sgt.pepper

[UPDATED - See Page 2]

Hi fellow travelers,
Gonna try to make this initial post short.

1. I live in Japan - Kyushu
2. GF coming to Japan
3. Want to take said GF to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and [maybe] their vicinities
4. We have about 14 days for this trip (Late December to Mid January)
5. Side story: I'm a noobie to Japan myself so I need a lot of help with planning this. A LOT.

At this point I'm just trying to establish a high-ball (most expensive case scenario) budget for this trip.

I want to split it into 3 categories:

1. Inter-city travel (Osaka to Kyoto, Kyoto to Tokyo) - what's the best budget way to do these? What does it cost?

2. Hotels. Looking for something with enough privacy for a little [fun] alone time. So budget, but not to the point of hostels or sleezy motels with thin walls. Again, any recommendations or price estimates welcome

3. Everything else... just a hi-ball general spending allowance per day

OK, so not so short. But I tried.
I'm looking forward to hearing your responses and when I figure out the moneys we can actually start planning what to do in these glorious places.

Hope everyone is doing well
-S

[UPDATED - See Page 2]

BearX220

I'm not sure what your question is.

If you are looking for cheap ways to buy this travel, I've found several sources that package shinkansen + hotel rooms at good rates:

http://www.japanican.com/index.aspx

http://www.tours4fun.com/japan-tours/

http://www.japandeluxetour.com/app/result.php?mode=p

In some cases the offer may to overseas buyers only but there are so many operators you must be able to find something.

sgt.pepper

The question is something like this: "If you were doing 14 days in Kyoto/Tokyo/Osaka and wanted to stay in a low-end but comfy hotel how much would you expect to pay?"

Obviously this is asking for a VERY rough estimate.

I wouldn't necessarily call this budget in the absolutist terms. However, not far from it. Maybe splurging a bit on food and entertainment while cutting back on transpiration and hotel (to an extent).

And again the time period is Holidays. Late December to Early January.

tangoll

To OP: you live in Kyushu and you are asking your question on this forum? Why not ask on a local Japan based website, like japantoday or some other English based forum in Japan?

Based on my Japan experience (lived and worked there 15 years, but last in Japan about 2 years ago), I would say this:

1. For travel over long distances, go Skinkansen, about Y15,000 Tokyo to Osaka, if I remember correctly.

2. For hotels, perhaps you should stick one major group, medium priced, like the Tokyu group or Keio Plaza group where the nightly rate is maybe 10,000 - 15,000 yen per night. You should also plan a stay or two at a Japanese ryokan or onsen (hot springs), and for better onsens, you're looking at 20,000 - 30,000 yen per person per night, inclusive two meals (dinner and next day breakfast).

3. For daily food, a budget of say 3,000 - 5,000 yen per person per day should be sufficient.

Or you can just go to JTB and have them arrange the whole itinerary for you.

Have a great time with your GF.

Ocn Vw 1K

As this is centered on Japan, I'll move this to our Travel->Japan forum, for further ideas and advice. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

jpatokal

You might want to look into a cheap flight to Tokyo (Starflyer etc) and then Shinkansening your way back, which would probably work out cheaper. How are your girlfriend's flights laid out -- can you arrange an open jaw so she flies into Tokyo and out from Kyushu, or vica versa?

YMMV, but I've generally found ryokan in the 10-15k yen/pp range to be more than adequate. Even fancier places often have promo rates in this range if you're traveling off-season and can book deals off their websites or Japanese booking engines.

I have a hard time imagining that this would be cheap or enjoyable, eg. they won't book you into any hotels except the few mass-market operations that certify they're gaijin-compatible.

jib71

You could have a very entertaining and enjoyable trip without going to Tokyo. Local trains around Kyushu, Sanyo and Kansai regions would be way cheaper. Some cheap places to stay around there too.

Q Shoe Guy

I think OP is feeling cooped up in Beppu....and might need a change of pace! There are some fairly decent "deals" which include hotel/air/train for 2 or 3 nights.....alas they might be pricey at that time of year! OP you should take Jibs advice, rent a car(or better yet borrow one), and toodle around Q Shoe and take a ferry to Osaka or something. Camping, doing onsen during the day...the list is endless!

Q Shoe Guy

The cheapest would be SKY to Kitakyushu airport.....sadly the flight times are dreadful if you don't have transport(you can avail the option of a free ride to Tenjin(if you take Starflyer last flight)but they drop you off in Tenjin at 2-3 AM!

jib71

I think the OP will find more pace than he can shake a stick at in Kobe/Osaka/Kyoto. No shortage of natural and cultural attractions on the way to Kansai along the Sanyo coast (I like San-in too but not at that time of year).

ksandness

Have a Japanese friend help you check out possible travel deals that are available at the time you need.

