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Japan - Travel and what to do

Japan - Travel and what to do

Old Dec 29th 2005, 10:20 am
  #1  
Paulovey
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Default Japan - Travel and what to do

Hi all,

I know it a long way off but in sept I am planning a 3 week trip to
Japan. Its my first time there, and was wondering a few things.

Where are best places to go, I would like a good mix of City for the
nightlife and Beach for the chilling out.

How about domestic travel, for the past few years I have been Thailand,
and internal flights are very cheap over there, is this the case in
Japan?

Do you need to book a hotel/hostel in advance, I normally just "wing
it" with my travel/accom arrangements and find a place to stay when in
there.

Cheers,

Paul
 
Old Dec 29th 2005, 12:44 pm
  #2  
John W.
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Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

paulovey wrote:
    > Hi all,
    > I know it a long way off but in sept I am planning a 3 week trip to
    > Japan. Its my first time there, and was wondering a few things.
    > Where are best places to go, I would like a good mix of City for the
    > nightlife and Beach for the chilling out.
    > How about domestic travel, for the past few years I have been Thailand,
    > and internal flights are very cheap over there, is this the case in
    > Japan?
    > Do you need to book a hotel/hostel in advance, I normally just "wing
    > it" with my travel/accom arrangements and find a place to stay when in
    > there.

The first suggestion would be to Google search this group; lots of good
advice has been given in the past and you can get loads of ideas.

The basics:

You'll almost certainly need a rail pass; they're a great deal and it
will pay for itself many times over. You should be able to get one from
any travel agent worth their salt. Bookmark http://www.hyperdia.com/;
by clicking the English link you get to a great site to help plan rail
travel.

The key areas folks visit are Tokyo and Kyoto, with various other
destinations added for a longer trip such as yours. I suggest not
moving around any more than you have to; find a good place to stay in
Tokyo and base regional travel out of there (Kamakura and Nikko are
some examples of side trips from Tokyo). Do the same with the Kansai
region (the area around Kyoto/Osaka). My personal suggestion for the
latter would be to stay in Osaka. For one thing it's more central to
the other places in the region you'll want to visit (Nara, Mt. Koya,
Himeji, even Hiroshima for a long day trip); for another it has more
night life, but a lot depends on exactly what you define as night life.

I can't help when it comes to beaches. Those around Osaka where I've
spent most of my time are not worth visiting. I've visited some up on
the Japan sea side, but they're not great beaches. However, I do
suggest you travel in that area. If you don't carry much luggage you
could break up the trip from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto by a day or two
traveling that less-developed coast. I really like that part of Japan.
It's actually a very beautiful place to drive if you're up for the
challenge. In the rural areas you'll find more temples/shrines and
other spots that are not easily accessible by train.

For travel preparation I suggest going to the library or book store and
reading through several guide books to see which one you like. Most
information you need is on the Web; each prefecture will have an
English Website that contains local information, but you might not
always have Web access when traveling, if at all.

Hope this helps!

John W.
 
Old Dec 29th 2005, 7:55 pm
  #3  
Giny@geenrotzooi_xs4all.nl
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

If you go to the northcoast above Osaka/Kyoto, there are some marvellous
beaches in Amanohashidate (the whole sand-split has wonderful beaches) and
at teh nice, hotspring town Kinosaki, not far from Amanohashidate (1 hour by
bus or car West of Amanohashidate).

