Japan Accomodation

[yellowsnow]

Capsule hotels are usually separated by gender. So you can't snuggle in one capsule together. Also be sure to bring ear plugs

[g-m]

Google maps has all the train info and everything, it's all you need. And just get the day passes instead of the Suica preloaded card, I found its cheaper if you move around a reasonable bit. K's house was really good. But for 3 people a hotel is about the same and way more comfortable

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks guys. There will just be two of us, so probably going to look at hostels or cheaper hotels. My GF's coworkers apparently had really good luck with Airbnb in Japan so she wants to try it, but I am more cautious and would prefer to use a more standard accommodation.

Flights look to be about $870 in November which seems good. Everyone also seems to use the new 787 dreamliner for that flight. I have read the 3-3-3 configuration sucks, and the 8-seat configuration is far better but rare. Hopefully it's not too uncomfortable regardless. The engine issues scare me a little bit on those planes as well haha - hopefully all the repairs have been carried out by November.

What is a pocket WiFi and why is it better than a SIM card with normal data? I don't mind spending $30-40 or whatever to be able to user my phone as normal. I might even be able to get my work to pay for a plan and use my existing SIM.

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Thanks guys. There will just be two of us, so probably going to look at hostels or cheaper hotels. My GF's coworkers apparently had really good luck with Airbnb in Japan so she wants to try it, but I am more cautious and would prefer to use a more standard accommodation.

Flights look to be about $870 in November which seems good. Everyone also seems to use the new 787 dreamliner for that flight. I have read the 3-3-3 configuration sucks, and the 8-seat configuration is far better but rare. Hopefully it's not too uncomfortable regardless. The engine issues scare me a little bit on those planes as well haha - hopefully all the repairs have been carried out by November.

What is a pocket WiFi and why is it better than a SIM card with normal data? I don't mind spending $30-40 or whatever to be able to user my phone as normal. I might even be able to get my work to pay for a plan and use my existing SIM.

see if you can get in on this deal for $596 taxes included with 1 stop over
http://www.yycdeals.com/calgary-to-t...ncluding-taxes

i booked mine a while back for $750 taxes included direct non-stop from Calgary

i just liked pocket wifi so i can use apps, google, and all the data i need. its really up to you just another option.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks, the deal doesn't seem to be active anymore, but it is still a bit cheaper at $852. I did check when that deal came out, and for $596 the trip time was 23 hours or something huge like that, so I would probably have rather paid a bit more to spend half time traveling.

Is Air Canada the only ones doing direct from Calgary? That would be ideal if it isn't much different in cost. One connection through Vancouver really isn't too bad either though.

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Thanks, the deal doesn't seem to be active anymore, but it is still a bit cheaper at $852. I did check when that deal came out, and for $596 the trip time was 23 hours or something huge like that, so I would probably have rather paid a bit more to spend half time traveling.

Is Air Canada the only ones doing direct from Calgary? That would be ideal if it isn't much different in cost. One connection through Vancouver really isn't too bad either though.

ahh i see didn't really look into the full details for 23hrs screw that. Personally i really like direct less hassle.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by saiyajin


ahh i see didn't really look into the full details for 23hrs screw that. Personally i really like direct less hassle.

Totally - if we can go direct for similar cost we will for sure. I would do one stop in YVR to save a few hundred though, we'll see how close it is.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Is the Grutt pass worth it? Seems cheap for all the free admissions/discounts.

Also does anyone know what an upgrade to premium economy costs? I can't seem to find that information. I figure if it's ~$100 per way per person or so that would be worth it. On flight hub it looks like it was only going to charge me $20 to book a seat in premium economy on an AC flight, but I have trouble believing its that cheap.

[JDMMAN]

Mitsu3000gt - if the Premium economy is $100/way more, go for it. A little more incline in the seats. I can tell you that the A320 WB and other AB planes are much more comfortable than the Boeing. The one things that sucks is AC has the monopoly for direct flights to Japan from Calgary. I'm not sure if they properly upkeep their planes, but for both ways in premium economy the seats didn't recline properly, the power outlet for the assigned seat wasn't working. Let the flight attendants know, but did not do anything. This was on the 787-8.

