If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#71
|
|||
|
|||
Agena 2003 wrote: non-smoking restaurants in Japan http://www.smokefreeplaces.net/ Thank you for this interesting resource. I have asthma, and traveling outside of the US can sometimes be problematic for me. |
#72
|
|||
|
|||
Bob Myers wrote: I looked up the map of Narita online, as suggested above, and I think I know where to find the JR counter. Really, you can't miss it. As soon as you leave the customs area, you will see ample signage directing you to the JR station. I decided that we'd schedule our own airport transfer to the hotel, so we should have time to pick up our own shinkansen ticket after all! =) I did the math, and somehow I think we can get by without the JR pass, since one way of the Shinkansen ride is already covered of the tour, so at least I only have to worry about the Kyoto-Tokyo leg of the journey now! =) The shinkansen departs from several of the major stations in the Tokyo area. Toyko station itself, and Shinagawa station on the south side of the city, are probably the easiest for catching a train to Kyoto. By the way, it may be best for you to spend the money on a taxi to the station when leaving for Kyoto; while it's obviously possible to get to the right station using the local trains, please keep in mind that hauling you luggage around may be more of a problem than you want to deal with - and the local train have basically no space for luggage; you'll have to keep it with you the whole way. I was a little confused with that. Do hotels usually have shuttles that go back and forth to the stations? Some do, especially those in the vicinities of Shinjuku and Tokyo stations. (In Shinagawa, the major hotels are directly across the street from the station.) You should, if possible, contact your hotel in advance to find out. We confirmed our hotel is the Okura. Any idea what the taxi fare would be like to either of the stations for the Shinkansen? (this might be a bad idea for my wallet!!) For your trip to Kyoto, you may want to consider leaving part of your baggage, including souvenirs, etc., in Tokyo for the short time you'll be away. Ask you concierge at the hotel if they can store it for you. If transfers aren't covered by the package (I didn't double check) and it seems like a pain to get to the station, I will defn keep this in mind, esp. since we are returning back to the same hotel for our last night in Tokyo!! That's a great idea!!! Then I can book a green car Nozomi back from Kyoto to Tokyo so I can carry back my stash of goodies from Kyoto!! =) (Don't worry, I like to sound like a huge shop-a-holic, but it's really not that bad! I just like to joke!) |
#73
|
|||
|
|||
koneko wrote: It seems like JNTO's website is a big favorite among the posters here! =) Which guidebooks did you like besides LP? Let's Go just published the first edition for Japan this past year. It's not bad. Also, LP publishes guide for Kyoto and Tokyo. So, depending on how locked in you are with this package tour, it wouldn't hurt to check out an "independent" tour. I really had a hard time deciding on this... but I realized our "tour days" really only consist of two half-days... I hope it turns out all right! But you are right, I am having a blast reading all the recs on this thread, and planning the trip! =) The price seemed really good(altho we didn't have time to schedule a ryokan stay, b/c of the tight schedule... sigh) Incidentally, we're planning our next trip to Japan this coming spring. Cherry blossom season! So some places that are hot for cherry blossoms are booked up. Keep that in mind. ;-) We are going to be in Japan the exact same time!! early April!! =) I think that's why I had a hard time booking the places I wanted. Will you be visiting multiple cities? =) We're planning 12 nights in Kyoto. With the World Expo happening not far, we're using Kyoto as a base for going to/from the Expo site. As well, maybe visit Nara, Himeji and a few other places around Kyoto. This is when the Rail Pass comes in handy. Then it's off to Kanazawa, Takayama (Spring Matsuri), Magome and Tsumago (hike the Nakasendo highway), Matsumoto, then the last five nights in Tokyo (I'm hoping to catch a Giants game). Overall, we'll be there for almost a month. :-) |
#74
|
|||
|
|||
