I'd like to do a three or four-day stopover in Japan in the next few months. I'm just trying to figure out where I should stay. Cost is a big concern. If I fly into NRT, I will most likely stay in a hotel around that airport. Same goes for HND. What can I expect in terms of hotel cost? Mid-range Hotels near NRT can be had for US$100, right? Equivalent Tokyo hotels are probably closer to $200+? I thought about getting the Hyatt Chase card to get the two free nights. I'll be with a companion, so we would be eligible for four nights if we both get the cards. If we don't stay at the Hyatts in Tokyo ($500/night?), then I won't bother with the card and save my credit score for the next lucrative Chase card.
Is staying in Tokyo worth it? Or, should I just stay in near Narita and just take public transit into Tokyo during off-peak hours? I'm not even sure what I'll be doing in Japan. Maybe going into Tokyo should not be the focal point of my stopover? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!
I'd like to do a three or four-day stopover in Japan in the next few months. I'm just trying to figure out where I should stay.
I think you're putting the cart before the horse. Why don't you figure out why you want to visit Japan first. Let that determine where you would like to go. Then decide where to stay and how to get around.
I strongly recommend that you purchase (or borrow) some books about Japan. Use that to figure out what interests you. If you come here with a clear idea in mind, you'll find a lot of good advice (much of which has already been debated and discussed here many times).
__________________
I went around the world. It was alright for a holiday but I wouldn't want to live there - Michael Redmond
I'd like to do a three or four-day stopover in Japan in the next few months. I'm just trying to figure out where I should stay. Cost is a big concern. If I fly into NRT, I will most likely stay in a hotel around that airport. Same goes for HND. What can I expect in terms of hotel cost? Mid-range Hotels near NRT can be had for US$100, right? Equivalent Tokyo hotels are probably closer to $200+? I thought about getting the Hyatt Chase card to get the two free nights. I'll be with a companion, so we would be eligible for four nights if we both get the cards. If we don't stay at the Hyatts in Tokyo ($500/night?), then I won't bother with the card and save my credit score for the next lucrative Chase card.
Is staying in Tokyo worth it? Or, should I just stay in near Narita and just take public transit into Tokyo during off-peak hours? I'm not even sure what I'll be doing in Japan. Maybe going into Tokyo should not be the focal point of my stopover? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!
I suspect your thoughts on the standard of hotels near Narita Airport are a bit 'off'.
There are no luxury hotels in the area and if you want true equivalents in Tokyo there are plenty of hotels such as the Villa Fontaine chain, the Mitsui hotels or any of the Prince Hotels near Shinagawa. You should be able to stay some of these for around 12,000yen. Not much more than a Narita hotel + you don't have to pay the extra time and money or endure the boredom of schlepping to and from Narita by train AND shuttle bus.
You really, really don't want to stay in Narita for longer than a night, and only then if you have an early morning departure/late arrival.
If you're still not sure what you'll be doing in Japan then just stick with a Shinagawa hotel (if you can grab a room for around 13,000yen or under, the superior floors at the Grand New Prince Takanawa these provide some of the very best bang for your buck value in the city). Not only is the location convenient for Haneda but by being next to a shinkansen bullet train terminus you're also in a prime location to go visiting other destinations far from Tokyo.
And the rooms here are better than anything that Narita has to offer.
I think you're putting the cart before the horse. Why don't you figure out why you want to visit Japan first. Let that determine where you would like to go. Then decide where to stay and how to get around.
I strongly recommend that you purchase (or borrow) some books about Japan. Use that to figure out what interests you. If you come here with a clear idea in mind, you'll find a lot of good advice (much of which has already been debated and discussed here many times).
You're right. I haven't really researched my stopover there. I just have to make my stopover reservation in few days, which is why I quickly wanted opinions on where to stay. I only decided to do this yesterday when I realized that the stopover was somewhat free. Since I only have about 4 days, I don't really plan to venture too far out.
I suspect your thoughts on the standard of hotels near Narita Airport are a bit 'off'.
There are no luxury hotels in the area and if you want true equivalents in Tokyo there are plenty of hotels such as the Villa Fontaine chain, the Mitsui hotels or any of the Prince Hotels near Shinagawa. You should be able to stay some of these for around 12,000yen. Not much more than a Narita hotel + you don't have to pay the extra time and money or endure the boredom of schlepping to and from Narita by train AND shuttle bus.
You really, really don't want to stay in Narita for longer than a night, and only then if you have an early morning departure/late arrival.
If you're still not sure what you'll be doing in Japan then just stick with a Shinagawa hotel (if you can grab a room for around 13,000yen or under, the superior floors at the Grand New Prince Takanawa these provide some of the very best bang for your buck value in the city). Not only is the location convenient for Haneda but by being next to a shinkansen bullet train terminus you're also in a prime location to go visiting other destinations far from Tokyo.
And the rooms here are better than anything that Narita has to offer.
Thank you for those recommendations. I took a quick look at some hotels in NRT, such as the Richmond Hotel Narita, and saw that a few smaller hotels were priced at about 8500yen and had excellent ratings. I should do more research. My fault. But, from what you are telling me, I should fly into HND since the staying in Tokyo is probably a whole lot better.
Last edited by Ducati; Mar 5, 12 at 3:00 pm..
Reason: added name of hotel
Unless you're planning to fly through KIX, a four-day stopover means Tokyo and environs. Technically, you could do a day trip to Kyoto, but that would be three hours each way on the fastest train.
There are about four or five guidebooks that cover Tokyo and some of the standard day trips. I suggest buying one of them and getting an idea of the rich variety of sights and activities that this major city has.
