Tokyo/Kyoto trip

If you are set on going, then I would rather concentrate the 1st trip to Tokyo, or Osaka and Kyoto. Rather than Tokyo + Kyoto. The reason being that to do your original plan, you are really best fly into one and out of the other. That can push costs up even further, not to mention a 1 way trip on the Shinkansen is like £100 per person.

If you are landing in Tokyo, pick Haneda, NOT Narita. Narita is about 90min train via the NEX Narita Express and cost like £30. So if the flight to Haneda is like £50 more...it's worth it. Haneda is in the city, it is connected by a monorail, close enough for a £20 taxi to the hotel.

If you are flying into Kansai Airport then it's about an hour to Kyoto from there.

As for getting train tickets, you can get it from the machines, which has English, or go to one of the counters, and they have English speaker there. Prepare to give yourself like 20mins though to get tickets to find the platform if you buy it on the day, and you won't be able to book a seat on the day. So you will need to go to the unreserved carriages. If you book ahead you can reserve a seat. Try to pack light, as LARGE suitcases are only allowed if you book a space, but overhead storage can fit a medium size suitcase. Don't be one of those people who put a suitcase in front of the seats...the locals will hate you.

Hotels right now is crazy, so just pick somewhere close to the main station in Kyoto. Kyoto transport is erm....crowded...well, the buses are, I hate Kyoto buses, I rather walk 2 miles than take the bus in the day time at least. So many tourists .... i am part of the problem so i walk. The trains and subway are not bad but they don't go everywhere in the city so some places, especially on the East side, where Kiyomizu Dera is are bus access only. 30mins on foot from the station...I just walk it. If they have iPhones then get the Suica app in the wallet, just top it up and tap tap tap on buses, trains all over the country. If not, then you need to get the travel Suica card...they have currently suspended selling the normal Suica card due to Chip shortages.

As for what to do....just temples and temples really. The place is full of history and old Japan, so if you like then it's amazing but also...a lot of tourists kinda ruins that a bit. There are other smaller less famous places that has the same feel, without the crowds.

In Tokyo, stay on any of the station on the Yamanote line, I suggest either west side (Shibuya, Shinjuku up to Ikebukuro) or East side, from Shimbashi up to Uneo, Akihabara. Avoid staying in the North or South area, not much main attractions around those. If you are on the Yamanote Line then everything wil be quicke to get to.

I went to Singapore for a week during the pandemic, but my flight was also like £500...so much better value. I guess you can go to Japan for a week but I feel like, unlike Singapore, you barely scratch the surface or even get used to the customs in that time. Not to mention right now it is like a sauna, i hope they like sweating...but at least they will get a chance to try Pocari Sweat.

Thankyou for taking the time to write this - very much appreciated.
 
Thankyou for taking the time to write this - very much appreciated.

Other things

Aralo (app), pay £20 for like 13G of data. Plenty for a week.

Use Google maps to navigate, it's quite accurate, but i find walking time a little optimistic, it doesn't take into account of elevation.
If they need cash, the ATM are inside 7-11. Banks' ATM are often inside the bank and they close along with the bank itself and shuts them off.

Google translate (camera) can get you through most of things you need translating, just need to use context and put it together.

Don't tip, take off your shoes when going into some places, hold onto your rubbish (until you get back to your room or find a 7-11/Lawsons/Family Mart), don't eat and walk, don't talk on the phone on public transport (VERY IMPORTANT), or listen to music out loud, especially don't use speakerphone on the phone. Don't Jay Walk either. If in doubt, follow what the locals do.

Learn to say Excuse Me in Japanese - Sumimasen, will get you out of most troubles along with being a foreigner.
 
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BTW: I have done that journey over 20 times. Also bear in mind september will be hot 30c ! Thats 30c at night time.
I reckon I've been 11 times, not quite as many as you.

Kyoto is kind of boring for 19 year old unless they are into temples and shrines, but I suppose worth seeing if it's the only trip you make to Japan.

When I was 20 I went Thailand and that was me hooked on Asia for life.
 
I’d concentrate on Tokyo for a week stay. We did an 8 or 9 day stay taking in Tokyo, Kyoto and a stay in a Buddhist monastery in Mt Koyasan and barely scratched the surface of all the places. Could have stayed another week in Tokyo and only did about a day in Kyoto in the end which was a waste really.

