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Beginning Trip Planning for Next Year
We're (very) long time Fodor's Forum users, and find (and give) excellent information here. We've long wanted to go to Japan, first the pandemic was an issue, then I didn't want to be so far away when my mother was in her last years. So we find ourselves older (we'll travel when we're 72/73), and now changing our travel habits to accommodate. I'm liking finding a central spot we can day trip from for 3-5 days, and then going to another central location as opposed to staying somewhere 2 days and moving on to the next 2 day spot.
Planning for this trip seems overwhelming ALREADY! I've read a number of trip reports and it's clear I need to do some serious homework first. I saw the site japan-guide.com recommended, and that looks helpful. Are there tour books people especially like? I like to take in a lot of information first, and then think about a rough itinerary. I also need to think about when, we're totally flexible, and there are a number of good options. My husband is liking driving less and less (although he managed fine in France in May), so I'm hopeful that trains and other forms of transportation will work well. I've only recently 'noticed' we're not getting any younger, and am torn between going to new places and revisiting favorite old ones (can't go to Paris too many times in my book). I'm also thinking about long stays in some favorite places. Actually, traveling when OLD(er) is another topic entirely and I should post that elsewhere! Anyway, any tips for how to get started on this sure to wonderful trip would be much appreciated. Then I will go away and do my homework (and my France trip report) before returning here. Thanks as always, Alice |
japan-guide is an excellent resource, both for its information and its question board. For quidebooks, if you can find it, Japan Solo is outstanding, even if outdated (and not geared in any obvious way to solo travelers).
The obvious "bases" include Kyoto and Tokyo. Public transportation in Japan is superb and easy to use. No reason to try to drive unless you choose some destinations that are well off the beaten track. Have fun with your research! |
How to get started? My view is that for the initial planning, there is no substitute for an old style guidebook ( I like Lonely Planet but Rough Guides is also ok). Old or new it doesn't really matter, few things change that much. Apart from prices. a guidebook will allow you to identify which place are of interest and help with the logistics of getting around (easier than one may think in Japan). The rail infrastructure is second to none and very easy to use.
I agree with kja that Tokyo and Kyoto make great bases to start with and from where to explore other parts of the country. Both cities are great for day and overnight trips elsewhere. I find these websites, run by a former Lonely Planet author, to be excellent . A lot of information and suggestions and very readable. Worth signing up for their newletter. https://trulytokyo.com https://www.insidekyoto.com Japan is on our shortlist for a trip next year (along with Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Albania ... ) I get what you say re new versa old locations. We have revisited many countries twice, three time or more and we do feel we get more out of a country on subsequent visits - (up to a point). |
Thanks, kia. I figure Tokyo and Kyoto were good bases, but it's a relief to hear about public transportation.
I WILL have fun, I enjoy trip planning! Alice |
Thanks, crellston. I'm glad to hear you're a proponent of guidebooks, I am too, but thought I was being old fashioned. I like Lonely Planet as well, but I also look at one of the big two, Fodors or Frommers. And thanks VERY much for the websites.
We tend to go to different parts of the same countries, particularly France and Italy (I think it's the food...). My husband wants to go on a river cruise next year (I don't think we're old enough yet), but if so, HE can plan it. We usually visit friends in Florida in the winter for a bit, and we may got to Mexico City after that. Last year we went to Crete and Rhodes, I went to London with my younger son, and we went to Banff and Jasper with friends (poor Jasper, glad we went last year). Thanks so much, Alice |
I hope you make the trip, but also, nothing wrong with returning to Paris. Japan is wonderful, but if the planning continues to feel overwhelming, I think you have your answer.
