WorldLux

[QUOTE=henkybaby;27764931][*]Best day trips ex TYO[/LIST]

• Nikko
• Hakone (Mt. Fuji + Onsen)
• Kamakura

[QUOTE=henkybaby;27764931][*]Best way to get to/from HND/NRT (DOH-HND arrives late)[/LIST]
Check Google Maps. They have quite reliable public transportation information in Japan. With a prepaid sim, you'll never be lost.

Regarding HND arrival, if the QR flight isn't late and you don't lose too much time with immigration and baggage claim, it's possible to make the train to Tokyo.

IIRC the Keikyu Airport line is the way to go. Some services run along the Asakusa line.

I'm currently planing to fly out of HND the other morning, so public transport is not an issue for me right now.

By train: Osaka & Kyoto
By aircraft: Pretty much anywhere in Japan

Not really. I bought a Shinkansen ticket 14 days ahead of travel, as the JR office was just next doors and I would see any JR office (with English speakers) for 13 days or so and I wanted to make sure to be on a very precise Nozomi service back to Tokyo.

On the main Shinkansen lines, there are so many frequencies that you can just walk up and buy a ticket (unless of course, you travel during extremely busy periods).

I bought the public transportation tickets at the ticket machines. I've had the combo ticket for Toei and Tokyo metro a couple of times. The hotel sold them slightly discounted and I've traveled so much on the two networks, that it was overall cheaper than individual tickets.

henkybaby

Thanks WorldLux. I was merely offering some examples of things to discuss though. Did not make that really clear.

I was looking for (2/3) day trips and already found some excellent suggestions in the post by justatourist.

I can never figure out where to stay in TYO. It is a huge city so nothing is near everything. I decided upon a more quiet area this time. Would still like some more suggestions as to what areas are good / interesting. I prefer the 'downtown feel', even if it is not really downtown.

WorldLux

Yes compared to the full-fare ones. A 300€ oneway on JAL is 4,500 Avios + ~7 or 8 € in taxes, which makes the avios rather good value (BAEC members get 20k for the 620€ QR-roundtrip to TYO). They aren't such a good deal if there are cheap fares.

xhemp

Sorry for this being a bit off topic but is it worth to credit on QR (for me it would be 4x) instead of in BAEC (where I will not need the TP)?

WorldLux

I only get 2x with QRPC and I can put 20k Avios to better use, than 40k Qmiles.

mrploddy

Oooo Henkybaby come over to the Japan forum eh? BA forum not big enough for you ?

In any case if people want to get around Japan the 2 main options are either

a) flying
b) train.

for the train there is the Japan rail pass for which there are countless threads on this forum.

If you want to fly as other people have said JAL does not load cheap fares in to GDS's but you can either

a) Book reward tickets - 4,500 miles on BA
b) Book the Yokoso Japan fares here for 10,000 yen -> https://www.jal.co.jp/yokosojapan/

Another option is the 2 big LCC carriers -

Peach - www.flypeach.com
Jetstar - www.jetstar.com

They offer routes that JAL might not like KIX to MYJ that yours truly is often on.

They do nickel and dime on stuff but they are super on time.

BlackBerryAddict

Great thread, thanks Henky
I'm booked on the Sake fare with Mrs BBA in July, but am also going this Wednesday for work.

tropikey

Hi everyone,

I'll arrive to HND at 10.40 pm and my next flight (to NGO) will be at around 8.00 am. I wonder now, if there's anything instead of staying at hotel close to HND, what I could do in a meantime? OW lounges are closed at night. The earliest I could go to one of them is, as far as I remember, at 4.30 am. I'll be there in May, on the last Saturday night of this month. Any ideas?

jib71

1. Take the Keikyu line to Shinagawa. Have a late dinner + beer. Stay at Shinagawa. Take the train instead of the flight to NGO.
2. Take the Monorail to Hamamatsucho and cab or subway to Roppongi. Party all night in Roppongi. Cab to Haneda in the wee hours. Make sure you don't oversleep in the lounge.

tropikey

Thank you very much for advice regarding night activities.

As regards trip to NGO, flight on JL is already included in my QR booking, so I have no choice.

