ninja138

See the following thread about why you shouldn't consider Toyoko Inn. If you are going to go the budget hotel route, I would suggest Tokyu Stay or hotelCom.

Of course, taking into account the activities you are considering during your hotel stays, I wouldn't recommend any of the budget hotels or ryokans, because invariably the walls are very thin. You should consider doing "stays" in more upscale love hotels along the way.

mosburger

While I tend to skip Tokyo altogether whenever possible, there are still a few rather nice late night kaiten sushi places and coffeeshops in Kabukicho.

Now, on a more serious note, Kansai is an organic entity. Osaka and Kyoto are only 30 minutes apart even on the local trains, and Osaka and Kobe even closer.. There is no point in "skipping" one of the Kansai big three as they really complement each other in various ways.

mapleg

If you are travelling around end of Dec, then you have to consider the difficulties of travel and accommodations around the NY period. That makes some travel plans a little difficult.

I believe the OP is a student in Beppu.

How about a plan where you take the ferry from Beppu to Matsuyama. Spend some time in Shikoku, and then go to Okayama. From there head slowly back to Beppu. You could visit en route Kurashiki, Hiroshima/Miyajima, Yuda Onsen and a few others. Of course you could just travel around Kyushu as well, Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Matsumoto, Mount Aso, Nagasaki and Fukuoka all come to mind. Fukuoka is a big enough city..no reason to travel all the way to Tokyo.

Consider bus as well as rail, and if you are not time constrained, consider a Seishun 18 type ticket.

sgt.pepper

Thank you so much for all the replies. Here's a quick update:

Osaka Base + Nara/Kobe
12/28 - 12/29 (2 nights)

Kyoto (4 nights)
12/30 - 1/2

Osaka Base + Nara/Kobe
1/3 - 1/4 (2 nights)

Tokyo
1/5 - 1/9 (5 nights)

For the majority of the nights I'm going to book in Toyoko, unless someone has better suggestions in Toyoko's price range.

I would like to spend one night in a Japanese style inn (Ryokan). This could be in either Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, or Tokyo. Any suggestions as to where would be the best place to do this? I'd like a decent place for a decent price... can't be more than 15,000 per person. Any specific or general suggestions welcome.

We will most likely take an overnight bus from Osaka to Tokyo. As someone noted, there isn't anything "romantic" about it... but it saves a lot of money on transportation. One less hotel night to pay for as well. We are college students so comfort is usually not the most important variable. Any suggestions of a dependable bus line?
How is this one? http://www.kakuyasubus.jp/kanto_kans...eam/index.html

As for transport within Kansai, probably JR right? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the help! ^

ksandness

Unless you can get a Kansai excursion fare, private railways in the Kansai area are cheaper and more extensive than the JR lines.

Ask a Japanese classmate to investigate excursion fares for you. There are sometimes special deals for students.

ninja138

I wouldn't do Toyoko Inn. It's been previously discussed in another thread as to some of the reasons why. I would look at Tokyu or hotelcom chains. During September, Osaka Bay Tower Hotel had rooms and breakfast for about 4000 yen a night with 28 day AP. This was on Rakuten Travel; other deals can be found there.

Your best bets for a ryokan would be in Kyoto and Tokyo. The ryokans in Kyoto come closest to what Western people think of ryokans, but also have high prices to match. That said, if you really hunt or are willing to compromise on location, you can find a decent ryokan within budget. There are a plethora of budget ryokans in the Taito ward in Tokyo.

There are a handful of options for Osaka-Tokyo overnight buses. The problem is, where do you intend to leave from? Umeda? Namba? Tennoji? I and people I know have used Kintetsu and JR buses, but that's because they picked close to where we live (southern Osaka). There is also the question of what you would like on your bus; 3-seat rows instead of 4-seat rows for more seat width, internet access, etc. This would narrow down your choices from some 60 buses down to maybe 3-4. The link you put didn't work, but I recognize the address as the one for the combined JR buses. They are easy to reserve because you can go to any JR station in person. Another option may be Willer Express, since they have English reservations online.

Best way to travel within Kansai depends on where you want to go. That being said, the private railways are a lot more extensive then JR and interconnect better too. Most likely, the best option for you is to get the 2-day Surutto Kansai Thru Pass for your first two days, the 2-day Kyoto Sightseeing Pass twice for the next 4 days, and then the 2-day Surutto Kansai Thru Pass for the last 2 days. You can buy City Bus All-Day Passes instead of the Kyoto Sightseeing Passes if all the sights for the day are better accessed by bus (such as Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, Gion, Kiyomizu-dera, etc.).

Be warned that you need to check openings from the 1st to 4th, as many stores, restaurants, and attractions will most likely be closed. All shrines and temples will be open though and everyone will be in their hatsumode finest. Try to learn the significance and customs behind New Year's in Japan; it will help you decide if you would like to pass midnight at a temple, a shrine, or if you want to, at a club (would be a shame to waste the opportunity though). My recommendations for a temple would be Chion-in, which has the largest bell in Japan (found out how many times it's struck and why). It's quite impressive to watch the team of 20 monks ring the bell. For a shrine, I would go to Heian Shrine. It's less crowded and great for people-watching.