After our trip to Onomichi ( not too far from Hiroshima ), my husband and daughter are going to spend five extra days visiting temples, and I must return to Canada. I will travel on my own by train back to Tokyo. I have one night on my own before my flight out of Narita. I guess I have a few questions. I am thinking of going right to Narita the day before my flight and staying overnight there. Would you do that or would it be simpler to take the train right in to Tokyo, spend the night there, and take the train to the airport in the morning? If you think that it would be better ( for whatever reasons ) to spend that night in Narita - where would you suggest that one stay? I am hoping that by the time I have to be on my own, I will be familiar enough with the transportation system. I'd still like to keep that last day and night as simple as possible. We will have already spent time in Tokyo before visiting Onomichi. Any feedback would be appreciated.

If you don't want to do anything special in Tokyo then I would go straight to Narita. If you're flying on one of the Japanese airlines then I would stay in their hotel, i.e. flying on ANA so stay at ANA hotel etc. They have regular shuttle buses to the airport as well.

Thanks. Good Idea. That's what I will do. My plane leaves in the morning, so that does make sense. I'm flying Air Canada and will check to see which hotel ( if any ) they are associated with.

There are lots of "airport" hotels at Narita, and all of them are on a shuttle bus route. It doesn't much matter which one you stay at really.

The Narita Hilton gets mixed reviews...if you get a newly refurbished room, and one of the deluxe ones, it's big and nice. Otherwise, they are rather worn and dark. For a rate of ¥10,000 or so per night with breakfast it's quite good I think, but I wouldn't pay more. There is a Tokyu hotel just about across from the Hilton and they are nice enough. Narita View is definitely in that price range and quite OK. And there are many others. You should be able to find a place in the ¥10,000 range...I wouldn't pay more. I'm not sure why Hanuman is advising you to stay in an airline affiliated hotel unless it's for mileage purposes.

Kim,

Reasons are:

1/. Check-in for the flight in the hotel lobby. No need to take your luggage to the airport as well.

2/. Premium class passengers are sometime given room upgrade.

3/. More miles.

So if you are a member of the airline's FF program and flying that airline, and especially if you are elite, it makes sense...but otherwise, not.

Thanks again. I am booked at The Hilton for 11000 JPY which includes breakfast and I will receive aeroplan points and hopefully an upgrade. I will be able to walk from there to The Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, which will be nice prior to the long flight home.

I don't think you can walk...big roads, and hot, hot, hot. It's not really that close....at least a couple of kilometers. There are taxis always waiting and just to Narita town is about ¥1000 yen. You might be interested in Boso no Mura...Edo type recreated village with crafts and such that you can try as well as look around the old style buildings. We took a taxi there from the Narita Hilton for about ¥2000 I think, and the driver gave me his celll phone number so I could call him to pick us up when we were through there. It's a nice afternoon activity...you might have someone in the hotel call ahead to see what the activities and times are for your day.

Those Narita airport hotels are on a bus line circles the hotels and goes to Narita town. Easy.