But for Japan... WEATHER: When you go is important. Late Oct to April would be good to avoid bad weather. Summer can be horribly hot and humid. May/June can be crammed with tourists and school groups (Kyoto). Typhoons are getting more severe. PLANE TRAVEL is difficult as we age. US to Europe feels easier than US to Japan to me. You might explore flying from the west coast. From Chicago, it's 13.5 hrs, from New York 14.5. I hit a wall at 9 hours, after which sitting still becomes really hard for me. You know your bodies best. My mother and I connected through Vancouver (from Chicago) last year, and this year, we’re overnighting in the airport Fairmont to break up the travel. I find 4 + 10 easier than 13.5 hrs. PLANE TRAVEL-ROUTES: Assuming you'll do Kyoto-Tokyo, you can...
SAMPLE ITINERARY: This is what I'd recommend to a friend for a 14-day trip...
Have fun planning! |
Also, one other recommendation I make now: If you don't already, start using chopsticks from time to time before you go!
I like this recipe blogger's site, and she travels to Japan often. https://www.justonecookbook.com/categories/travel/ |
I am a bit older than you and still plan to travel to Japan as I have done many times. I do go a bit slower than I did before..lol...
I agree with all the previous posts. ChgoGal gave a nice itinerary for two weeks. While in Tokyo a day trip to Kamakura would be good. Transportation in Japan is excellent. I have traveled all over by train, bus and plane. As far as books I think I used Japan Solo back in the day. Nowadays there is so much info online and japan-guide is the best imo. I finally visited Okinawa for the first time this year but for a first time Japan visitor I don't think I would choose it. Enjoy your planning. |
ChgoGal, so many good suggestions, and you know my issues!
We're outside Washington DC, and I already figured we'd have to fly to the west coast and take a break there. Long plane rides are not only uncomfortable, but unhealthy for me. Your travel routes and sample itinerary are EXTREMELY helpful. I really don't want to try to do too much and this seems do-able. I'm happy to hear that public transport is good, I had a feeling that it would be. I was thinking about an Oct or Nov trip, sounds like that's a good idea. Or maybe March. I'll check back in when I have done my homework. Thanks so much for the essential information. You're right, there's always Paris! Alice |
Mara, thanks so much - it's nice to hear from .. older travelers. Oh, we're experts at chopsticks, I forgot to mention that to ChgoGal, there's a large Asian community here. And from the two of you, I think we'll likely stick to Tokyo and Kyoto, sounds like there will be plenty there. Maybe a daytrip or two.
Alice |
I'm currently planning my first trip to Japan, and in addition to the resources already mentioned, I've found the Travel Caffeine website helpful, especially for narrowing down what temples I want to see in Kyoto (there are so many!). I also love watching travel vlogs on YouTube so that I can get a sense of how things looks. The channel Cakes with Faces has a lot of good Japan travel tips and explanations of how things like buying train tickets or shipping luggage work.
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@memejs Thank you for those travel site suggestions. They're great.
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>> thinking about an Oct or Nov trip, sounds like that's a good idea
Yes. I think Novemer has the best weather, particularly for Tokyo and Kyoto. It is also a very popular time. FYI: Japan will be organising the next World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, from 13 April to 13 October 2025. Osaka is hoping to welcome 28 million visitors to Expo, which will focus on the theme Designing Future Society for Our Lives. |
memejs thanks for the website infor. And I haven't even thought about travel vlogs, what a good idea, and I'll check out the specific one you mention.
Alice |
mrwunfl, very good to know about the next World Expo! I wonder if that will affect a late Oct/early Nov trip.
Thanks so much for the info. Alice |
You’ve gotten lots of wonderful suggestions and I’ll just add a few more thoughts. My husband and I went to Japan for the first time last year and we are in our 70s. It was overwhelming to start planning but, once I came up with an itinerary, it was very easy to travel thanks to the wonderful public transportation system.
One thing to consider is that you can fly into Tokyo (preferably Haneda) and out of Osaka so there’s no need to backtrack to Tokyo. Our return trip last year flew from Itami to Narita for the long flight back to the US. Itami is an easy trip from Kyoto; KIX (most international flights are here) is a bit further away but still easily accessible to the airport. I definitely understand minimizing transfers in your travels though Tokyo and Kyoto are both very big cities (but very different) so if you want to experience one more smaller city that is accessible to both Tokyo and Kyoto, I’d recommend Kanazawa. It’s a delightful city and will give a different flavor. If you want to get a feel for our trip, you might want to look at my trip report - lots of photos! https://www.fodors.com/community/asi...-trip-1718791/ |
progol, thanks so much, good to hear from other older travelers. I will look into Kanazawa.
