mejii-Jingu, which is a large park with a palace, museum, and emperor's garden (pay a small extra fee to enter the latter). Go to Ueno Park, another large green area with many museums. Go to Akihabara and see the electronics stores, filled with amazing doodads that never make it to Western countries. If you didn't do it the first night, go to the Ginza and go shopping. Go to Itoya, the enormous stationary shop, and Hakuhinkan, a gigantic toy store. There is a famous "Katsu" restaurant on a side street (all types of breaded and deep fried pork cutlets--unimaginably good). If you're into theater, make sure you go to the Kabuki-Za Theater in the Ginza. The show is long, usually 3 to 4 hours, but they do the greatest scenes from many plays. Dinner is served at a break in the middle (you must reserve your bento box in advance). It's not cheap, but what a remarkable experience. By all means take the train to Kamakura--it's about 45 minutes to an hour. In Kamakura you can see the Daibatsu (Great Buddha) and several other shrines. There are also some excellent shopping areas. I find going to Hakone and Kyoto to be more involved once you get there. Osaka is an easy trip, and you'll get to go to Universal Studios Japan. Nagoya is also a pleasant city if you just want to walk around and see how folks live in a non-tourist area. I've done all of these things so many times over the past 25 years, that now I just hit the Tokyo Disney Resort right from Narita airport. That's the real point of the trip.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***If you're into theater, make sure you go to the Kabuki-Za Theater in the Ginza. The show is long, usually 3 to 4 hours, but they do the greatest scenes from many plays. Dinner is served at a break in the middle (you must reserve your bento box in advance). It's not cheap, but what a remarkable experience.*** For those who are NOT in favor of experiencing Chinese Water Torture while on vacation , a safer (and far cheaper) option is to just pay for 1 "act", which lasts as little as 30 minutes or so. I'm not saying Kabuki isn't cool for some, but it's quite traditional and I don't think too many people are up for the 3-4 hour experience (I sure ain't, we left before our 30 minutes were up, in fact lol...longest 25 minutes of my life, and I thoroughly enjoy orchestra concerts and similar stuff that many find "boring"). Sorry Mara, not trying to rain on your parade or anything. Lots of great suggestions there, and thanks for the tip on the kids' shops in Omote-Sando! I might go over there next week to check em out.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Enjoyment of the Kabuki is, perhaps, an acquired taste, and you must rent the English-language headset to have some idea of the plot. A good way to tell if you're up for the Kabuki is to watch the Japanese horror film "Kwaidan." If you think it rocks, you'll like the Kabuki. If you're bored out of your mind, then avoid the Kabuki. As a kid, whenever a movie reviewer called a foreign film "slow," it meant I was certain to enjoy it.
