g3org3y's JAPAN Trip - Pics/Write up +++
Discussion
wolfy1988 said:
Thanks for sharing 
My OH and I are trying to decide where to go on Holiday this September.
Tokyo is a dream of ours.
I hope its not vulgar to ask but how
much should one budget for a holiday like yours?
Cheers
I did a very similar trip in Oct 2011. 14 nights. My OH and I are trying to decide where to go on Holiday this September.
Tokyo is a dream of ours.
I hope its not vulgar to ask but how
much should one budget for a holiday like yours?
Cheers
Flights to/from Tokyo direct with Virgin- £550
2 week rail pass: £350
I think I spent about £1200 on everything else, accommodation food etc.
I generally travel fairly cheaply, and in Japan I stayed in dorms/lodges for £25-£30 a night since I was travelling alone. Hotels start from around £80 a night, which is fine between 2. (Although I got a cracking deal on a Tokyo business hotel for around £35/night).
I didn't hold back on eating and drinking, and saw loads of sights. The exchange rate was about 10pc worse then too.
Japan is by no means an expensive country to visit if you are a little sensible.
I loved it, and am seriously considering going back this autumn for another wander.
^ I think that's about right in terms of costs. Obviously the flights will fluctuate in cost depending on the season.
JR Pass for 7 days is now £195 per person.
Hotels I'd be looking at around £100 per night for a double room, especially on Tokyo. Cheaper in Kyoto.
Eating and drinking, not outrageously expensive but expect central London prices.
JR Pass for 7 days is now £195 per person.
Hotels I'd be looking at around £100 per night for a double room, especially on Tokyo. Cheaper in Kyoto.
Eating and drinking, not outrageously expensive but expect central London prices.
I'm paying £55/night for a (3/4 start) hotel in Asakusa (not central Tokyo but good transport links and interesting itself) and £90+/night for a 5 start one in Osaka, this April. Both have very good reviews.
As for the railpass - it only makes sense if you want to travel around a bit more than a return journey between Tokyo-Kyoto or Osaka. Mind you many of airlines fly in/out Osaka as well as Tokyo so it may even save you the return journey (as in my case).
As for the railpass - it only makes sense if you want to travel around a bit more than a return journey between Tokyo-Kyoto or Osaka. Mind you many of airlines fly in/out Osaka as well as Tokyo so it may even save you the return journey (as in my case).
chris7676 said:
I'm paying £55/night for a (3/4 start) hotel in Asakusa (not central Tokyo but good transport links and interesting itself) and £90+/night for a 5 start one in Osaka, this April. Both have very good reviews.
As for the railpass - it only makes sense if you want to travel around a bit more than a return journey between Tokyo-Kyoto or Osaka. Mind you many of airlines fly in/out Osaka as well as Tokyo so it may even save you the return journey (as in my case).
Certainly prices vary on where in Tokyo you stay (and of course time of year). The underground system is very good with plenty of stations so nowhere is very far away. We stayed near Ginza which is thought to be a fancy area (but as mentioned, the hotel was lovely and very much recommended).As for the railpass - it only makes sense if you want to travel around a bit more than a return journey between Tokyo-Kyoto or Osaka. Mind you many of airlines fly in/out Osaka as well as Tokyo so it may even save you the return journey (as in my case).
Re the JR Pass, iirc it can also be used on other transport services run by the JR line. I'm sure we used it on a tram to get to the port in Hiroshima as well as the ferry itself. We worked out that with the Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Hiroshima and Kyoto-Nara trips it made sense. It's good value (esp when you look at the undiscounted prices!).
Edited by g3org3y on Monday 18th March 11:23
106Lad said:
What bag do you use for carrying your camera(s?) and lenses in when you travel?
LowePro Fastpack.Decent bag, split into two compartments. The bottom is a decent size and can hold an SLR with a quite a few leses, filters, memory cards and batteries. The top is useful for other stuff, guidebooks, bottles of water etc. Good quality bag imo.
Great write up and great pics !!
No point at starting a new thread so just wondering -
I take it from what has been said earlier regarding costs, its not really a place to do cheaply like other places in Asia ?
Are there cheap hostels/motels to stay in for a solo travellor ?
Are there cheap places to eat ?
Are there charges for sightseeing places, if so what are they normally ?
Thanks
No point at starting a new thread so just wondering -
I take it from what has been said earlier regarding costs, its not really a place to do cheaply like other places in Asia ?