Unless you're doing lots of the longer distance travel on the train from city to city, the ordinary JR pass will be fine. The Green cars are definitely a better way to travel longer distances. But if you're traveling off-peak times, then the ordinary cars are probably fine as well.

If you get a Suica card, make sure to try and "zero out" any remaining balance before going to refund for deposit. Otherwise there's a fee that is charged to receive your remaining balance on it.

Pocket WiFi definitely better than data sim, you can have multiple devices connected. Most places in the city will have 4G LTE connectivity, in other places out in the rural areas you'll likely get 3G if there's a connection at all. Do yourself a favor and get a small portable battery pack though, these things suck lots of juice.

Also, I'd recommend "splurging" one night at an onsen with traditional kaiseki dinner. you will not regret it!

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by JDMMAN
Mitsu3000gt - if the Premium economy is $100/way more, go for it. A little more incline in the seats. I can tell you that the A320 WB and other AB planes are much more comfortable than the Boeing. The one things that sucks is AC has the monopoly for direct flights to Japan from Calgary. I'm not sure if they properly upkeep their planes, but for both ways in premium economy the seats didn't recline properly, the power outlet for the assigned seat wasn't working. Let the flight attendants know, but did not do anything. This was on the 787-8.

Unless you're doing lots of the longer distance travel on the train from city to city, the ordinary JR pass will be fine. The Green cars are definitely a better way to travel longer distances. But if you're traveling off-peak times, then the ordinary cars are probably fine as well.

If you get a Suica card, make sure to try and "zero out" any remaining balance before going to refund for deposit. Otherwise there's a fee that is charged to receive your remaining balance on it.

Pocket WiFi definitely better than data sim, you can have multiple devices connected. Most places in the city will have 4G LTE connectivity, in other places out in the rural areas you'll likely get 3G if there's a connection at all. Do yourself a favor and get a small portable battery pack though, these things suck lots of juice.

Also, I'd recommend "splurging" one night at an onsen with traditional kaiseki dinner. you will not regret it!

Thanks that is really helpful.

Yeah I'm a little worried about the flight - at first I was all excited to fly on a 787-9 but not anymore. It's hard enough for me to get comfortable even on big planes. The only way to get a 777 or similar is to fly horrible flights/connections with US carriers so that isn't going to happen.

I suspect all the premium economy is sold out, since there is only 21 seats per plane, but fingers crossed.

I was looking more into the Pocket WiFi as well and I totally agree that it seems to be the way to go instead of my original plan for a SIM card. Is $115 for 2 weeks a good price? I saw you could rent them right from the JR rail website. I've got a 12,000 mAh battery pack I will definitely be bringing as well, so that should work.

I will look into an onsen, we would be willing to splurge a bit for a night or two if it wasn't crazy.

The very rough plan right now appears to be:

Day 1 - arrive 4-6PM, stay in a hotel

Day 2-5 train to Osaka, stay in hotel, day trip to Hiroshima

Day 6-9 Train to Kyoto, stay in Airbnb, day trip to Naru park

Day 10-11 - Train to Hakone, stay in a Ryokan, check out Mt.Fuji and area

Day 12-14/15 - Train to Tokyo, Airbnb, fly home

Where would you recommend we stay in an Onsen?

Did some more research on Airbnb and I think I am comfortable enough to use some of the really highly rated places with English speaking hosts in a couple of the cities. In Osaka it's apparently more of an issue.

Thanks again.

[flipstah]

I loved my WiFi Egg when I was there. Made life so convenient.

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Thanks that is really helpful.

Yeah I'm a little worried about the flight - at first I was all excited to fly on a 787-9 but not anymore. It's hard enough for me to get comfortable even on big planes. The only way to get a 777 or similar is to fly horrible flights/connections with US carriers so that isn't going to happen.

