Japan - Logistical advice and recs for Family first trip

We are heading to Japan with our 2 young daughters (4years and 20 mths) in 3 weeks.

Arrive Narita 10.30am on 10 May, assume will need to activate rail pass at airport - though a friend said that could take ages so we might be better staying somewhere convenient to a station where we can do it?

Spend day in Tokyo recovering from journey, possibly napping. Somewhere not too overwhelming and busy. Not worried about seeing Tokyo sights etc. Current hotel options considering are: Conrad, Intercontinental Yokohama, Hotel Century Southern Tower.

Ideally I want somewhere nice that is near enough the station we will go to Hakone from the next day (probably to take taxi or shuttle from hotel to station with luggage, pram etc). and that we can go for a little walk and have easy affordable eating options to suit kids as well as us. If there is somewhere close enough to a place we can validate our rail pass that may be better than doing it at airport with crowds of people.

Then on 11th travel to Hakone for 2 nights - likely at Hyatt if a trade works out, otherwise looking for good recommendations for a suitable place with large enough room for 4 (2 large beds) and easy to walk anywhere etc.

On 13th onto Kyoto for 4 nights, probably staying at Granvia unless anyone wants to put in a string argument for somewhere else.

Our final night 17th we will likely stay Narita as our flight to UK is early the next morning. We will leave Kyoto sometime that day (17th) take bullet train to Tokyo and presumably change to another train for Narita. We actually have a family that we would love to see that day in Tokyo but it may just be too hard with 2 kids a double pram and suitcases to find a suitable relatively stress free location to meet up even for an hour between trains - any suggestions?

Any suggestions much appreciated!

You can activate your Japan Rail Pass at most major train stations (the list is on the JR Pass website), so if you find that your hotel has a direct limousine bus connection from NRT at a reasonable time, which would be less stressful with everything you're carrying, take advantage of it and validate your pass at the nearest large JR station the next morning.

I suppose you need the double stroller with you at all times, but to keep luggage hassles to a minimum, consider shipping your large suitcases to your Kyoto hotel and taking just a couple of changes of clothes for each of you in a single small case to Hakone. Your Tokyo hotel can easily arrange this, and your Kyoto hotel will be willing to hold the cases for you until you arrive. Japanese luggage delivery services are efficient and dependable.

Hakone is not really walkable. The standard itinerary with the Hakone Free Pass from Odawara (where the Shinkansen leaves you) is a series of conveyances: regular train, bus, funicular, aerial tramway, boat. Leave the stroller at your hotel, take turns carrying the smaller child, and have the older one walk. The four-year-old, at least, should enjoy the variety of transportation, especially the aerial tramway and the boat, which looks like a pirate ship.

As for meeting up with your relatives in Tokyo, it may not be as hard as you think. The Shinkansen trip from Kyoto to Tokyo takes a bit over three hours, and you don't have to be in Narita till evening. Depending on your schedule, you would transfer from the Shinkansen to the Narita Express at either Shinagawa or Tokyo (Central) Station, and both stations have adjacent or nearby arcades with a multitude of restaurants and coffee shops. You could easily have lunch, an afternoon snack, or an early dinner with your relatives before the hour-long trip to NRT.

I can't give any advice about the hotels, because I've always been a relatively low-budget traveler in Japan.

Hakone is not really walkable

Not entirely true, as there are several hiking courses to be had...but probably not the thing to do with two small children in tow.

In my youth, I actually walked from Hakone Yumoto station to Hakone-en, with a brief lunch at the Fujiya Hotel. Took about 6 hours. Like climbing Mt. Fuji, it's something that's great to do once, but would never want to do again.

Also, you'll need to give us an idea of the budget you have to work with. If you can spend 200,000 yen a night, I'd say to get a suite at the Hakone Gorakadan.

Minor point, but taxis in Tokyo are extremely expensive. So you might want to ask about options at your hotel.

Minor point, but taxis in Tokyo are extremely expensive. So you might want to ask about options at your hotel.

Keeping in mind that there's no tipping in Japan, Tokyo taxi fares are not "extremely expensive," but are roughly equivalent to most western European cities (http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/).

Minor point, but taxis in Tokyo are extremely expensive. So you might want to ask about options at your hotel.

Good point--and true, even though a double stroller would be terribly awkward on public transit. Some stations have elevators, but many have only stairs or long (I do mean long, as in two- or three-storey) escalators.

Seriously, as I think about it, I'd suggest leaving the double stroller at home and taking turns carrying the 20-month-old, perhaps in a backpack seat, and having the four-year-old walk hanging on to a parental hand. Japan really isn't built for double strollers, and unless the four-year-old is unable to walk for some reason, she's plenty old enough to walk as long as you take frequent breaks.

Good point--and true, even though a double stroller would be terribly awkward on public transit. Some stations have elevators, but many have only stairs or long (I do mean long, as in two- or three-storey) escalators.

If it's a tandem stroller (ie, single file) then the OP should have no problem getting through the train turnstyles, but a side-by-side stroller might be a challenge.

really appreciating all your responses, lots of food for thought.

just quickly - re budget, we don't want to spend a fortune, but get good value for our $$. Roughly around 17-20,000 yen, give or take a bit..Room/Bed size is key, 2 largish double beds preferred.So sadly the Gorakadan will have to wait! Some of these prices just blow my mind...

Re the double stroller, we can't leave it at home as this trip is a stopover en route from Sydney to living in London for 7 months. It is a Baby Jogger city mini double - so it is side by side but fairly neat and usually fits through most single doors. I hear the rec not to use it too much though and will take a back carrier too for the (heavy!) 20mth old. Sadly both girls are very tall for their age (thanks to their dads genes) and without being fat weigh a fair bit more than usual for their age - the 4 yo can suddenly get tired and refuse to walk and our backs suffer quickly from any carrying! so knowing which stations have elevators vs only stairs would be handy, i wonder if there is such a resource?

The meet up is not with local relatives but with another family with young kids who will just have arrived in Tokyo from UK so we will need an easy to find spot that works for all of us, suitcase etc included.

Have booked ANA crowne plaza narita for the final night - now wondering, if we get everything we need for the week into one suitcase are we best to put the rest of our luggage (for the 8mth trip) into baggage storage at airport or can we send straight to ANA from Narita airport to hold onto us for a week?

Separately it has been mentioned that Hakone these days is far too crowded and touristy, long queues for boats, attractions etc. and that we should maybe consider an alternative spot or stay longer in Kyoto and do a couple of day trips

Any other views on that?

thanks again :)

This website, with photos by a Filipino tourist, gives you a pretty good idea of the obstacles you might encounter on the Tokyo subway.

http://www.escapeislands.com/2010/12/tokyo-subway.html

The turnstiles for the trains are similar, although the trains usually have a wheelchair entrance at the far right end of the bank of turnstiles.

Have you thought of shipping the stroller back to Australia? Or just selling it and buying a single one, since the four-year-old will soon be too old to be wheeled around?

There are also storage lockers (some rather large) in various places- Narita Airport, Tokyo Station, and some major subway stations. You could theoretically stash the stroller early on and get it back on your last day. There are maximum time limits for most lockers, though. Also, the takkubin (luggage delivery) services can hold packages for a few days, so that could be another option or used in combination. Perhaps some of the experts on the forum would have more specific examples if you'd like to try that.

I've found the single most important piece of advice for traveling in Japan is to pack as light (and small) as you can, within reason. When that can't be avoided, you can find ways to temporarily ease your burden.