5 weeks in Japan--advice please, esp. transportation
Oct 3rd, 2011, 06:43 AM
#41
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When you get out of the Keio Plaza elevators in the lobby look for the check in desk and turn left. Go out the doors towards the post office, not the front doors. Post offices throughout Japan play an important part of the tourists life because it is the rare place that you can find a ATM that will accept your foreign money card. Get the yen you need and go out the door behind you and where will be in another world.....otherwise known as Nishi-Shinjuku.
You will find maybe 4 blocks square of restaurants, electronics shops, 7-11's(also a good place for ATM's),more shops and restaurants all very Japanese and all very interesting. This is life in Tokyo at its best.......especially on Friday and Sat nites.
If you walk straight out of that post office down the street all the way to the end on the left you will see a little French/Japanese style restaurant called Le Coup Chou. If you like simple and tasty French cooking peek inside and see Sugitasan the owner/mgr for a treat. Menus are in French and Japanese only but Sugitasan will translate into English.....well mostly. Have fun!
Aloha!
You will find maybe 4 blocks square of restaurants, electronics shops, 7-11's(also a good place for ATM's),more shops and restaurants all very Japanese and all very interesting. This is life in Tokyo at its best.......especially on Friday and Sat nites.
If you walk straight out of that post office down the street all the way to the end on the left you will see a little French/Japanese style restaurant called Le Coup Chou. If you like simple and tasty French cooking peek inside and see Sugitasan the owner/mgr for a treat. Menus are in French and Japanese only but Sugitasan will translate into English.....well mostly. Have fun!
Aloha!
Oct 13th, 2011, 09:38 PM
#42
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I've been out-of-pocket for a while, but have skimmed the thread and think you are planning an outstanding adventure! I took particular note of the following note:
> we added 2 nights to Kyoto and a second night to Nara. So, beginning 11/8, we spend 6 nights in Kyoto, 2 nights in Nara (including a daytrip to Uji), 1 night in Koyasan
I think that's a wonderful plan - it should allow a somewhat (reasonably) leisurely exploration of some astounding destinations. And the other changes I quickly skimmed seemed similarly commendable. With such a long trip, I think you'll want to travel at a less hectic pace than you initially proposed, and you seem to have pared your plans down nicely, without sacrificing highlights.
Do keep us posted - and best wishes!
> we added 2 nights to Kyoto and a second night to Nara. So, beginning 11/8, we spend 6 nights in Kyoto, 2 nights in Nara (including a daytrip to Uji), 1 night in Koyasan
I think that's a wonderful plan - it should allow a somewhat (reasonably) leisurely exploration of some astounding destinations. And the other changes I quickly skimmed seemed similarly commendable. With such a long trip, I think you'll want to travel at a less hectic pace than you initially proposed, and you seem to have pared your plans down nicely, without sacrificing highlights.
Do keep us posted - and best wishes!
Oct 14th, 2011, 11:56 AM
#43
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Thanks for all the help and encouragement. Just 3 more days till we leave!
--Could anyone suggest a moderate-priced ($30 per meal or less) restaurant near the Asakusa station for a 7:30p Friday night dinner? Any type of food is fine.
--We were not able to reserve a car in advance for our drive from Takayama to Kanazawa. We want to dothe rental as a one-way drop-off. Anyway ever tried this? We understand there are only to rental companies: Toyota and Eiren (sp?). Anyone used either of these? (We tried Hawaiiantraveler's wonderful link, but it doesn't seem to cover Takayama.)
--Could anyone suggest a moderate-priced ($30 per meal or less) restaurant near the Asakusa station for a 7:30p Friday night dinner? Any type of food is fine.
--We were not able to reserve a car in advance for our drive from Takayama to Kanazawa. We want to dothe rental as a one-way drop-off. Anyway ever tried this? We understand there are only to rental companies: Toyota and Eiren (sp?). Anyone used either of these? (We tried Hawaiiantraveler's wonderful link, but it doesn't seem to cover Takayama.)
Oct 14th, 2011, 02:35 PM
#44
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Ekiren would probably be the rent a car at the train station and have used both before. Make sure you know how to use the GPS before you leave and have the phone numbers of the destinations you are going to so you can plug them into the GPS. We will be literally days behind you at some of your stops. Good luck and tell us about it when you return.
Aloha!
PS- If you are taking an i-phone there is an app called Jibbigo-jp that is wonderful for English to Japanese conversion and vice-verse. The beauty about this app is that it is voice activated so all you do is talk into your phone with your finger on a button and when you take you finger off the button what you just said is translated and spoken out of your phone with the Japanese characters on the screen for reading too. Cost for the app is $13.00 US and so worth it imho.
Aloha!
PS- If you are taking an i-phone there is an app called Jibbigo-jp that is wonderful for English to Japanese conversion and vice-verse. The beauty about this app is that it is voice activated so all you do is talk into your phone with your finger on a button and when you take you finger off the button what you just said is translated and spoken out of your phone with the Japanese characters on the screen for reading too. Cost for the app is $13.00 US and so worth it imho.
Oct 14th, 2011, 05:39 PM
#46
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Thanks for the tip on Jibbigo-jp. They sell it for Androids so I bought it.
I was aware of the GPS when we rent a car and the need to use telephone numbers. We have also just purchased an SD card for our Garmin Nuvi 1450 with a GPS Map of Japan (Version 4)Roads Only that provides directions in English. We purchased is from TravelByGPS.com. Of course, this means we are bringing along our Garmin Nuvi 1450. We plan to use it when we are on foot. This GPS map just came out in Sept. 2011 and doesn't use phone numbers, but can be searched to find landmarks or geographic coordinates (which can be found on googlemaps). BTW, We'd be happy to resell the SD card at a discount. Of course, we will report how it worked as part of our trip report, but we have high hopes.
I was aware of the GPS when we rent a car and the need to use telephone numbers. We have also just purchased an SD card for our Garmin Nuvi 1450 with a GPS Map of Japan (Version 4)Roads Only that provides directions in English. We purchased is from TravelByGPS.com. Of course, this means we are bringing along our Garmin Nuvi 1450. We plan to use it when we are on foot. This GPS map just came out in Sept. 2011 and doesn't use phone numbers, but can be searched to find landmarks or geographic coordinates (which can be found on googlemaps). BTW, We'd be happy to resell the SD card at a discount. Of course, we will report how it worked as part of our trip report, but we have high hopes.