Speaking of Nagoya, could you please advice me in this area too? I'll arrive to NGO on the 28th of May at 9 am and my return flight is on the 30th of May at 2.50 pm. Does it make sense to go to Kyoto for such short time or is it better to stay in Nagoya or somewhere close to this city? Are there any interesting places, which are easy to get to from Nagoya for daytrips?

jib71

In the area close to Nagoya you have Meiji Mura, Inuyama Castle, Toyota factory tours ... But my recommendation would be to do an overnight trip to Kyoto, a historic city and "cultural capital".

plunet

I did a trip to Japan back in 2015 around Easter (that was a KL/AF deal in J for about £1000 return) and had a really great time there. It was cherry blossom at the time, and apart from it being really beautiful and stunning, it was equally magically to see the locals go out and promenade and picnic under the cherry blossom.

If it helps others, I'll summarise what we did for that two week trip - it might help others with some ideas. I realise that many of the QR visitors may not be planning to stay as long.

Note: for the Japan Rail pass you have to purchase it outside of Japan. You can't buy it when you're there. CORRECTION - you can buy in Japan from 8th March 2017 - see posting below.

Arrive into NRT.
Day 1 - Tokyo.
Head to hotel in Shinjuku (3 nights).
Walk round local park, but quiet day (jetlag)

Day 2 - Toyko.
Walked over to Tokyo Metropolitan Govern Buildingment for view over city (free)
Meiji Shrine
Naka-Meguro (cherry blossum lined area)
Shinjuku in the evening

Day 3 - Tokyo.
Fish Markets, queue up for fresh Sahimi in resturant
Walked around the edge of the lake in Kudanshita (Cherry Blossom)

Day 4 - Nikko (JR Pass day 1)
Train Tokyo to Nikko
Visit Nikko shrines for the day
Train back to Toyko, hotel next to Toyko main station.

Day 5 - Takayama
Shinkansen Train Tokyo Nagoya and then express train to Takayama
The journey on the train up through the mountains to Takayama is a lovely journey
Afternoon exploring Takayama in the "Japan Alps"
Evening meal of Hida beef

Day 6 - Kanazawa
Early train to HidaFurukawa, couple of hours in this village, breakfast
Take next train to Toyama, and change there for Shinkansen to Kanazawa
Afternoon exploring Kanazawa castle and adjacent Castle Park

Day 7 - Kinosaki
Train to Kyoto and change train onwards to Kinosaki
This for us was a real highlight, an onsen town.
Check into your accomodation and get a day voucher, a kimono and clogs, and hobble round the town visiting the seven onsens. Also had cherry blossom.

Day 8 - Hijemi
Early train to Hijemi
Visit Castle and adjacent Hijemi Park
Take Shinkansen train through to Hiroshima in evening

Day 9 - Miyajima
Take local train and ferry to Miyajima, and visit this mystical island
Head back to Hiroshima for evening

Day 10 - Hiroshima and Kobe (end of JR Pass)
Hiroshima Peace Park for a couple of hours
Head back to station, Shinkansentrain to Kobe
Visit Kitanotenman Shrine in Kobe
Shinkansen Train to Kyoto

Day 11 - Kyoto
Local markets
Nijo Castle
Daitokuji temple complex and Zen garden

Day 12 - Kyoto
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Lunch with a friend
Arashiyama (bamboo forest)
Local markets in evening

Day 13 - Osaka
Nipponbashi, local markets
Dotonbori, shopping

Day 14 - Osaka
Leave from KIX

Our current thoughs for our trip in September / October are to fly up to Sapporo (Avios Redemption) and catch the early autumn colours up there. Probably a self drive around Hokkaido.

jib71

It will become possible to purchase a Japan Rail at designated railway stations from 8/Mar/2017
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/purchase.html
http://www.japanrailpass.net/file/trial_basis_en.pdf

plunet

Great, thanks for correcting me on that recent development.

phoneticduck

There is of course the JAL Oneworld "visit japan" fare which offers significantly cheaper fares and are bookable right now thru November 2017 & I think into December. Basically it's 10,800 yen per sector fixed price.

Providing you have a oneworld alliance international ticket to/from Japan, JAL will allow you to book these fares now.

I looked at Hiroshima (randomly) and was offered £142 per person return in economy.

Much as I want to ride on the Shinkansen, for a short visit to Japan it still takes too long for longer trips vs flying (Hiroshima admittedly it is about the same allowing for airport time etc.) but for my trip I liked the fact I'd fly back to HND and avoid going back into Tokyo and the associated faffing around....for less than the cost of a JR Pass.....not sure where I'll go but Nagasaki or Okinawa are part of my research at present.