First trip to Tokyo (from LAX)
 

Hi all,

On my way from LAX to SIN, i plan to stop at Narita to tour around Tokyo end of this month. This will be my first ever trip in Japan and i plan to stop around 3-4 full days :) Quite excited for that. But i found that touring around Tokyo is not that "straighforward" compared to other Asian City such as Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore, maybe because English is not widely use and the standard of living is expensive in Tokyo.

Well, i have tried to read as much thread as possible in FlyerTalk, and i manage to get some information.

However, would like to get help from you guys to comment and share somemore information that i need.

1. Transportation frm Narita airport to Tokyo

I read that the NEX/Suica deal is a good choice. But i will carry with me a big luggage > 20kg and a normal hand carry luggage. I heard that the train station is packed with people, just worry that it's a bit hard to walk around with big luggage.
Is there any place in airport that i can keep my big luggage? I will come and collect it back when i continue my flight to SIN. I'm worry about the cost if they do have this kind of service. Otherwise, can you guys recommend me a better alternative?

2.Accomodation

As a first timer in Tokyo, which area do you guys recommend me to stay so that it's easiar for me to navigate around? Most important is i can easily find the way to the hotel from Narita Airport and some short trip around the city. I can only find http://www.japanhotel.net/ from this forum. Any other good website to search for Japan hotel with good price? It would be great if you guys can recommend me some good hotel. My budget would be around 6000-9000 YEN.

thanks so much. hope you guys can help as it's really not easy to plan a stop over in Tokyo compared to other city.

As mentioned on Narita Airport website, there's definitely left luggage service

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guid...st/svc_06.html

They say it cost 500 yen per day for standard luggage, so it does cost you something but nothing to break your bank.

For the Narita to Hotel transport, it largely depends if your hotel is within the range of NEX which does not require further transit. Changing to normal train in rush hour with luggage is quite painful for me.
Personally I like Ikebukuro or Ueno for staying, which has easy JR and Metro access, and also it's cheaper. For night life you want to stay at Roppongi or Shinjuku (in certain extend Shibuya) and Shinagawa / Shiodome for more lay back. For your budget I will suggest you to check out business hotels like Hotel Villa Fountaine, Toyoko-inn, or Super hotel. The b Ikebukuro or their sister hotels also have some nice review which should also within your budget range.

BTW I will also in Tokyo in late June :D enjoy your tokyo stay!

Luggage storage at the airport is available at the airport:
http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guid...svc_06.html#t2

If you're capable of carrying your suitcase and you're on a tight budget, I'd suggest hauling it to your hotel; you'll save a couple of thousand yen over the course of your visit. The trip doesn't need to be terribly arduous. There are escalators to the platforms at Narita and at the stations where you arrive in Tokyo. If you stay near one of those stations, you might find it manageable.

For a hotel that's in your price range and quite convenient to the airport, I'll make my usual plug for Hotel Lungwood in Nippori. Yay, Lungwood!

You can take the Keisei line to Nippori station. The Keisei Skyliner costs 1,980 yen, but there are also somewhat slower limited express trains that take a little longer (71 minutes to Nippori) and cost 1,000 yen.

Hi Chris, thanks so much! 500 YEN seems reasonable :) i will use the service then. Will only carry the smaller one. I really appreciate your hotel recommendation. Based on what you shared i think i will stay in the Ikebujuro/Ueno area. Is it far from Roppongi? as for sure will go out for some drink at night, moreover it is world cup season :) Since you will be there, maybe we can meet up for some beer :)

Btw, i just checked the hotel recommended, it's quite expensive ard 16000 yen region. too bad my budget is around 9000 yen. which hotel that you are going to stay for your coming trip? thx

Hi jib71, yeah Chris just mentioned to me on the baggage storage earliar. My bad for missing that info. Thanks for your hotel recommendation too. I will check that out.

