For all non-Virgin travel topics, with subforums for popular common themes.
#901141 by clarkeysntfc
17 Apr 2015, 09:13
Hi Folks - we're looking to nail down a trip to Japan next Easter over the next couple of months.

Our honeymoon this year is booked via Audley Travel, and we've been pretty impressed with them (yet to go on the holiday yet though!)

Audley have quoted us for 2 weeks in Japan and the price seems awfully high... Do any of you V-Flyers have any tips on good tour operators to Japan, or even the possibility of doing it independently? We're somewhat time poor so doing this would present a risk in terms of organisation!

(Have booked BA F on the outbound using our 2-4-1, just waiting for the returns to come up :) ).
#901153 by Bretty
17 Apr 2015, 10:44
Hiya,

I'm in Japan now, 2nd visit and I used Inside Japan Tours both times. I've been very impressed with them but obviously they put their slice on top. They have packages ready made which you can adapt as you want or go completely bespoke.

I think hotels in Japan generally are not cheap and they vary in quality as numerous Japanese chains are geared for business travellers or "salarymen". Last year we found rooms small in these hotels so this year we chose the ones we wanted and IJT sorted it.

I'll happily share what we paid and what we've got for that too.

So we've so far stayed at Gate Hotel Kaminarimom in Tokyo (4 star) for 2 nights, 2 nights at Iwaso Ryokan Miyajima Island (4 star), 4 nights at Hotel Granvia Kyoto Station (5 star), where we currently are, and it's stunning, both setting and hotel. Then we have 1 night in Gora Tensui Ryokan (4 star) in Hakone and finally 3 nights at Tokyo Century Southern Tower Hotel (4 star). Total 12 nights.

Included we have airport transfers in Tokyo (CDC not shared), 7 day Japan Rail Pass for green (first class) car, and 2 day Hakone Free Pass for transport in the area, and train from Hakone back to Tokyo. JR Pass gives you access to Shinkansen (bullet trains) and all JR trains, buses throughout the country.

All hotels include breakfast and the Ryokan stays include evening meals (x3) kaiseki style.

Cost was £2400pp which we were very happy with given all the work was done for us and includes full printed itinerary with suggested train times and tour booklets for each destination with suggested itineraries for different areas, some of which we've used and other times just done our own thing.

Eating out in Japan is very cheap but can be as expensive as you like. We pushed the boat out a couple of nights ago and had Teppan-yaki in our hotel with Kobe Beef, not much change from £200 for 2 of us but well worth it. Generally we're spending £20-£30 total on evening meals including a couple of beers or glass of wine and eating like kings. About half that for lunch, sometimes less than a tenner.

Hope that helps.
#901176 by Maximus
17 Apr 2015, 14:25
I too am in Japan at the moment. I booked all our accommodation independently. I always tend to do this wherever I am going as I am a control freak and prefer to choose the hotels where I want to be. It takes time and effort but I love planning trips so it is more of a hobby for me than a chore and I get some good deals. I tend to mix budget and high end hotels depending on our plans. Tonight is a bargain £60 room in Takayama. Tomorrow is a ryokan 2 blocks away which is more expensive but a day for us to recharge our batteries after 6 days of busy sightseeing. Our Ryokan at the end of the trip is a suite with private tub on the balcony overlooking Fuji and is much more expensive. In Tokyo we stayed at Hotel Niwa which is mid- range but fantastic for the price, I was very impressed.

Let me know if you would like details of where we stayed, prices etc and I will happily let you the details when I get home.

This is my first Japan trip and am loving it so far.
I am sur you will too.
#901177 by Bretty
17 Apr 2015, 14:37
Well that's 2 different perspectives on TA or self booked. I'm sure there's one or two others who'll have useful info for you.

Maximus - having a good time? Sounds like it. We're in need of downtime and thinking we might step off the merrygoround tomorrow. Done a lot of sightseeing.
#901188 by DragonLady
17 Apr 2015, 17:59
I sit in the independent camp too - if you do a search for Japan pointers by Dragonlady you'll find a couple of threads I wrote a few years ago :) .
DL
#901203 by Darren Wheeler
17 Apr 2015, 19:22
My top tips.

Avoid using taxis in Tokyo. Can get very expensive sitting in traffic.
The trains are very easy to use. The signage is all in English and easy to navigate. It's also an experience that is totally part of Japan.

For travelling further afield, get a Japan Rail Pass. Well worth the cost and can make significant savings. No need to travel First Class as Standard is very comfortable, especially on Shinkansen. The trains are clean, punctual (almost to the second) and nothing like UK trains. The food available on station platforms and concourses is surprisingly good. Again, a totally Japanese experience.

English is widely spoken now but still take time to learn a few phrases. The reactions from people you meet makes it worth while.

Get ready to carry cash, lots of cash. Hotels, upscale restaurants and big stores will take credit cards, but smaller shops are cash driven. Having said that, crime is very rare, but take sensible precautions.

As a 'Gaijin' do be prepared for a little curiosity about yourself. For me, a 6'2" westerner does stand out in the crowds. You will also encounter sensory overload at times from the lights and if you pass one, a pachinko parlour. Sometimes your best bet is to surrender and let it wash all over you.