I agree with the advice not to stay near NRT unless you arrive very late or have to leave very early. NRT is 60 km from central Tokyo, and while the nearby town of Narita is nice, it's not worth a four-day stay. Commuting into Tokyo would mean a minimum of US$12 each way on the slow train, more like $40 on the fast trains. Stay in the city itself, and your transportation costs will be in the US$ single digits per ride.
You can still fly into and out of NRT and stay in central Tokyo. You have a choice of two train lines and, depending on which hotel you stay at, possibly a bus, to travel into the city. There is no need to fly into HND if flights <>NRT work better for you.
(Yes, you seriously need to read that guidebook.)
If your lodging budget is US$100 or less per night, you should look into staying at business hotels. These have mostly single rooms, small and plain but quite adequate, with private bath and sometimes a free breakfast buffet. Your guidebook will have some suggestions, and there are plenty of them in central Tokyo. As the name suggests, they were originally built for business travelers, but they are of great benefit to low-budget tourists whose budgets aren't so low that they're willing to stay in a backpackers' hostel.
Unless you're planning to fly through KIX, a four-day stopover means Tokyo and environs. Technically, you could do a day trip to Kyoto, but that would be three hours each way on the fastest train.
There are about four or five guidebooks that cover Tokyo and some of the standard day trips. I suggest buying one of them and getting an idea of the rich variety of sights and activities that this major city has.
I agree with the advice not to stay near NRT unless you arrive very late or have to leave very early. NRT is 60 km from central Tokyo, and while the nearby town of Narita is nice, it's not worth a four-day stay. Commuting into Tokyo would mean a minimum of US$12 each way on the slow train, more like $40 on the fast trains. Stay in the city itself, and your transportation costs will be in the US$ single digits per ride.
You can still fly into and out of NRT and stay in central Tokyo. You have a choice of two train lines and, depending on which hotel you stay at, possibly a bus, to travel into the city. There is no need to fly into HND if flights <>NRT work better for you.
(Yes, you seriously need to read that guidebook.)
If your lodging budget is US$100 or less per night, you should look into staying at business hotels. These have mostly single rooms, small and plain but quite adequate, with private bath and sometimes a free breakfast buffet. Your guidebook will have some suggestions, and there are plenty of them in central Tokyo. As the name suggests, they were originally built for business travelers, but they are of great benefit to low-budget tourists whose budgets aren't so low that they're willing to stay in a backpackers' hostel.
What is an environs?
HND does work better for me in terms of scheduling, but if someone told me that NRT is better, I would do it.
I haven't determined how much I want to spend in lodging. I'm thinking maybe $800 total. I still haven't decided whether or not to take up on the Chase Hyatt. I may never have a chance to visit Japan, so maybe using that card is worth it for ~$2000 ($500x4 nights) in hotel stays or wait for another 50K mile offer from Chase. Anyways, thanks for the great info. I will do some more research and come back here to ask the proper questions.
With a 4 day stay, you can see many of the standard sights and really have a nice experience. There is NOTHING to do or see out in the NRT-area hotel row and the train ride into the city is about an hour unless you spend the money for express service. Stay in Tokyo.
Search for business hotels on Rakuten Travel or Japan Hotel Network for reasonably priced options. A hotel near a station gets you around the city easily. Likewise a subway stop.
You can do a lot in Tokyo in 4 days. Not so much out by NRT.
HND is not quite so bad as it is actually in Tokyo, although not a particularly scenic or tourist-friendly area. You should be able to find reasonable hotels within a stop or two on the monorail or local train line.
With a 4 day stay, you can see many of the standard sights and really have a nice experience. There is NOTHING to do or see out in the NRT-area hotel row and the train ride into the city is about an hour unless you spend the money for express service. Stay in Tokyo.
Search for business hotels on Rakuten Travel or Japan Hotel Network for reasonably priced options. A hotel near a station gets you around the city easily. Likewise a subway stop.
You can do a lot in Tokyo in 4 days. Not so much out by NRT.
HND is not quite so bad as it is actually in Tokyo, although not a particularly scenic or tourist-friendly area. You should be able to find reasonable hotels within a stop or two on the monorail or local train line.
Thanks for the great info! I guess staying near a subway station is the way to go. I know taxis are uber expensive out there.
In that case, you might also want to consider destinations other than Tokyo. SEL-OSA-SEL or SEL-FUK-SEL are also possible and potentially cheaper. Many other regional airports in Japan are served from Seoul. I don't know if that's something you can consider.
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I went around the world. It was alright for a holiday but I wouldn't want to live there - Michael Redmond
In that case, you might also want to consider destinations other than Tokyo. SEL-OSA-SEL or SEL-FUK-SEL are also possible and potentially cheaper. Many other regional airports in Japan are served from Seoul. I don't know if that's something you can consider.
If this trip would potentially be my only chance in Japan in my lifetime, shouldn't I stay near Tokyo? Or, are Osaka and Fukuoka just as good? How much cheaper could those other cities be?
Or, are Osaka and Fukuoka just as good? How much cheaper could those other cities be?
Osaka is the port of entry closest to Kyoto, which is quite good. Not as good as, say, landing on the moon. But better than knowing how to make a mid-quality leather handbag. Fukuoka is not quite a third as good as getting a bicycle for your seventh birthday. Typically, hotels are cheaper in Osaka than in Tokyo. Kyoto, not so much (by which I mean more). Flights vary a lot, so it's worth checking.
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I went around the world. It was alright for a holiday but I wouldn't want to live there - Michael Redmond