Btw since i will be there for 3 days, can u recommend me some must visit place for first time tourist? so that at least i can tell my friends i have been to tokyo. LOL. btw i checked through the forum, mostly mentioned about different so called "town" and not places of interest. thanks.

I will be staying in my fully equipped Tokyo office, with bath and kitchen :p of course with bed

Toyoko-inn definitely has room in the 7000yen range, their single room in Tokyo is around 7000 yen per night

The closest one to Roppongi is http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00103/index.html
The two in Ikebukuro are http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00096/index.html
and http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00007/index.html

For the b ikebukuro I saw Standard Single (Non smoking) @ 25,800 for 25/6 check in, 28/6 checkout

Hotel Villa Fountaine give me a long list of selection, their Roppongi properties is of course expensive but their Nihonbashi one is nicely priced.

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Well I won't try to go beyond the central tokyo 23 wards

some of the popular area

shinjuku
shibuya
roppongi
akihabara
harajuku
asakusa
ginza
daiba

these are merely scratching the surface of Tokyo and you definitely cannot finish them in 3 days. So please save your time from going anywhere beyond and save those for next time.

I recommend that you purchase a Tokyo guidebook. Browse through it to find things that interest you, circle them on the map and then plan to see a handful of things in one area each day.

another option instead of narita express is the airport limousine bus which can get you right to your hotel depending on where you are staying. they will assist with luggage and then you don't have to bother storing it. http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/ and they also don't require a potential transfer on the train/subway system.

As for where to stay, you should consider what are your priorities. For example, on one trip I stayed in Shinjuku and it was fun because it was madness outside with lots going on. On other trips, i've stayed in quieter parts of town but right next to a train station.

If price is the first consideration, perhaps narrow down the possibilities and then evaluate whether you want to stay in the thick of things like in Shinjuku or Shibuya or perhaps you might be happier with something calmer but easily accessible to the excitement.

You'll have an awesome regardless - tokyo is a blast. I'm heading back this fall for what is turning out to be an annual trip!

Hi Chris,

Lucky you for having a well equipped office :)

And thanks so much for the list of must visit place. Appreciate that!

allright, i actually browsing through the bookstore yesterday, i thnk the one by lonely planet looks good, will purchase it tomorrow. thx

great to know tokyo is a wonderful place. definitely looking forward to the trip now! :) yeah i read frm the other thread that the limo service is convenient but unfortunately it's pretty expensive, how much it took for u to travel frm narita AP to tokyo city last time?

i think i will skip shibuya/shinjuku area for hotel althought i like the exitement overthere, as i cant afford to spend so much on hotels. other bro here have provide me some good recommendation tho. thanks!

oh guys, this is world cup season, do i expect to catch any live macthes anywhere in tokyo? any nice place to recommend? large screen with good crowd. i think japanese loves football/soccer right.

thanks!

Also check Tokyu Stay or Weekly Mansion Tokyo. They are both business hotel chains and should be within your budget.

You can find affordable hotels in Shinjuku but they are some distance from the train station. For example, Tokyu Stay Nishi-Shinjuku is 20 to 25 minutes walk from the Shinjuku station by foot. Better take the subway.

Can't go wrong with Shinjuku. There's no shortage of things to do. There are plenty of department and electronic stores, Tokyo Metropolitan Government's free observation deck (vs paying at Tokyo Tower, Sunshine 60 or Yokohama's Landmark Tower), Meiji Temple, etc. Shinjuku is also a major transportation hub such that you can get to anywhere with minimum transfers.

I'm a fan of the Tokyu Stays. They have washing machines and Internet connections in all the rooms, kitchenettes in all but the cheapest rooms, and free breakfasts in some of the properties.

If you want to stay where the action is, they have two hotels in Shibuya, one in Ikebukuro, and one each in the Ginza and Nihonbashi. For a quieter setting, but not quite as convenient to transportation (however, it's a real middle class neighborhood with inexpensive, non-tourist stores and restaurants), there's Monzen-Nakacho, which is on the Tozai Subway Line.