It’s totally bonkers and brilliant and they should absolutely go!
 
I will be going to Japan later in the year for 10 days and intend to visit Tokyo + Kyoto too.

For convenience I booked a hotel in Shinagawa, which is a ~20 minute train ride from Haneda airport and also has the shinkansen that goes to Kyoto.
 
I will be going to Japan later in the year for 10 days and intend to visit Tokyo + Kyoto too.

For convenience I booked a hotel in Shinagawa, which is a ~20 minute train ride from Haneda airport and also has the shinkansen that goes to Kyoto.

Awesome - ty!

Are you able to share the name of the hotel either here or in a DM? They really are starting from scratch and i'd feel better knowing that they are in a researched hotel/area!
 
btw, I would avoid capsule hotels, they are neat but you get no temperature control in your pod, it gets uncomfortably hot.

Asakusa (near Sensoji temple), is a cheaper area to stay at, although not on the Yamanote Line, it is close to Tokyo Station. FYI, Tokyo Station is the Shinkansen hub where all Shinkansen starts and stops to and from Osaka (or in and out of Tokyo to other parts). It goes down and stops at Shinagawa before the speed picks up outside of the city.,

Shinagawa is a business district, nothing really to do there for a tourists.

I stayed at Hotel Metropolitian twice in Ikebukuro, north west of the Yamanote Line, just a few stops from Shinjuku, it's like a mini Shinkuku. Less tourists, but just as many amenities.
 
btw, I would avoid capsule hotels, they are neat but you get no temperature control in your pod, it gets uncomfortably hot.

Asakusa (near Sensoji temple), is a cheaper area to stay at, although not on the Yamanote Line, it is close to Tokyo Station. FYI, Tokyo Station is the Shinkansen hub where all Shinkansen starts and stops to and from Osaka (or in and out of Tokyo to other parts). It goes down and stops at Shinagawa before the speed picks up outside of the city.,

Shinagawa is a business district, nothing really to do there for a tourists.

I stayed at Hotel Metropolitian twice in Ikebukuro, north west of the Yamanote Line, just a few stops from Shinjuku, it's like a mini Shinkuku. Less tourists, but just as many amenities.

I’ve stayed there before as well on a business trip. Decent hotel. A little out from the centre but Ikebukuro is good place.
 
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I’ve stayed there before as well on a business trip. Decent hotel. A little out from the centre but Ikebukuro is good place.

The hotel is pretty much 100 meters to the west entrance of the station. Just over the road, up 100 yards and then downstairs.

The hotel is also is on the route of the airport bus, so you can go straight from your room, to the downstairs lobby to the bus and then to the airport (and vice versa), without dragging the suitcase on the train.

The decor in the room isn't the most modern but it has aircon, own bathroom and whenever i stayed, both times worked out cheaper than other places, about £60 a night if booked early enough. The Pokemon Center (the original one) is in Sun Shine City at Ikebukuro. There is another in Shibuya in PARCO Shibuya, alongside the Nintendo store, Capcom store.
 
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So, as others have said, a week is not enough. It's a long flight and a 3 hour Shinkansen ride between the cities. It'll be more expensive to fly back from a different city, and may even limit your choice of carriers as they need to fly to both. There is also a huge amount outside of those cities to see, such as Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima, Himeji, and countless other places. I spent 3 weeks there and despite some serious rushing around missed a ton and will have to go back.
Advising on exactly what to see can be tricky - what do they like? Are they going to see the historic places like Himeji, Kinkakuji etc? Modern buildings like Tokyo skytree?

You can stay pretty much anywhere. It's all safe, and the metro systems are brilliant (but very crowded) so aim to be nearby. A JR rail pass is good if you can make use of it but if they're only staying in 2 cities it may be cheaper to pay the one off fair. It covers the Shinkansen, but not private railways of which there are many but there are almost always JR alternatives. You can get metro passes as well so these may be more useful if they stay a few days in a particular city. Best bet for hotels is just to check on booking.com for prices and ratings, even if you go to the hotel direct. The vast majority take a great pride in providing good service so it's hard to go wrong. Avoid capsules.

