Trip to Tokyo
 

Hi, I'm going to Tokyo for 5 days (Monday-Friday) and got some questions. Also hoping for some good suggestions.

I will be arriving at Narita 8.30pm at Monday evening and leaving on Friday morning 10.55am. So therefore I would prefer a hotel that's easily accessible from the airport. My hope is to just jump on a train at Narita airport and then only have a short walk (5-10 min) to the hotel. Therefore I was thinking about finding a hotel in Taito, close to the Ueno train station. Then I can just take the Keisei Main Line to Ueno and I will be close to the hotel, which will be nice since I'm arriving late and leaving early. Any suggestions to hotel or other regions which could offer the same easy access to the airport? I want to stay on a cheap hotel and I'm also considering capsule hotels.

So on Monday I probably will just arrive at the hotel, and grab something to eat close by. And on Friday I will only grap a breakfast, then I'll take the train back to Narita. So then I got 3 full days exploring Tokyo on. I will probably get around with subway and I don't mind walking short distances (under 5 kilometers). So far I found some things I want to do:
-Chiyoda, check out the Imperial Palace and watch some of the life in Akihabara
- Asakusa, see some temples and classic japanse culture
- Shinjuku, see the view over Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
- Shibuya, watch the life of all the people

So what else should I see/do? I'm interested in a lot. I probably want most to see the old japanse culture (temples, samurais etc.), but I also enjoy modern architecture. And I want to see some of the neon jungle, that I imagine when I think of Tokyo and Japan. I also would like to see some of the anime/manga centers. And also, how long time should I expect to use on what I've planned?

I've thought about going to mount Fuji for a day trip, but maybe that will be a bit tight. Any views? And maybe some other day trips to places around that's nice? I'm on a tight budget, so the cheaper the better :p

Any help will be appreciated!

I don't recommend a capsule hotel. The facilities are geared towards people who stayed out drinking and missed the last train home - not ideal for someone with luggage and several nights to stay. If you're looking for the absolute cheapest stays, I suggest searching this forum and the budget travel forum for backpacker hostels.
For reasonable hotels in the Ueno area, this thread has some good info. :
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...pori-area.html

Forget capsule hotels. There are plenty of inexpensive hotels in the Ueno/Nippori area. Instead on the Keisei Main line, you might want to consider the Keisei Skyliner-Metro combo deal which gives you 2 days of subways passes along with the Skyliner from NRT to Ueno. You can use the Main Line for the return to NRT.

In addition to the suggestions in the post above, check out hotels at Japan Hotel Network or Rakuten Travel for cheap satys near Ueno.

I am inferring the OP is a budget minded traveler from talks of taking Keisei main line (limited express) and lodging in Ueno.

If the b rooms for 1000 yen per night offer is still available, you can consider the Ochanomizu location. It's within walking distance to Akihabara, a direct express train ride away from Tokyo and Shinjuku stations. Getting there is not too bad. Take Keisei main line (not the Narita Access line) to Keisei-Yawata and transfer to the Shinjuku line and alight at Ogawamachi.

Asakusabashi area business hotels are good too. I have stayed at the MyStays Inn property myself. Take Keisei Access or Main line to Oshiage/Aoto/Takasago and cross-platform transfer to Asakusa line to Asakusabashi.

Some things to do:
Visit Tokyo Metro Government Building's free observation deck. It's in front of the Tochomae station on Oedo line, or a hike from Shinjuku station.
Eat at Ramen Jiro. Ask for yasai mashimashi ninniku.
For people watching, I think Harajuku Takesita doori on a Sunday is better, but you won't be there on a Sunday.

The 1,000 yen rooms sold out. Of course, the b is still an option at normal prices.

First, I would take the bus. Arriving at 8:30pm, you'll be through immigration/customs by 9:00 latest and have to wait for the 9:45pm train. The bus will be faster and you can take it directly to a hotel. Ditto for the return to NRT. If you are on a tight budget however, Keisei may be better.

Keisei Narita Sky Access - 9.13pm departure from NRT T1 - gets to Keisei Ueno in an hour.
(1,200 or 1,300 yen?)

Keisei Narita Mainline Ltd. Express - 9.25pm departure from NRT T1 - gets to Keisei Ueno in 80 mins
(1.000 yen)

Sounds like the way to go. BTW - Do you know when the faster Keisei train is going to start running?

Faster than the new Skyliner? I didn't know there was anything planned. Perhaps Railroad Tycoon will drop by and tell us.

The hotel bus is a good option only if you're staying at one of the hotels on the route (which tend to be the more upscale ones) or at a budget lodging within walking distance of one of the hotels.