And the air travel IS a concern, so your recommendations are very helpful. Did you split up the long flight at all? That's what we're pondering, we live on the east coast. And everyone has mentioned the excellent public transportation, so that's a huge relief. It IS overwhelming right now, but you're right, once I come up with a timeframe and itinerary, it will start falling into place. I have plenty of time (and some smaller trips to plan before this big one). Everyone is so generous with their experience on these forums! Alice |
As far as flights from NYC JFK to Japan Tokyo , I always go direct non stop....but I don't have particular health concerns like you mentioned. I twice won bids on ANA for a seat in premium economy going to Japan which was quite a bit more comfortable than regular economy....I might actually go premium one way next year - to Japan, the longer flight....
And I'm going to Paris in November...have been there many times as well. |
Alice9,
Given not just our ages but some health concerns, business class has become an essential for us in order to travel long distances. I accrued miles (for years!) so that we could get biz class through United or partners, ultimately flying La Guardia >Chicago>Tokyo/Haneda, returning from Itami/Osaka>Narita>Newark. The flights were good - on time and comfortable and we were able to sleep enough so we weren’t too tired when we arrived (though the adjustment to the time difference did take a while for us). This fall, we’re traveling to Taiwan and returning to Japan and will actually be flying Turkish Airlines as their rates for biz class are significantly less than any of the American or Japanese carriers. It means a stop in Istanbul both going and returning but the cost savings was so significant that the stop is worth it. One could stay for a few days, if desired, though we’d been there in the past and neither of us was up for yet another stop. We traveled for just under 4 weeks so we bookended the trip with 6 days in both Tokyo and Kyoto though the 2 weeks in between had more stops, it worked well for us and didn’t feel too tiring. This gave us a chance to visit some of the smaller cities and towns that we loved. |
I too use guidebooks as a start. Lonely planet, Michelin green, Fodor’s, Rough etc. probably have 80 or so. In the old days Let’s go Europe.
As we get older we tend to fly business often with miles and cash upgrade. Last year business fares to Japan were 16 K each for four of us. Much cheaper to pay economy and upgrade. Lounge access also helps. Currently in a IAH lounge on way to Lima. We often now travel places that we use cars. Norway, Rhodes, Cotswolds, Portugal and Basque Country within the last 2 years. Also understand the need to explore new places vs going back to old favorites. Have no answer to that question. Can’t tell you the number of times I have been to London, Paris, Tokyo and Bangkok. I like to go to Japan late November to early December or mid March for Honshu. the summer humidity and heat have gotten miserable. Japan has also gotten swarmed with foreign tourists mostly Chinese. The above dates tend to be less crowded and cheaper. In terms of flights and hotel costs. My go to hotel in Tokyo has gone up from about $350 a night to close to $700 a night despite the yen being cheap now at about 150 vs 110-120 to the dollar. Fortunately Kyoto is somewhat cheaper and Osaka is much less expensive. Transportation has in a way gone up as the JR rail pass price increased by something like 40% last year. Food on the other hand can be quite inexpensive as I can eat for less than $20/day except for Michelin type splurges. Have fun planning! |
progol, yes, I think airfare will be one of our biggest expenses - because I think we have to go business class on such a long trip. But, hey, we deserve it! I'm thinking we'll fly first to the west coast or even Hawaii, rest up and then take the longer flight.
I do most of the planning, but I let my husband chase airfare. Airfare will dictate the actual dates (you need a little flexibility when booking air), and then I'll start looking at accommodations. But we're not even close to that, much work to do first. Thanks! Alice |
mjs, glad to hear there's another vote for guidebooks, I like to start that way too.