Being on a student visa, the OP is ineligible for a JR Pass, but JR typically offers a number of shuuyuuken, which provide roundtrip travel from one's home base to a specific region (Kansai would be a good bet, with Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, and dozens of less known sights) and unlimited travel on JR lines within the designated region.

Another option would be to shell out the money for a Shinkansen roundtrip to the Kansai area and then buy a Surutto Kansai debit card to facilitate transportation on Kansai's extensive network of privately owned (and cheaper) train, bus, and subway lines.

arevan

Travel budget: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2410.html

brownkc

I took a trip to Japan a few years ago with some friends and we visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. We spent about 2 weeks in Tokyo (first and last week), 4 days in Kyoto and 3 days in Osaka. First off, I would recommend skipping Osaka and sticking to Tokyo and Kyoto, maybe a week at each place.

For travel between Tokyo and Kyoto, I agree with the others and recommend the Shinkansen. I think it cost us about $130 a person each way for the fast N700. It's something you need to experience and don't forget to watch for Mt. Fuji. Everyone in the group thought it was well worth the expense.

Osaka was difficult to get around and find things to do. The Osaka Castle grounds were neat but the actual castle is a mockup with a museum inside, a bit of a letdown. Dotonbori was neat (most people compare it to city scenes in Blade Runner) and there are a lot of neat food areas but I felt it was lacking the Japanese culture I wanted to see as a tourist. It seems like it was only about 15 minutes from Kyoto so you may just want to go there for a day trip. The aquarium was neat.

Tokyo was the easiest to get around. Pick up a Pasmo (? been a while) card for getting around town. Everything in the subway is written and announced in English so you should have no problem getting around. Many restaurants will also have English menus (if you are ordering at a machine check on top for an English Language menu). I highly recommend visiting Akihabara (the electronics district), Ueno Park (Koen) and the market alley by the subway stop, the Imperial Palace and surrounding grounds, Ropongi at night (prepare for a hard sale by the street hawkers), Harajuku bridge for the cosplay on a Sunday afternoon, Shibuya for the busy intersection and fascinating stores behind the Starbucks, Senso Ji temple in Asakusa and for a view of the city skip Tokyo Tower and go to the Government Buildings in Shinjuku (free to go up to the 43rd floor in either tower and a much better view). I think they shut down access to the Tsukiji fish market but if not it is fascinating place to wander around. I know you said no hostels but we stayed at K's House Tokyo and the facilities were great. They scrubbed that place from top to bottom daily and it looks like they have a private 2 person ensuite (bathroom in the room) for 9800yen a night (about $125). It was located in the Asakusa district close to several subway stops, an easy walk to Sensoji and right off the Sumida River. This was my first hostel and I was very impressed.

To me Kyoto was the real gem of my travels. It embodied everything I wanted to see in Japan. Just to the northwest (west?) of town is Arashiyama. Go there and visit Tenryuji (by the way, ji is temple and jo is castle). There is a rock garden in the front, you can tour the building (japanese screens and tatami mats), a japanese garden with pond in the back and wander up the hill to see the bamboo forest with bamboo as thick as your arm. Be sure to take a full day in Arashiyama and wander around to several of the other temples and down to the river. There are dozens in the area. Back in Kyoto, I recommend visiting Nijojo. It's great to wander around the grounds and walk through the building and hear about the nightingale floors and hidden spaces. I also highly recommend going to see the Golden Palace. I wish I had more time in Kyoto to see more. This is also the place to check out some Izakayas (red lantern bars). Just make sure to leave if they say no gaijin. As for a place to stay, they have a K's House Hostel here too. Once again it looks like they have a 2 person ensuite but the rate of 3900-4400yen/night sounds a little low so I am guessing it is per person. It's a quick walk from the train station (maybe 10 minutes). When we were there, they were building a new facility right next door. Once again, these are super clean facilities and the common room is a great way to get info on what to do while you are there. Travel in Kyoto was a little more difficult. We ended up using a mixture of bus, subway and taxi.

I'm envious of your trip.

abmj-jr

I think this is a typo. Nijojo is in Kyoto.

mongobot

When I need budget accommodations in Japan, I usually check out the Toyoko Inn, a chain of business hotels that offer good value if lacking in charm. The rooms are small but clean, include free internet access, free breakfast, laundry machines on site, etc.
Rooms are typically under ¥8000. More info here: http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/index.html

Taking a side trip and staying at a ryokan would be a nice way to break it up