Take the train, either the Keisei Skyliner if your hotel is in the northern part of the city or the Narita Express if it's in the southern part of the city. The Keisei Skyliner lets you off at Keisei Ueno, which is close to JR Ueno, which has good surface train and subway connections to the rest of the city. The Narita Express lets you off at Tokyo Station, which is also a major transportation hub.

You can easily find a "business hotel" for between $80- $100 per night, which is cheaper than you can stay safely in a lot of major cities. You'll get a small, plain but adequate room with a private bath and maybe even a breakfast buffet.

If that's too high for your budget and you're willing to risk having to sleep in a bunkbed in a dorm, consider a backpackers' hostel or the Hosteling International facility near Iidabashi Station.

But please, not a capsule hotel, which is likely to be full of drunks who missed the last train home.

If you don't already have a city guidebook, buy one. If you don't already have a map of the city, buy one.

Once you've reserved your hotel, find it on the map. Print out both the Japanese and English versions of your hotel's web page, the ones with the map (most hotels have maps on the page marked "Access") so that you can ask for directions if you get lost. (You will get lost. Japanese people get lost in Tokyo. But that's OK. Just ask where the nearest station "eki" is, and find your way from there.)

For "old Tokyo," visit the Yanaka neighborhood, the Edo Tokyo Museum, and Sengakuji, which is dedicated to the 47 Ronin. The Shitamachi Museum near Ueno Park shows life in that part of Tokyo before World War II's fire bombs leveled it. The National Museum in Ueno Park is kind of dingy, but it gives you a good survey of pre-modern Japanese art beginning with the earliest archeological findings.

I recommend the view from the 45th floor of the Metropolitan Government Building (subway stop: Tocho-mae on the Oedo Line), and not only because it's free.

Cheap eats are to be found in the little mom-and-pop restaurants and on the restaurant floors of department stores.

A single at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel can be had for 6,500 yen a night. Just a stone's throw from Shinagawa Station, which is quite convenient for getting pretty much anywhere in the Tokyo/Yokohama area (though you'd probably want to take the JR lines to/from Narita instead of Keisei if you do that...)

When are u arriving in Tokyo?

If it is around this time or in April, you might be able to catch the Cherry Blossoms.
Ueno Park is supposed to have some nice views of the flowering trees.

There is a thread here about the Cherry Blossom season.

Ikebukuro.
Sunshine 60 - and the observation deck.
Akihabara.
Tokyo Sky Tree.
Tokyo Tower.
Roppongi Hills.
Tokyo Midtown.
Yurakuchou/Ginza.
L Tower Shinjuku Nikon Salon.
Bic Camera/Labi for electronics.
Visit a Gran Cyber Cafe and spend an hour there - or the night.

Thanks for all the answers so far! :)

I'm not sure which terminal I'm arriving at since I can't find it anywhere on the ticket. But I'm flying with China Eastern Airlines from Beijing, so maybe you know?

I think the Keisei Main Line or the Sky Access Line sounds like the best options for me going from the airport to the city. It's cheap and I don't mind using 80 min instead of 50 min. From wikitravel it sounds like I should use the Sky access Line on the evening (When I arrive at Monday) and the Keisei Main Line in the morning (When I leave at Friday). Is that right? And when should I take the train at Friday morning to be sure to reach the plane? It's leaving at 10:55 am and I'm probably only going to have a carry on. And btw. do they speak good English at the airport in Tokyo and in Beijing?

As for the hotel, I'll drop the thought about capsule hotel. It would be a cool experience for a night, but obviously not a place you stay for several days. I want a single room as cheap as possible close to the ueno station. From there it seems easy to get to the airport and to get around the city with subway! I was thinking for example something like Chisun Hotel Ueno or Ueno Terminal Hotel for around 20,000 yen from Monday-Friday. I'm not picky about the standard.

I'm arriving in early June. I'll check up your suggestions so far.

I think it may be Terminal 2. But don't take my word for it. Verify that your flight is on China Eastern Airlines metal (i.e. it's not a code share that uses some other airline's equipment) and check the terminal for the airline that's actually operating the flight on the NRT website:
http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/

Trains to Tokyo start at T1 and then call at T2 before making their way to the city. So you can add a few minutes to the departure times I posted above to get the T2 times.

Not so much, but everyone who needs to communicate will manage.

Some Chisun hotels are quite highly rated by budget travelers. (Others are a little old and tired). Whichever hotel you choose in that price range will give you a tiny room, but as long as you're not planning to spend all your time in the room, that's not such a bad thing. Check the star ratings on Jalan and see the comments on Tripadvisor to make your final choice.