I suspect all the premium economy is sold out, since there is only 21 seats per plane, but fingers crossed.

I was looking more into the Pocket WiFi as well and I totally agree that it seems to be the way to go instead of my original plan for a SIM card. Is $115 for 2 weeks a good price? I saw you could rent them right from the JR rail website. I've got a 12,000 mAh battery pack I will definitely be bringing as well, so that should work.

I will look into an onsen, we would be willing to splurge a bit for a night or two if it wasn't crazy.

The very rough plan right now appears to be:

Day 1 - arrive 4-6PM, stay in a hotel

Day 2-5 train to Osaka, stay in hotel, day trip to Hiroshima

Day 6-9 Train to Kyoto, stay in Airbnb, day trip to Naru park

Day 10-11 - Train to Hakone, stay in a Ryokan, check out Mt.Fuji and area

Day 12-14/15 - Train to Tokyo, Airbnb, fly home

Where would you recommend we stay in an Onsen?

Did some more research on Airbnb and I think I am comfortable enough to use some of the really highly rated places with English speaking hosts in a couple of the cities. In Osaka it's apparently more of an issue.

Thanks again.

the JR site gets their pocket wifi from the site i posted but if you get it from the JR site it costs more, i opted to get it from them directly instead of off the JR site.

as JDMMAN mentioned Ryokan for sure, i will be spending 1 night in Hakone and totally splurged on a nice Ryokan with my own private in room onsen

my itinerary is
day 1-3 tokyo
day 4-5 hakone
day 6-8 kyoto
day 9-12-osaka
day 13-15 tokyo (lets me buy the stuff i was still thinking about when i just got there haha )

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ Nice, sounds like a fairly similar iteniary, just the opposite direction.

Should I get the premium WiFi? Or is the standard one enough? I guess coverage would be the main concern since 75Mbps is plenty fast.

What Ryokan did you book? Does Onsen just mean private hot spring?

The trip is slowly getting pieced together, I think we're booking flights today or tomorrow.

Does anyone know why AC only has business class flights on their website? No matter what I do I cannot get the AC website to show me a price below $3000, but then on flight hub or google flights there are AC flights (through vancouver, not direct) for $900 or so.

[JDMMAN]

Mitsu3000gt - I used https://www.econnectjapan.com/ for the pocket WiFi, worked like a charm. I booked more than 2 weeks in advance and it was 9561JPY for two weeks. I was staying at the Sheraton, so they had mailed it to be held @ the hotel front desk and got it upon check-in. You can also go to the Post Office upon arrival to pick-up if you're arriving on a daytime flight.

I luckily was only flying on the 787-8 from Tokyo back to Calgary; I had headed to HKG via YVR on the outbound trip. Surprisingly the 787 from HKG to NRT via Ethopian airlines was actually more comfortable in the regular economy seats than the AC premium economy flight

Onsen = hot springs. Ryokan is the traditional Japanese style Inn (some have onsen). A private Onsen bath will not be cheap, especially with Kaiseki, but it is well worth it. Hakone or Kyoto area will likely be your best bet for onsen based on your itinerary. Try JapaniCan.com or Japan-experience.com for booking a Ryokan.


If you have time in Tokyo and want to "see the sights" at night while having fun, definitely do the MariCar go-karting. My brother and I did the 3 or 4 hour tour and it was a blast!

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ Thank you again that's very helpful. I would probably pick the WiFi up in the airport if that isn't too difficult.

The JapaniCan website looks quite handy.

I'm probably overthinking the plane thing - it may suck but people obviously fly that flight every day so it can't be that bad.

Yeah I think we definitely want to treat ourselves to 1-2 nights in a nice Roykan, probably in Hakone or maybe one night in Kyoto too.

