Current Events > I'm about to book my trip to Japan.....Narita or Haneda?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Also, any hotel recommendations?

Also, should we stay in different cities?

Going for 1 week exactly, but I just realied leaving on Friday night means we land sunday afternoon, so we'll have 7 nights in Japan then head back the following sunday morning so we can land back in the west coast on sunday night.

Depends what the purpose of your trip is

Narita is far away, its like a 2 hour drive from there to Tokyo
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frozenshock posted...

Depends what the purpose of your trip is

Narita is far away, its like a 2 hour drive from there to Tokyo

Just vacation and exploring. We're not renting a car or anything, just public transport.

Well from Narita you can buy a train ticket to downtown tokyo but it's a long ride

And make sure you get on the correct platform or else you're going to go in the wrong direction!

When I was there in 2008 even the lady at the counter to buy train tickets didn't speak word of english so it helps to know the language a bit

Probably a good idea to look up if there's organized tours or something because 7 days go by quickly and you don't want to come back and you barely saw anything

Also ask the hotel if you're allowed to come back in the room during the day. The hotel that I was in the rooms were closed most of the day so you had to leave in the morning and return in the afternoon, I think around 4 or 5 PM or something. I once tried to return to my room earlier but they didn't let me in the elevator because it was too early so I had to basically sit on a park bench for an hour or so to wait for the correct hour

Also ask the hotel beforehand if meal is included with the reservation because if it's not you don't even get breakfast
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You just tagged this topic
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At the very least Narita Airport is beautiful as heck.
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Im reading that Narita has better transport to downtown tokyo compared to Haneda?

Just booked it to Narita.....2 tickets total $1516, after tax, 1 stop each way in Vancouver, taking Air Canada for all 4 flights. Was able to reserve some decent seats too.

I hope you have fun. I really enjoyed going to Japan earlier this year, can't wait to go again.
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I dont speak a lick of japanese. The only japanese words I know are Kobe, Ichiro, and Sushi.

DanHarenChamp posted...

I dont speak a lick of japanese. The only japanese words I know are Kobe, Ichiro, and Sushi.

I can say I Love You
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Alright next topic: How can I learn japanese in 2 months lol

Room & Board Hotel (Called R&B Hotel by locals) in Koto, East side of Tokyo is nice. You can get a room for about $100 (US) a night, sometimes less.

Room is typical Tokyo tiny and used by lots of Japanese businessmen. Bed, TV bathroom, small desk, bathroom, closet. Koto is a quiet, residential part of Tokyo. They give you a male kimono for pajamas.

Close to the fish market and lots of sumo sites. Some Japanese use it for Tokyo Disneyland. Few Western tourists. I'm a Black American and had no troubles there.

If I can't stay with my wife's family I stay there in Tokyo. Close to Koto station and there is a market nearby too. You can get by cheap in Tokyo if you stay off the beaten path.

http://randb.jp/en/toyocho/

use booking.com or one of those online sites.
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Tokyo Station [Tokyo eeki] (East-Central) and Shinjuku Station (West) [Shinjuku eeki] are the keys. If you can find those you won't get lost.

Pronounced "Tokyo ecki" and "Shinjuku ecki"

"doo ikimasu" (pronounced "doe ickymahss") is "how do I get to....."

Most cops and security folks speak some English. Protip: Write your questions down. Most can read English even if they can't speak it. They study it 12 years from K-12.

Have fun!
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You don't need to learn Japanese before you go. I got around no problem without speaking the language. Buying a sim card with a data plan upon arrival is a really good idea. Having GPS and access to Google will come in handy.

High-speed train to Akhiabara (or whatever it's called, can't remember off hand) took like an hour and 20 minutes.
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brestugo posted...

Most cops and security folks speak some English. Protip: Write your questions down. Most can read English even if they can't speak it. They study it 12 years from K-12.

Have fun!

This is also very true. It's the same here in Thailand. Most can read and write English at a basic level but will be completely lost when you speak it to them.
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DanHarenChamp posted...

Alright next topic: How can I learn japanese in 2 months lol

You'll be fine, lived in Tokyo all last year hardly knowing any Japanese. Unless you're going to hole in the walls most people in the service industry speak at least a little English.

My biggest piece of advice is to make use of the subway systems. The PA and the signs are also all in English. It's super efficient and easy to use and get around. Especially since you're only there for 7 days, you'll wanna see as much as possible. I live in New York and maintain that the Tokyo subway is way easier to figure out than here. Only thing is if you're trying to stay out late/ experience nightlife the trains all stop running at 12:30 am so you just gotta plan around that.
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Get a Passmo card too. You can use it to pay for trains, buses, food, almost anything. You can add value as you need it. You get it at train stations , maybe even the airport. Card is good for 10 years.

We really need something like this in America.
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brestugo posted...

Get a Passmo card too. You can you can use it to pay for trains, busses, food, almost anything. You can add value as you need it. You get it at train stations , maybe even the airport. Card is good for 10 years.

We really need something like this in America.

seconded. passmo or suica both accomplish the same thing as long as you're staying in Tokyo.

There are two subway companies in Tokyo, and if your trip includes transfer from one to the other you'll have to buy separate tickets. If you have a passmo/suica IC card you can use it for both.
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Play the world ends with you for accurate memorization of the shibuya district
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ok awesome thanks for the help guys.

ima stop you here cuz for now we juts booked the hotel and plane. Prolly a few weeks from now I'll plan out the trip in detail like where exactly to go and stuff.

DanHarenChamp posted...

ok awesome thanks for the help guys.

ima stop you here cuz for now we juts booked the hotel and plane. Prolly a few weeks from now I'll plan out the trip in detail like where exactly to go and stuff.

Great.

Enjoy your trip!
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The most important word that you need to know how to say is "Sumimasen."
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