Dates set, flights found, hostles sorted now just a little more advice plea
Dates set, flights found, hostles sorted now just a little more advice plea
Hey everyone,
Well the Japan trip is all set for february, going to Osaka then Kyoto and finally onto Tokyo. Will be flying in and out from Narita airport. Will be getting a JR rail pass for the travelling around as well. Was just wondering if anyone has gone from Narita airport straight to Osaka and if so how easy is it and how long does it take? Our flight in to Narita arrives at 09:50 so got the full day to get there.
Also if anyone knows of any unmissable places in Osaka and Kyoto that would be fantastic.
Cheers all,
X
you can get the narita express into tokyo, then a shinkansen straight to osaka, (both on the JR pass). the express into tokyo takes about an hour, and the shinkansen to osaka shouldn’t take nore than 3 hours. don’t get on a ‘Nozomi’ shinkansen though, they’re not covered by the JR pass. when you go to the ticket counter to book your seat, show your JR pass and state the destination, and the operator will almost always book you onto the fastest variety of shinkansen to the destination anyway :) have an amazing time. there’s loads to do, particularly in Kyoto. Hire a bike, and ask the staff at the hostel to give you tips, they’re all SUPER keyed up on things going on at any given time, and ive good advice on cheap ways to do it. Fushimi Inari is my favourite place in Kyoto, really pretty (Goolge it!)
Agree with Cleo, it’s pretty easy to get from Narita to Ōsaka if you don’t want to spend any time in Tōykō before moving on. The Keisei train will get you into Tōykō cheaper than the Narita Express, but the Express will take you straight to Tōykō Station (rather than Ueno), which means that you can step right onto the Shinkansen without having to use the subway.
Hikari and Kodama trains take about 3 and 4 hours respectively to go from Tōykō to Ōsaka, but keep in mind that you will be dropped off at Shin-Ōsaka station rather than Ōsaka central.
Is your flight non-changeable? Sounds like it’d be a lot easier to fly into Kansai and fly out of Narita.
If you have a JR pass, the Narita express is included, so it won’t cost anything at all, which is why i suggested it. plus, like you said, it drops you at the same station in Tokyo the Shinkansen leaves from, so it just makes it a lot easier than trekking across Tokyo by subway when you 1st arrive. I agree though, it may be easier to see if you can change your flights. If not, its not a big struggle, don’t panic! just means a longer journey that’s all.
Hey Cheers for the info, the flights havent been booked yet. We looked into the other flight option and it seems to cost a lot more and take a lot longer to get there. The flights we are looking at booking at the moment are direct flights to Narita taking 12hours and costing £640 return. We are also thinking of Mt Fuji and Hiroshima are they worth the visit?
I visited Hiroshima and Fuji, and loved both. Of course it was for very different reasons. I think its worth a visit to Hiroshima, because the Memorial Park and Museum are really important landmarks in understanding the devastating power of the bombs, and to truly appreciate the resilience of the Japanese mindset to overcome the effects. It really is a moving experience.
Fuji is a really nice place to take some time out of the hustle and bustle of city Japan, and slow down the pace a bit. The landscape is breathtaking. Its a pretty sharp contrast to Tokyo!!! If you’re going to be there July/August time, the climb, (or part of it) up Fuji-san is really worth it.
Finally, I’d personally recommend a chain of hostels across Japan calles K’s House. The staff are amazingly friendly, knowledgeable, helpful people, who really do go out of their way to make your trip to Japan whatever you want it to be. There’s always a good mix of travellers staying in their hostels, so you’ll meet some really cool people from around the globe along the way! Particularly the K’s House in Tokyo. By far the best accommodation I’ve ever stayed in!!
Hey Cheers for the info, the flights havent been booked yet. We looked into the other flight option and it seems to cost a lot more and take a lot longer to get there. The flights we are looking at booking at the moment are direct flights to Narita taking 12hours and costing £640 return. We are also thinking of Mt Fuji and Hiroshima are they worth the visit?
Yes, but (like so many travel choices) it depends on how much time you have. If you only have a week, it might be too much of a stretch if you want to to the major cities you’ve already mentioned as well. I’d allow two days for Hiroshima and at least a day (including a sunrise and sunset) for Fuji (more if you want to do any hiking or exploring).
There’s a lot to do in Hiroshima city, and the A-bomb stuff is definitely worth seeing. The reason you should allow an extra day is so that you can go to Itsukushima Shrine (your JR Pass will cover the ferry ride). If time is tight, only you can decide whether it’s worth cutting two days off another city.
Fuji covers an absolutely enormous area, and I’d recommend Kawaguchiko as a good spot to visit - there are reasonably frequent services to and from Tōykō (including direct buses in the high season), and there’s good tourist infrastructure.