Food wise sushi train is always cheap. Plenty of bento or rice/noodle places as well. Fried eel is lovely. Learn the exchange rate and just search for local ones when you're hungry as once again they are plentiful and take pride in what they serve. 7/11 is everywhere but they aren't the dives they are in other countries. There is a lot of free wi-fi around, but you can also buy a local sim with some data to help. Some places were cash only when I went but that was pre-covid, so best bet is probably to get a foreign fee free credit card and use that to pay where possible whilst taking a couple hundred in cash just in case. Once you get a feel for prices and whether you want to go back you can decide to spend the cash or keep it for next time but it's just easier to minimise what you carry. There is no tipping. Don't even offer, it's rude.

Quite a lot of people speak English, especially younger ones, but make an effort at least and learn to say please, thank you, excuse me/sorry etc and they will really appreciate it.
 
So, as others have said, a week is not enough. It's a long flight and a 3 hour Shinkansen ride between the cities. It'll be more expensive to fly back from a different city, and may even limit your choice of carriers as they need to fly to both. There is also a huge amount outside of those cities to see, such as Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima, Himeji, and countless other places. I spent 3 weeks there and despite some serious rushing around missed a ton and will have to go back.
Advising on exactly what to see can be tricky - what do they like? Are they going to see the historic places like Himeji, Kinkakuji etc? Modern buildings like Tokyo skytree?

You can stay pretty much anywhere. It's all safe, and the metro systems are brilliant (but very crowded) so aim to be nearby. A JR rail pass is good if you can make use of it but if they're only staying in 2 cities it may be cheaper to pay the one off fair. It covers the Shinkansen, but not private railways of which there are many but there are almost always JR alternatives. You can get metro passes as well so these may be more useful if they stay a few days in a particular city. Best bet for hotels is just to check on booking.com for prices and ratings, even if you go to the hotel direct. The vast majority take a great pride in providing good service so it's hard to go wrong. Avoid capsules.

Food wise sushi train is always cheap. Plenty of bento or rice/noodle places as well. Fried eel is lovely. Learn the exchange rate and just search for local ones when you're hungry as once again they are plentiful and take pride in what they serve. 7/11 is everywhere but they aren't the dives they are in other countries. There is a lot of free wi-fi around, but you can also buy a local sim with some data to help. Some places were cash only when I went but that was pre-covid, so best bet is probably to get a foreign fee free credit card and use that to pay where possible whilst taking a couple hundred in cash just in case. Once you get a feel for prices and whether you want to go back you can decide to spend the cash or keep it for next time but it's just easier to minimise what you carry. There is no tipping. Don't even offer, it's rude.

Quite a lot of people speak English, especially younger ones, but make an effort at least and learn to say please, thank you, excuse me/sorry etc and they will really appreciate it.

Really useful - ty.

I've advised them to post on here themselves to discuss what they want to achieve and see, their interests etc while out there.

I've said to take some local currency, but they have Revolut and Monzo apps too.

Tipping - v useful to know and to try to make an effort with the langauage.
 
The hotel is pretty much 100 meters to the west entrance of the station. Just over the road, up 100 yards and then downstairs.

The hotel is also is on the route of the airport bus, so you can go straight from your room, to the downstairs lobby to the bus and then to the airport (and vice versa), without dragging the suitcase on the train.

The decor in the room isn't the most modern but it has aircon, own bathroom and whenever i stayed, both times worked out cheaper than other places, about £60 a night if booked early enough.
I took a great photo of Mt. Fuji from my room.

IMG-5589.jpg
 
No need to buy local sim, with Arola (if you phone can do e-sim), it is SO much easier, you can set it up right now in the UK, and when you landed in Japan, while on the tarmac, switch it on and you can have internet whilst still in the plane. It's what i did. This way you get to use your UK phone for emergency calls, yet all data routed through the e-sim. Wifi hotspot hub rental thing is clunky, it needs charging, it can even crash. I've tried them all and prefer the e-sim method.

1 week with 2 cities is certainly no point for JR Pass, especially if you don't plan to go anywhere else. It's so not worth it i don't even need to do the math to check, and that is before the price rise in October.

As said, Eel is lovely, and it is a summer dish in Japan. It's call Unagi (remember Friends, with Ross? lol), but Eels is expensiev, a Unagi Don (don is bowl of rice in Japanese, Gohan is rice.. eg Tonkasu don is Tonkatsu on rice bowl, so Sushi Don would be sushi rice bowl).

I took a great photo of Mt. Fuji from my room.