If you are so inclined, there is Universal Studios Japan in Osaka along with Disneyland Tokyo and Tokyo Disneysea. Each takes a distinctly Japanese take on the US parks.
#901217 by gfonk
17 Apr 2015, 23:04
I would echo what has been said above by all.
you can buy a "suica" (tokyo oyster card) at the airport and it is easy to charge them too.

As has been said cash is king in Tokyo.

As Bretty said Southern Terrace hotel shinjuku is good. It is our favourite hotel in terms of location and the rooms are nice too. Rooms start at around 15,000yen i believe.
The only hotel I wouldnt go back to was the washington hotel in nishi shinjuku as the location isnt great by that I mean it is about 20min walk to shinjuku and the rooms were tiny.

As others have said if you plan to take more than one return trip on the shinkansen then the JR pass is a good idea, you can use it on most trains in Tokyo (yamanote line, chuo line) but remember not all lines are JR so imo a suica is best. You can buy english version of Tokyo train map in kinokuniya book shop in shinjuku (opposite southern tower hotel).

I would say even in Tokyo the level of english wasnt great in my experience but found using some japanese very helpful. My japanese isnt great but it helped me out in lots of places. Although saying That most restaurants have english menus.

The CDC company we use have a few english speaking drivers and also a nice mercedes S550 which had wifi too.

I have never done a tour in japan but would recommend it for sure.

Food in Tokyo is awesome and we had amazing sushi for like 4000yen each (thats about 24per head).

oh one more thing if you dont travel light or end up shopping too hard then you can use kuroneko service to have your luggage between your hotels at about 1,000-1,500yen per case.
#901254 by Maximus
18 Apr 2015, 09:23
Bretty wrote:Maximus - having a good time? Sounds like it. We're in need of downtime and thinking we might step off the merrygoround tomorrow. Done a lot of sightseeing.

We most certainly are! I love, love, love it!

Today we are having our first Ryokan experience at the Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan in Takayama. Fantastic. I have just returned from the baths, have a face that looks like a poached beetroot, but very relaxed. Now sipping drinks on the patio in our yukata before dinner. We have a humongous outdoor private bath for a late evening soak later. The mountains still have snow on the tops but glorious sunshine all day today.

Another tip is to use the Tak Q Bin luggage delivery service to ferry your cases from city to city. Takes the strain out of using the railways. The JR Rail Pass is a great deal if you are travelling around and the Green cars are very comfy and peaceful.
#901263 by Bretty
18 Apr 2015, 11:11
Maximus we're on our last night in Kyoto and head off to Hakone tomorrow for another Ryokan and the onsen. I can't wait for a good soak, there's nothing like it!

To the OP I can also recommend the Takuhaibin luggage service which we use. For navigating the Tokyo subway system there's an iPhone (and possibly Android) app called Trains.jp which enables you to search for any route in the subway and the local trains between 2 points, gives you timing, number of changes and fees. The suica cards are a must and are accepted in most major cities too, and you can use them for vending machines to get drinks etc.

Another app is Hyperdia - free for 30 days and then you pay, so download a few days before you leave. Allows you to search countrywide for train schedules and to set parameters for types of train, including JR Pass friendly routes. It's been brilliant and is easy to use.
#901403 by clarkeysntfc
20 Apr 2015, 09:45
Thanks folks, this place is always so helpful y)

Will take a detailed look through your comments in the next week or two...
#901412 by Bretty
20 Apr 2015, 11:02
Darren Wheeler wrote:One extra. To keep in touch on the go (as free wifi is not widely available) I rented a personal hotspot to carry. Saved a fortune on the roaming costs.

http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/index.html

Picked up from the airport post office at Nartita, but other airports are on the list.

+1
The company I used delivered it to my first hotel so it was waiting for my arrival and I have large envelope included to post back on my way to airport. Very reasonable price and good coverage on LTE (I think that's 4G).
#915310 by clarkeysntfc
04 Jan 2016, 16:15
Hi Folks - happy new year.

So we are just over 11 weeks away from heading off to Japan for 2 weeks. We'll be visiting Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima and a few other places too. Also our first BA First class trip.

Looking for some advice on luggage as we want to travel light with luggage which can be squashed in to confined spaces if needed. Looking at something like the below:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsonite-Wande ... 21&sr=1-61
or
http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Luggage ... BWMFJRZ0NH

Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks
James
#915326 by Bretty
05 Jan 2016, 00:05
Hi James, the first of those is huge! I travelled with a 70cm medium sized case with 4 wheels, and a decent back pack used as a day bag. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Antler-Cyberlit ... ite+medium

In that case I had 2 weeks worth of clothing and some room for souvenirs. We also pack an extra folding bag that slots in easily in case we go mad shopping, and if not, it's not taking up much space.

On the occasions we took cases on trains it wasn't a problem, especially if in green car on the Shinkansen as there is plenty of room, it's the subway trains where you'll find it a squeeze. But where possible use the takuhaibin service. So, for example, if you're going from Tokyo to Hakone for maybe 2 nights and then onto Kyoto, send your case to Kyoto from Tokyo and use a backpack for the time in Hakone. Your case will be waiting for you at your hotel, and I found the concierge or bellboy would help fill in the forms in Japanese instead of English.

I hope that helps. BTW, I'm busy collecting avios and a BA 2-4-1 to fly F to Japan in the next couple of years.
John
Virgin Atlantic

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