I am traveling to Tokyo for the first time in April. I am a little anxious about getting around. Especially at the airport (customs and luggage) and from the airport to the hotel... Hotel Monterey Ginza. Please send simple words of wisdom.

Hi, Mkimble!

You will have a wonderful time in Tokyo!

Going from the airport into the city will not be difficult: all signs are in Japanese and in English. Follow the signs to Baggage Claim; eventually you will pass through a security check, immigration control, passport check, customs lane.

You will need to decide how to get into town: by bus or by train. All ticket counters are clearly visible to you and will be staffed by mostly bi-lingual employees (some will even be tri-lingual). The buses go by the name of Limousines or Coaches, while the train goes by the name Narita Express.

Others here will surely help out with more tips and info for you, in view of your specific hotel.

Relax and enjoy your travels! Do tell us about it when you return home.

From the map, the hotel is about 3/4 mile from the Tokyo Station, which you can take the Narita Express (NEX) to. I guess you can take a quick taxi ride over, or walk.

Or the frequent Limo bus also goes to the Tokyo station. One bus per hour in the afternoon have a stop at the Yaesu Fujiya Hotel, which should be only 1/3 miles or so to your hotel. Another line of Limo bus for Ginza stops at the Sukiyabashi Crossing, which is about 0.4 mile from your hotel.

http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/index.html

Thank you for the advice! I will be sure to follow-up when I return....


Melissa

Hi

Don't be nervous....getting around at the airport and getting into town shouldn't be a problem. I went there a couple of years back and I didn't have much trouble as all signs seemed to be in English. Here is my Tokyo trip report with photos and links: http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there. Have a great trip.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip report and pictures

We found the people in Japan to be very customer service oriented. At the airport they went out of their way to help us find where we needed to go. We never had any problems finding what we needed and we never got lost. A lot of people speak English and if you speak to somebody that doesn't speak English, they will be kind enough to help you find somebody that will. At least that was our experience. You will have a wonderful time! Don't be nervous.