"koneko" wrote in message oups.com... I decided that we'd schedule our own airport transfer to the hotel, so we should have time to pick up our own shinkansen ticket after all! =) Good. You should have no problem getting to the hotel, either - there is a bus service that gives you to-the-door service to just about all of the major hotels in the Tokyo area, for a reasonable fee. There's also JR's "Narita Express" train, which can get you to the major JR stations in the city (and from those, a taxi ride will generally be your best bet). The Narita Express is quick, clean, and very comfortable. The buses are clean and comfortable as well, although you will be slightly more cramped and they will generally take a bit longer to get into town. (Narita Airport is a surprisingly long way from central Tokyo.) The bus fare, by the way, will be around 3,000 yen (about $27), which, since it goes right to the hotel, will be the best deal. We confirmed our hotel is the Okura. Any idea what the taxi fare would be like to either of the stations for the Shinkansen? (this might be a bad idea for my wallet!!)] OK - the Okura isn't right next to any of the major JR stations (it IS fairly close to a couple of subway stations), but it's only about a ten-minute taxi ride from Tokyo station. I haven't taken a cab in Tokyo recently - perhaps someone else could chime in with an estimate of the fare - but I'm guessing you'd spend around the equivalent of $20, perhaps, to make that trip one-way. Keep in mind, though, that there's no custom of tipping in Japan. Japanese taxis are also unfailingly clean, and with helpful drivers. You may run into a language problem, though, so if you can have the name and address of your hotel (or other destination) printed in Japanese, it would be a good idea. The hotel may have transportation to the station, also - again, check with them once you're there, and they will certainly give you good advice on the best way to get where you're going! Japan IS expensive, of course, as you are no doubt finding out, but there are also a lot of things to see and do which will not cost a small fortune. For example, be sure to get out of the hotel and away from the Western-style restaurants for your meals - don't be afraid to try the local cuisine, at the local restaurants. And, as we've already discussed, the train and subway system is definitely the way to get around, and it's a bargain (esp. when compared with the taxis!). I see you're going to be there in early April - too bad, as it's looking like my next trip over there will be in LATE April! Would've been fun to see how you liked it! :-) Bob M. |
#75
|
|||
|
|||
bunster wrote: Let's Go just published the first edition for Japan this past year. It's not bad. Also, LP publishes guide for Kyoto and Tokyo. Thank you for the recs! I will be stopping by my local Borders and check them out. =) We're planning 12 nights in Kyoto. With the World Expo happening not far, we're using Kyoto as a base for going to/from the Expo site. As well, maybe visit Nara, Himeji and a few other places around Kyoto. This is when the Rail Pass comes in handy. Then it's off to Kanazawa, Takayama (Spring Matsuri), Magome and Tsumago (hike the Nakasendo highway), Matsumoto, then the last five nights in Tokyo (I'm hoping to catch a Giants game). Overall, we'll be there for almost a month. :-) Wow, what a great itinerary! I've been to an Expo once, when it was in S. Korea in the 90s. I wish I had time for an extended stay, it sounds like you will get to cover a very good bit of area, and get to do many activities! I looked up the areas you will be visiting besides Tokyo and Kyoto, as a couple were a bit unfamiliar to me, and they sound really lovely. I am sure you'll have a fantastic time!! =) |
#76
|
|||
|
|||
Bob Myers wrote: Good. You should have no problem getting to the hotel, either - there is a bus service that gives you to-the-door service to just about all of the major hotels in the Tokyo area, for a reasonable fee. I emailed the Okura, and they confirmed that the bus service stops there from the airport, so that was a relief! That saved us so much $$ since we will make the arrangements ourselves! =) Plus, we can take that to the airport on our departure... yea! OK - the Okura isn't right next to any of the major JR stations (it IS fairly close to a couple of subway stations), but it's only about a ten-minute taxi ride from Tokyo station. I haven't taken a cab in Tokyo recently - perhaps someone else could chime in with an estimate of the fare - but I'm guessing you'd spend around the equivalent of $20, perhaps, to make that trip one-way. Keep in mind, though, that there's no custom of tipping in Japan. Japanese taxis are also unfailingly clean, and with helpful drivers. You may run into a language problem, though, so if you can have the name and address of your hotel (or other destination) printed in Japanese, it would be a good idea. The hotel may have transportation to the station, also - again, check with them once you're there, and they will certainly give you good advice on the best