Giny


"John W." <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
news:[email protected] oups.com...
    > paulovey wrote:
    >> Hi all,
    >> I know it a long way off but in sept I am planning a 3 week trip to
    >> Japan. Its my first time there, and was wondering a few things.
    >> Where are best places to go, I would like a good mix of City for the
    >> nightlife and Beach for the chilling out.
    >> How about domestic travel, for the past few years I have been Thailand,
    >> and internal flights are very cheap over there, is this the case in
    >> Japan?
    >> Do you need to book a hotel/hostel in advance, I normally just "wing
    >> it" with my travel/accom arrangements and find a place to stay when in
    >> there.
    > The first suggestion would be to Google search this group; lots of good
    > advice has been given in the past and you can get loads of ideas.
    > The basics:
    > You'll almost certainly need a rail pass; they're a great deal and it
    > will pay for itself many times over. You should be able to get one from
    > any travel agent worth their salt. Bookmark http://www.hyperdia.com/;
    > by clicking the English link you get to a great site to help plan rail
    > travel.
    > The key areas folks visit are Tokyo and Kyoto, with various other
    > destinations added for a longer trip such as yours. I suggest not
    > moving around any more than you have to; find a good place to stay in
    > Tokyo and base regional travel out of there (Kamakura and Nikko are
    > some examples of side trips from Tokyo). Do the same with the Kansai
    > region (the area around Kyoto/Osaka). My personal suggestion for the
    > latter would be to stay in Osaka. For one thing it's more central to
    > the other places in the region you'll want to visit (Nara, Mt. Koya,
    > Himeji, even Hiroshima for a long day trip); for another it has more
    > night life, but a lot depends on exactly what you define as night life.
    > I can't help when it comes to beaches. Those around Osaka where I've
    > spent most of my time are not worth visiting. I've visited some up on
    > the Japan sea side, but they're not great beaches. However, I do
    > suggest you travel in that area. If you don't carry much luggage you
    > could break up the trip from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto by a day or two
    > traveling that less-developed coast. I really like that part of Japan.
    > It's actually a very beautiful place to drive if you're up for the
    > challenge. In the rural areas you'll find more temples/shrines and
    > other spots that are not easily accessible by train.
    > For travel preparation I suggest going to the library or book store and
    > reading through several guide books to see which one you like. Most
    > information you need is on the Web; each prefecture will have an
    > English Website that contains local information, but you might not
    > always have Web access when traveling, if at all.
    > Hope this helps!
    > John W.
    >
 
Old Dec 30th 2005, 3:44 am
  #4  
oneofcold
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

"Where are best places to go, I would like a good mix of City for the
nightlife and Beach for the chilling out."

Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanazawa, and Hiroshima, and then a few days in
Okinawa.

"How about domestic travel, for the past few years I have been
Thailand,
and internal flights are very cheap over there, is this the case in
Japan?"

Yes, but also consider getting a Japan railpass.

For examples of flight prices, here's a really good travel agency with
English speakers: no1-travel.com

"Do you need to book a hotel/hostel in advance, I normally just "wing
it" with my travel/accom arrangements and find a place to stay when in
there."

Booking hotels or hostels in advance is very important in Japan, since
there is very little cheap accomodation and what little there is tends
to fill up during peak seasons.
 
Old Jan 1st 2006, 4:12 pm
  #5  
Macieklew
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

check out www.uktravelnet.co.uk
 
Old Jan 1st 2006, 10:29 pm
  #6  
News.Central.Cox.Net
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

If you visit Tokyo, go to Kamakura where is suburbs of Tokyo. It's a
traditional town like Kyoto, and also close to the ocean.

Green
 
Old Jan 6th 2006, 1:58 pm
  #7  
Paulovey
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

Hi all,

Thanks for all the responses, all very good!

Just one more question, what is the day to day living costs like,
Eating, drinking etc!

I like to try the traditional food whilst travelling, so im guessing
this may be a bit cheaper if I find a place full of locals, it normally
means its a good place. I am correct in this thinking?

Thanks again,

Paul
 
Old Jan 6th 2006, 5:18 pm
  #8  
John W.
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Japan - Travel and what to do

paulovey wrote:
    > Hi all,
    > Thanks for all the responses, all very good!
    > Just one more question, what is the day to day living costs like,
    > Eating, drinking etc!
    > I like to try the traditional food whilst travelling, so im guessing
    > this may be a bit cheaper if I find a place full of locals, it normally
    > means its a good place. I am correct in this thinking?
That's usually my logic for finding 'real' food, but it doesn't mean
it'll be cheaper. Personally I like the stand-up noodle shops; you can
get a decent meal for very little money and you'll be experiencing
something that's fairly common in any Japanese city.

I can usually eat for less than 2,000 yen a day. Here's how that breaks
down.

If I'm not staying at the inlaws or with friends, where I typically eat
toast (Japanese white bread is very yummy; thick with a hint of
sweetness), for breakfast I will most likely get some pastry/bread from
a coffee shop or pastry store; the stuff you get in Japan, typically,
is lighter and less sweet than what's available in the US and Europe
(IMHO). That's at most 400 yen, usually less.

Lunch is usually a box lunch at Kamadoya, Hoka Hoka Tei, or similar
chain. Basically it's rice with your choice of meat (eel, fried chicken
nuggets, fish, etc.), usually with some shredded cabbage. At most 500
yen for me (karaage bento; fried chicken).

This leaves roughly a thousand yen for supper. Sometimes I'll spend
more on lunch than supper, sometimes I skip breakfast or buy a loaf of
bread and eat that over several days (if you like peanut butter I
suggest bringing that from home).

You also need to factor in the cost of drinks; from a machine you'll
pay around 120 yen per drink. Usually I get water when I eat in a
restaurant.

John W.
 

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