Interesting about paying economy and upgrading, I hadn't thought about that as a strategy. We were in Crete and Rhodes last year, Portugal the year before. And like you, I go again and again to London, Paris comes in second. We're just going to have to realize that this will be an expensive trip between airfare and accommodations, my guess is that this will be our only trip to Japan. And of course there will be smaller trips before this far away one, so other planning to do... Thanks for your thoughts and help - Alice |
If you want to go from west coast then consider Zipair lie-flat seats.
Best option tho would be the ANA or United nonstop from Dulles if business class is affordable to you. Thinking that your health concern about long-haul flights is overcome by the comfort available in business class. |
If it’s business class or premium economy chose ANA over United if prices similar
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Have to say that I was impressed with United business class in fall 2022. At least as good as ANA. The flights from IAD are probably codeshares in which case I might choose ANA to Japan and United coming back.
As far as the length of the trip goes, here are the distances for the nonstop and connecting options. A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper (gcmap.com) Figure 500 miles per hour ballpark. Seattle (or Vancouver) to Tokyo would be about 5000 miles so 10 hours and Dulles to Tokyo about 7000 miles so 14 hours. |
mjs, mrwunrfl - thanks for the flight considerations. My husband is all for nonstop, I'm not sure that's the best choice. I will definitely look at ANA though.
Alice |
To my mind, the best guidebook is "Gateway to Japan" by Kinoshita and Palevsky. It's long out of print (30 years) but is easily and inexpensively available via bookfinder.com
BTW. I have flying advice at https://www.adumbrate.org/pics/traveltips.html#flying |
someotherguy, is that your website and photos?? Very impressive!! Thanks for sharing!!
I think I still have Gateway to Japan somewhere in my bookcase...;-) |
You might want to buy some yen now. The yen has gotten much stronger lately. It was around 160 to the dollar in July and now it’s 144. Given probable fed lowering its rates and the Japanese likely to raise their rates it’s probable that the dollar will weaken further against the yen.
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Too late, the time to buy was at 160. I doubt that BOJ will increase rates again any time soon. The Fed probably will lower the rate and the dollar will fall a bit vs yen but the cost of buying yen now would probably be greater than any drop in the exchange rate.
DOLLAR TO YEN FORECAST 2024, 2025, 2026 - 2028 - Long Forecast And a good bit of the drop was a result of the "unwinding of the yen carry trade":which is an interesting topic. But, I think that is unwound now. |
someotherguy, thanks for the guidebook advice (I'm sure I'll be able to find a used one),and especially for they excellent flying advice. Much appreciated!
Alice |
Originally Posted by mrwunrfl
(Post 17592523)
Too late, the time to buy was at 160. I doubt that BOJ will increase rates again any time soon. The Fed probably will lower the rate and the dollar will fall a bit vs yen but the cost of buying yen now would probably be greater than any drop in the exchange rate.
DOLLAR TO YEN FORECAST 2024, 2025, 2026 - 2028 - Long Forecast And a good bit of the drop was a result of the "unwinding of the yen carry trade":which is an interesting topic. But, I think that is unwound now. The yen carry trade supposedly equates to 10 or maybe 20 TRILLION dollars (nobody really knows for sure how much) and that huge source of funding has fueled the world's stock markets and equities for a couple decades now. If a sizable portion of that money was to be removed from worldwide investment and reverted back to Japan, then economies and businesses across the planet would crash and the yen would surge. The last time this happened to a sizable degree was 2009-2012 during the "Great Recession" when the yen went for 75 to the dollar. |
I went to Japan with my 22 year old daughter this past May/June for the first time. I was overwhelmed but started reading trip reports on this forum and figured out what appealed to me and what didn't. It really helped me with our plan. Also the advice on this forum and on Japan guide is is wonderful. We found mid May/early June to be perfect-2 half days of rain in 18 days.