way to get where you're going! I think we might leave our suitcases in Tokyo, and take overnight bags to Kyoto, to spare us the agony of lugging the luggage around, do you think that will be feasible? (I read all the above, and I get stressed just thinking about finding storage for the luggage on the shinkansen... I am so Type A, I'd probably mow down everyone in sight to get into the Shinkansen first, so I could get space for the suitcase, and darn it, I'm on vacation, LOL!!) It should be feasible to take a subway to Tokyo station then, right? I see you're going to be there in early April - too bad, as it's looking like my next trip over there will be in LATE April! Would've been fun to see how you liked it! :-) Awww! You're going to be going to Japan too?? I am so sorry that we will miss each other, it would have been so neat to meet an internet friend! Will you be there during the big vacation time? That ought to be very exciting! May I ask if you are visiting for business or vacation? Thank you again! =) |
#77
|
|||
|
|||
"koneko" wrote in message oups.com... I think we might leave our suitcases in Tokyo, and take overnight bags to Kyoto, to spare us the agony of lugging the luggage around, do you think that will be feasible? (I read all the above, and I get stressed just thinking about finding storage for the luggage on the shinkansen... I am so Type A, I'd probably mow down everyone in sight to get into the Shinkansen first, so I could get space for the suitcase, and darn it, I'm on vacation, LOL!!) LOL...OK, a couple of words about getting on the shinkansen at Tokyo station. The shinkansen (which, by the way, simply means "new express line," so yes, there are also "kansen" trains although you rarely if ever hear THAT term used to identify them!) leaves from platforms 14-23 at Tokyo station; these are the eastmost platforms, so if you're entering the station from the usual west side (Marunouchi) gates, you'll have to pass the "regular" platforms (the Yamanote line, Chuo line, etc.) to get to the shinkansen platforms. By the way, you can get a map of Tokyo station and other major Tokyo-area stations from: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/estation/index.html You'll need to show your shinkansen ticket (or run it through the machine) to get into the station in the first place, but then you will also need it to access the shinkansen platforms. Just before you go up to the platform itself (and make sure you have the right one for the train you'll be on - there's a big electronic display, though, that will give this information in both Japanese and English just after you enter the shinkansen part of the station), there's an area with a fairly good choice of food stalls, where you can get your ekiben for the trip if you like. (Once on the platform, there are just a few kiosks without nearly as good a selection!) On the platform, look for the signs over the platform and ON it which will tell you where each car of the train will be stopping; there's also usually a place clearly marked where you can line up for that car. As long as you're on the platform, say, 15 minutes in advance, you should have no problem at all getting in line so that you'll have a good choice of places to put your luggage. (You can also get some good pictures of the shinkansen pulling into the station, but be careful about getting too close to the edge of the platform!) It should be feasible to take a subway to Tokyo station then, right? It's feasible - and you'll probably want to check that route out BEFORE you make the trip to catch the shinkansen - but just remember that carrying your luggage down to, onto, inside of, and back up from the subway may be more of a pain than you want to deal with. You'll have to weigh that against the cost of the taxi. Awww! You're going to be going to Japan too?? I am so sorry that we will miss each other, it would have been so neat to meet an internet friend! Will you be there during the big vacation time? That ought to be very exciting! May I ask if you are visiting for business or vacation? Business, and as it turns out it doesn't look like I'll be going to Japan this trip after all - just Korea and Taiwan. Good luck with your trip, though, and I hope you'll let us all know how it turned out! Bob M. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Your Blessings in my trip to Japan | FamousDave | Asia | 41 | March 6th, 2005 09:18 PM |
Japan rail pass/Osaka-Kyoto trip | Not the Karl Orff | Asia | 0 | September 25th, 2003 06:58 PM |
Getting to know people in Japan | thegoons | Asia | 0 | September 14th, 2003 09:06 AM |
Getting to know people in Japan | HH | Asia | 0 | September 12th, 2003 05:53 AM |