IMG-5589.jpg

I never got a view that good! I asked for a Fuji view room twice and both times either not high enough or i had to stick my head out the window to see. This was last trip this year.

rW7HG3T.jpg


I did stay at Park Hotel Tokyo which had this view from the lobby. Unfortunately that skyscrapper got in the way of the view and now it blocks Tokyo Tower!

AkQkKVX.jpg


To illustrate how close it is to the station...I took this standing on the door at the hotel. Crossing that junction there, head left, and by that building has the entrance to the Ikebukuro station on the other corner.

JGmz30j.jpg
 
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No need to buy local sim, with Arola (if you phone can do e-sim), it is SO much easier, you can set it up right now in the UK, and when you landed in Japan, while on the tarmac, switch it on and you can have internet whilst still in the plane. It's what i did. This way you get to use your UK phone for emergency calls, yet all data routed through the e-sim. Wifi hotspot hub rental thing is clunky, it needs charging, it can even crash. I've tried them all and prefer the e-sim method.

1 week with 2 cities is certainly no point for JR Pass, especially if you don't plan to go anywhere else. It's so not worth it i don't even need to do the math to check, and that is before the price rise in October.

As said, Eel is lovely, and it is a summer dish in Japan. It's call Unagi (remember Friends, with Ross? lol), but Eels is expensiev, a Unagi Don (don is bowl of rice in Japanese, Gohan is rice.. eg Tonkasu don is Tonkatsu on rice bowl, so Sushi Don would be sushi rice bowl).



I never got a view that good! I asked for a Fuji view room twice and both times either not high enough or i had to stick my head out the window to see. This was last trip this year.

rW7HG3T.jpg


I did stay at Park Hotel Tokyo which had this view from the lobby. Unfortunately that skyscrapper got in the way of the view and now it blocks Tokyo Tower!

AkQkKVX.jpg


To illustrate how close it is to the station...I took this standing on the door at the hotel. Crossing that junction there, head left, and by that building has the entrance to the Ikebukuro station on the other corner.

JGmz30j.jpg
Brings back memories staying there in 2018. I went back to Japan about 3 weeks later but for social rather than business and went to Okinawa, got to see Shuri castle before it burnt down. Then back for business again at the end of 2019, I stayed in Shibuya that time which is where I’ve usually stayed in the past.

Since the pandemic and the difficulties getting in I’ve not been back. I would like to go to Sapporo some time. Once my little one has grown a bit more we’ll get back to doing some short trips while we are out on our extended stays in S. Korea. I wish I was doing more business in Japan like I used to just so I could get out there a bit more often.
 
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No need to buy local sim, with Arola (if you phone can do e-sim), it is SO much easier, you can set it up right now in the UK, and when you landed in Japan, while on the tarmac, switch it on and you can have internet whilst still in the plane. It's what i did. This way you get to use your UK phone for emergency calls, yet all data routed through the e-sim. Wifi hotspot hub rental thing is clunky, it needs charging, it can even crash. I've tried them all and prefer the e-sim method.

1 week with 2 cities is certainly no point for JR Pass, especially if you don't plan to go anywhere else. It's so not worth it i don't even need to do the math to check, and that is before the price rise in October.

As said, Eel is lovely, and it is a summer dish in Japan. It's call Unagi (remember Friends, with Ross? lol), but Eels is expensiev, a Unagi Don (don is bowl of rice in Japanese, Gohan is rice.. eg Tonkasu don is Tonkatsu on rice bowl, so Sushi Don would be sushi rice bowl).
Damn new fangled technology, now I have to look up e-Sims. :cry:

I think the shortest JR pass was 5 days(?) But yeah, if they literally just wanna hang in 2 cities it won't be worth it. If they want to use them as a base and head out elsewhere then maybe, but I'd guess the longer the pass the more cost effective it becomes. I saved hundreds getting a 3 week pass but boy did I use it - all the way down to Kyushu and back with countless day trips. The transport is such a breeze it's amazing how far you can go in a reasonable time. They'll really regret not going for longer.

Has eel gone up in price? It was only marginally more than other dishes when I tried it (and well worth it). Not necessarily a go-to food each day but worth a try and I wouldn't have called it expensive. Nothing was as cheap as the sushi, which conversely costs a fortune in this country and is far more disappointing.
 
Osaka is my favourite city - would defo recommend having a look

Also tourist bullet train passes are very cheap and you can visit so many places in a day if you use them - like Himeji Castle etc!
 