[JDMMAN]

Mitsu3000gt - no problem

Getting them to hold it at the airport post office only works during daytime hours. My flight into Tokyo was 9pm at night, so that's why I chose the option for having it mailed to the hotel.

Depending on how long you have your JR pass for and time of day for arrival, it may/may not be the best idea to activate the pass as soon as you land. The Airport Bus is comfortable and handy to get to central Tokyo.

For Ryokan with private onsen and kaiseki, budget at least $300CAD per person per night. The one I stayed at in Hokkaido back in June (low season) ended up around $450 per person per night, but it was full private bath, traditional kaiseki dinner and breakfast the next morning.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by JDMMAN
Mitsu3000gt - no problem

Getting them to hold it at the airport post office only works during daytime hours. My flight into Tokyo was 9pm at night, so that's why I chose the option for having it mailed to the hotel.

Depending on how long you have your JR pass for and time of day for arrival, it may/may not be the best idea to activate the pass as soon as you land. The Airport Bus is comfortable and handy to get to central Tokyo.

For Ryokan with private onsen and kaiseki, budget at least $300CAD per person per night. The one I stayed at in Hokkaido back in June (low season) ended up around $450 per person per night, but it was full private bath, traditional kaiseki dinner and breakfast the next morning.

We're going with the 14 day JR pass for sure. I think we can activate it right away so long as we spend the last 2-3 days in Tokyo where we fly out of. As long as I know the hotel in Tokyo for the first night, I suppose we could just send the WiFi there.

Also it looks like if we leave a day earlier we can get one leg of the flight direct from Calgary on a 767 and not a 787 which would be amazing.

Oh are all these Ryokan prices I see per person? As best I can tell the price is like booking a hotel room where its one price for both people, but I could be missing something. Just looking on JapanICan and it says for example "1 night, 1 room, 2 guests" and then quotes a price.

[UndrgroundRider]

Prices for Ryokans are usually quoted per-person, but your site might be giving you a 2-person rate if it's catering to English people. Data-only SIM cards are quite cheap and available at the bigger electronics stores like Yodobashi Camera (link) or at the airport for a premium. That might be a better option to reduce the amount of things you are carrying around. Price was $40 for 2GB and doesn't expire for 3 months. Speed is LTE+.

A capsule hotel is definitely worth doing once. There is one that is stumbling distance from the Golden Gai area, which is a good opportunity to do both. We had a lot of fun in that area.

[JDMMAN]

Mitsu3000gt - depending on time of day for arrival in Tokyo, the airport Post Office is likely the better solution. That way you can use Hyperdia and Google Maps/ Google Translate immediately if required. The pocket WiFi should come charged with a small aux battery pack too.

There's a JR office in the arrivals area of the airport where you can exchange your JR voucher for the JR Pass + book NEX train tickets. Make sure if you're going the train route, to pick seats close to the luggage area so you can keep an eye out for your stuff. If I remember correctly, the NEX train goes to Shinagawa station, and from there you can take the local trains and/or subway. Depending on which hotel/place you decide to stay at, the Airport Bus may have it on the route and is more convenient than lugging your luggage all over during the crowded commute.

If you select 2 people on the site, then the quote should be for 2 people.

If you're looking for a "no frills" "Western-style" room, consider also business hotels. They're very basic, but generally in areas close to trains. Prince hotel chain isn't bad. Sometimes this option is less costly than Air BnB and also easier to find. Some of the higher end hotels like the SPG resorts or Hyatt have shuttle buses to and from main train stations to help save time and costs.

Forgot to mention, if you have the JR rail pass anyways, better to stay in Osaka (more availability and cheaper accommodations). I found prices for stuff in Kyoto generally higher due to it being an increase concentration of tourists. The commute between Osaka and Kyoto on the bullet train is actually very quick.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I am thinking of doing Tokyo -> Hakone ->Kyoto/Nara -> Himeji-Hiroshima-Miyajima -> Osaka -> Takagawa -> Tokyo in about 16 days.

Which Ryokans are you guys looking at?