Are there cheap hostels/motels to stay in for a solo travellor ?
Are there cheap places to eat ?
Are there charges for sightseeing places, if so what are they normally ?
Thanks
It's not 'cheap' per se but I went there in 2011 at 118 yen to the pound and it was still perfectly affordable, you just needed to be a bit careful about where you ate in the evening. Liked the look of a steak restaurant one night but luckily looked at the menu outside and did the maths- a standard one was at least £60!!
It's now about 170 yen to the pound, so very affordable.
Japanese don't really do cheap hotels though- I stayed mainly in hostels which was cheap but hotels in hither budget bracket are few and far between.
Seriously fancy going back though...
It's now about 170 yen to the pound, so very affordable.
Japanese don't really do cheap hotels though- I stayed mainly in hostels which was cheap but hotels in hither budget bracket are few and far between.
Seriously fancy going back though...
SimonV8ster said:
Done a bit more research and a few hostels appear at under a tenner but its all dorms and capsules, still - makes it affordable for a bit of backpacking. Want to go now buf looks a bit chilly until the spring !!
Go in Spring - sakura season is wonderful. Avoid Summer as it gets very sweaty.A left-field suggestion for very cheap hotel stays: love hotels. See here, for example: http://www.cheapojapan.com/love-hotel-guide/
They are a weird phenomenon in Japan (and a few other countries). Couples go there for sex in privacy (which is otherwise hard to find for still-live-at-home adults). They pay per-hour during the day and evening but very few stay overnight. Which means that if you want to stay overnight, the rates are much lower than you might expect. You also get a surprisingly large (for Japan) hotel room, with large bath, sofa, big TV (with karaoke system, of course). Plus all sorts of weird and wacky decor
Downside is that you can't leave your luggage there during the day, but almost all tube stations have luggage lockers (certainly Shinjuku did).
My missus is Japanese and we make an annual trip there, usually a week or two in Tokyo and a week at her parents in the south; I love it and would move there tomorrow if someone offered me an English-speaking job there. If you’re going to go now is a good time as the yen is weaker than it has been for a long time.
If you go for a cheaper-end hotel your room will be tiny, although it will be clean and functional. As for eating, there are a lot of cheap places – look for the small izakaya near train stations or family-style restaurants in department stores (usually on the upper floors) and shopping malls for reasonably priced meals, or places like Yoshinoya where you can get beef and rice bowls (gyudon) for a few quid.
Spring or autumn are the best times to go, I went last January and found it too cold to be enjoyable, we usually go in the autumn between September and November when it is still fairly mild and pleasant to walk around. Avoid summer, too hot and humid.
Definitely try and visit Kyoto and Osaka (both easily accessible via the Shinkansen) if you have chance, they are very different to Tokyo. The rail pass can be good if you plan to make multiple trips but if it’s just for one Shinkansen ride it probably won’t be worth it. Getting a Suica or Pasmo card (kind of like Oyster) makes using the trains much less painful , you can get them from special ticket machines.
If you go for a cheaper-end hotel your room will be tiny, although it will be clean and functional. As for eating, there are a lot of cheap places – look for the small izakaya near train stations or family-style restaurants in department stores (usually on the upper floors) and shopping malls for reasonably priced meals, or places like Yoshinoya where you can get beef and rice bowls (gyudon) for a few quid.
Spring or autumn are the best times to go, I went last January and found it too cold to be enjoyable, we usually go in the autumn between September and November when it is still fairly mild and pleasant to walk around. Avoid summer, too hot and humid.
Definitely try and visit Kyoto and Osaka (both easily accessible via the Shinkansen) if you have chance, they are very different to Tokyo. The rail pass can be good if you plan to make multiple trips but if it’s just for one Shinkansen ride it probably won’t be worth it. Getting a Suica or Pasmo card (kind of like Oyster) makes using the trains much less painful , you can get them from special ticket machines.
Going in a couple of months, very much looking forward to it! But only have 6 days there so will be a bit rushed, planning on 3 days in Osaka/Kyoto and 3 days in Tokyo.
Any idea if there would be any cherry blossoms around between 17-22 March? Also are the tuna auctions worth going to and how early would you have to queue up?
Any idea if there would be any cherry blossoms around between 17-22 March? Also are the tuna auctions worth going to and how early would you have to queue up?
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