Advice needed on NRT, HND transportation and
 

Hi -

I have a friend who's traveling to Tokyo. Any recommendations on what area to stay? And a hotel? He's looking for something clean, centrally located to tourist attractions, and inexpensive.

Also, he arrives NRT at 8:10pm on a Saturday, and departs HND at 9:55am on a Monday. What are the best transportation options from NRT and to HND?

He assures me that he'll reward any FT advice with a detailed trip report (I believe him).

Thanks so much!

Define inexpensive? What's the budget? You can go as low as $60 a night for a closet of a room, or splurge a bit more and get a nicer room in a nicer location. If you consider ground transportation costs, time wasted, etc., it may be worth more to get a nicer room.

Also, Tokyo sightseeing depends on your friends' tastes - the city is very much separated by that, neighborhood by neighborhood. Highly suggesting compiling some ideas.

Lastly, getting to HND is not a big deal, depending on where he ends up staying.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html
http://www.wikitravel.org/en/Tokyo

How inexpensive is inexpensive?

There are tons of threads about Tokyo for the other questions.

I don't think anyone can give a helpful response to such a vague, open-ended inquiry. Arrive on Saturday, leave on Sunday? The same week, as in 1 day and 2 nights in Tokyo? Or a longer stay? What would he like to see and do? In Tokyo it matters as the "city" is actually a loose collection of smaller communities, each with its own flavor and attractions.

Please look through - or have your friend look through - the extensive threads in this forum and Japan Guide addressing your questions. Come back with some specific questions and information on your friend's needs and desires and we can probably provide some useful responses.

To start off, there are 2 dedicated airport train lines that run every half hour or so from Narita into the city. The Narita Express goes to the central city with stops at Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shinagawa and others. The Keisei line has a couple of dedicated trains from the airport to the north-central area around Nippori and Ueno. I like the Keisei Skyliner but there are others. Also, there is a wealth of airport limousine buses into the city, going to Tokyo Station and a number of up-scale hotels. The best option depends on where he is going. Haneda is even easier to reach in the morning, with buses, cabs and the monorail.

Your friend needs to read up on Tokyo and decide what he wants to see. Your question is something like asking, "My friend is arriving at LAX on Saturday night and leaving on Monday morning. Where should he stay and what should he see?"

And you'd think, "Wait a minute, downtown LA, Malibu, Santa Monica, Disneyland, Universal Studios, the Getty Museum, and you have only one day..." So you'd tell the person to read up on these attractions, look at a map and a guidebook, and figure out what his priorities were and what he could reasonably see in a day.

Now keep in mind that Tokyo is even bigger than the Los Angeles area, denser, and made up of more distinct neighborhoods.

If you're not in a backpackers' hostel, cleanliness is a given, and if you're not fussy, the business hotels, for less than $100 a night, are just fine and located all over the city.

Your friend isn't traveling an itinerary like this is he?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23363360-post711.html