Best suggestion we got is to mix cities and countryside and also mix activities. Also lodging. We also flew business class as the long flight and time difference can be brutal. One of the best trips we ever took and I am taking my husband this March. |
Thanks, plambers. The answers so far have pushed me towards late fall, but you enjoyed spring, I may reconsider. Would you mind sharing your itinerary?
I'm pretty sold on business class for such a long flight! Everyone I've talked to about their trip to Japan LOVED theirs. Alice |
Late fall is great if you want to see koyo.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2014.html I couldn't afford either koyo or sakura, and so went in May, tracking the blooming of iris and various festivals. |
If you can afford the time, repositioning cruises can be a good alternative to flying to or from Japan. In the fall, ships go from the US West Coast to Japan (via Alaska) and then on to the rest of Asia and in the spring they go in the other direction.
The fall cruises are badly timed: they leave in September and arrive in Japan in typhoon season and too early for koyo (red leaves). But the spring cruises are very good. They leave Japan in April so you can fly in a couple of weeks before and enjoy sightseeing during Sakura season then take a ship back. Specifically, the Holland America Noordam leaves Yokohama on April 27th 2025 (the beginning of Golden Week, so pretty ideal as that's when things get really busy) and arrives in Vancouver on May 11th. A balcony cabin goes for $1,629 per person all in (well, drinks and internet cost extra if you want them), so far cheaper than business class air (and an inside cabin is $500 less). I explain the mechanics of finding these in my traveltips website, linked in my previous message (where I also talk about hotels and rental cars, and the potential consequences of a traffic accident in Japan). |
RE: late May/early June
My family group of 6 were in Japan at exactly this time last year as we had to accommodate school schedules. Just a note that Kyoto was incredibly crowded with Japanese students/school group visits and tourists. As popular as Japan has become, it will likely be busy in Kyoto at most months of the year--but from previous trips, I was really surprised. It's less obvious in Tokyo, except at popular tourists sites like Senso-ji and Meiji Jingu/Harajuku, but wall to wall people. The society is wonderful there, though, so even if crowded, people are courteous. Just wanted to mention. The crowds didn't bother me, but every photo you take has to be timed around other people taking the same photos, and some places you're shuffling with the crowd, etc. |
We were in Japan last year in early November in time for the leaves and indeed it was crowded and expensive. Better to go late November to early December in my opinion
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One-way business class fares from Japan to USA can be a lot less expensive than the other direction. That is true for the West Coast, anyway. Last June, I paid $1635 for one-way from Tokyo to LAX. Months earlier I got a United award to Fukuoka for 80,000 miles. All flights in business class on Asiana.
Here are fares that would give you an overnight stay on the way from Tokyo to DC this fall. Mon, Nov 11, 2024 Zipair $1320 Tokyo → Vancouver 8 hr 30 min nonstop That includes $1195 fare plus about $125 for a package that includes luggage, a meal, seat selection, amenity kit. Asiana $1553 Tokyo → Seoul → LAX 15 hr 25 min total trip time (the longhaul is 11 hr 10 min) Asiana is a Star Alliance carrier Asiana $1557 Tokyo → Seoul → Seattle the longhaul is 9 hr 45 min Here are fares the next day Tue, Nov 12, 2024 Alaska one stop (in Seattle) first class $439 Vancouver → Dulles United nonstop first class $479 LAX → BWI $574 LAX → Dulles Delta nonstop first class $410 Seattle → Dulles |
Gateway to Japan is the best guidebook ever written about Japan. The prices are completely out of date, many hotels and restaurants are long gone, it has phone numbers instead of websites, and what used to be quiet places are booming tourists spots. However, it has chapters on temples (both Buddhist and Shinto), Japanese architecture, local customs, food, regional art and crafts, history, and much much more. It also has some really useful lists...Best Market towns, best traditional inns, etc.
I have two copies (got one at a library sale) so when a friend asks to borrow, I don't ever lose my own copy! I use it along with the online Japan-guide.com, Booking.com, and other japan specific websites for bookings and price comparison. Japan Solo is also great for planning itinerary and logistics. |
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