Damn new fangled technology, now I have to look up e-Sims. :cry:

I think the shortest JR pass was 5 days(?) But yeah, if they literally just wanna hang in 2 cities it won't be worth it. If they want to use them as a base and head out elsewhere then maybe, but I'd guess the longer the pass the more cost effective it becomes. I saved hundreds getting a 3 week pass but boy did I use it - all the way down to Kyushu and back with countless day trips. The transport is such a breeze it's amazing how far you can go in a reasonable time. They'll really regret not going for longer.

Has eel gone up in price? It was only marginally more than other dishes when I tried it (and well worth it). Not necessarily a go-to food each day but worth a try and I wouldn't have called it expensive. Nothing was as cheap as the sushi, which conversely costs a fortune in this country and is far more disappointing.

JR pass is 7, 14 or 21 days. Start at, currently, like 27,000 yen, it’s £166 at the moment due to the good exchange rate. You really need to go 2 long trips to get your money back. If you are only doing Tokyo and Kyoto then I won’t waste precious time going down to Hiroshima or Hemiji and back (wasting like 4-6hrs total) when Kyoto is on your doorstep. If they need to head back to Tokyo then it would break even.

If I were in OP’s shoes I might actually pop to Osaka for a day from Kyoto, only like 30mins or so on the train. If you like history then Kyoto has enough for like 2 weeks of stuff to see, if not then perhaps staying in Osaka and do a day trip to Kyoto. Personally because the crowds in Kyoto is crazy, I would stay at Kyoto and get up at the crack of dawn and go to all the popular places to beat the crowd and also the heat. Get it done before 11am and then chill and relax.

Eel wise, a good bowl are like 4,000 yen? They can be like 6,000 yen in some places. I last had it in the market it Kanazawa. I’ve seen some YouTube videos where people found them under 2000 yen but I’ve never seen it that cheap.
 
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S20 FE, so no E-Sim :( EE Data Roamimg is £7.50 per day for 150mb!

Someone else has recommended these:


£22 for 1 week and 200GB.

It says you can pick it up at the airport or your hotel otherwise you have to go into store to collect.

The other option…if you do rent a wifi hotspot thing, both of them can connect to it at the same time. And they are usually unlimited.

You will have to return them before you leave, they give you a return envelope to drop it off, most airports have a mail box but they are usually BEFORE immigration. If you go past immigration then you are stuffed and can’t post it until you are back home.
 
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JR pass is 7, 14 or 21 days. Start at, currently, like 27,000 yen, it’s £166 at the moment due to the good exchange rate. You really need to go 2 long trips to get your money back. If you are only doing Tokyo and Kyoto then I won’t waste precious time going down to Hiroshima or Hemiji and back (wasting like 4-6hrs total) when Kyoto is on your doorstep. If they need to head back to Tokyo then it would break even.

If I were in OP’s shoes I might actually pop to Osaka for a day from Kyoto, only like 30mins or so on the train. If you like history then Kyoto has enough for like 2 weeks of stuff to see, if not then perhaps staying in Osaka and do a day trip to Kyoto. Personally because the crowds in Kyoto is crazy, I would stay at Kyoto and get up at the crack of dawn and go to all the popular places to beat the crowd and also the heat. Get it done before 11am and then chill and relax.

Eel wise, a good bowl are like 4,000 yen? They can be like 6,000 yen in some places. I last had it in the market it Kanazawa. I’ve seen some YouTube videos where people found them under 2000 yen but I’ve never seen it that cheap.
Ah I thought there was a shorter one. Yeah exchange rate is very good right now, was only 150 when I went, but curious how things have gone up as i'd like to go back myself.

Himeji is easily doable from Kyoto on the Shinkansen, though Hiroshima is indeed a bit much. As you say though there's plenty in Kyoto itself and an endless list in the surrounding area. Osaka is a good shout. Nara is also doable. Hell I did Kanazawa from there but that was a trek and it does depend how early you want to get up as that sort of travel can be a bit intense at times. If they're going to stay in bed til 10 then I wouldn't bother going out of Kyoto at all. Again though, they could (and should) spend weeks there doing all this.

I paid 2000 yen or so in Miyajima, but that was 2018 and would have been Anago if that is any cheaper. Seemed a good portion and about £5-6 more than a sushi train meal cost at the time. Depending how much everything else has gone up 4000 might not be that bad but does seem a lot.
 
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