Toyko layover - need ideas
 

Hello. Our one hour plane change in Toyko has just been changed by the airlines to a five hour layover. Do you have any idea of how to best use the time? We've never been to Japan. Can we see anything?

Hi Ed,<BR>Have a look at this website its quite helpful<BR>http://www.jnto.go.jp<BR>Good luck and have fun<BR><BR>Muck<BR>

<BR>There are several posts on this subject. There are some good ideas among the replies. The best idea is probably to visit Narita city.<BR>

<BR>Here's a rink that Florence gave us in reply to an earlier &quot;Narita layvover&quot; post:<BR><BR>Mike's Narita Layover Page http://net.saipan.com/personal/mike_...ta/narita.html

I have the same situation, a 4-5 hour layover. However, I was advised to stay in and around the airport by my travel agent. How boring and what a missed opportunity! Is there a point of interest not far from the airport? Do you think there is sufficient time to visit somewhere in Narita in that period of time?

I hate to say it, but enjoy the layover, take a nap. You'll need it when you get to your final destination. I've had layovers of 5+ hours in Tokyo airport. Because you'll have to be screened by security again (which can take over an hour), you may be better off relaxing and stretching.

i also agree with linochat, japan can be pretty unpredictable and the best thing is to stay in the airport. u can probably even get a hotel room in the airport if the layover increases.

This past Jan, I had a similar situation between flights and took the advise of going to Nartia City. It is only a 7 min 'local' train ride from the airport, and I found it to be a great way to spend a couple of hours! It is (IMO) a charming, much more 'typical' japanese town with winding streets, shoppes, temples and very friendly people. I speak no japanese, was a female travelling alone &amp; had absolutely no problem in getting around. Given I was slightly nervous about getting back to the airport for my 5:50pm flight to the US, I only spent about an hour in Narita City, but as it turns out, I could have stayed longer.

Narita airport is quite far from Tokyo. Do not try to go to Tokyo and back five hours sounds like along time but it simply isn't enough given the distance. <BR>I would suggest that you relax at the airport or go to Narita city.<BR>One word of caution, every time I have been to Japan, I have always had language problems.

My flight back from Bangkok has now been redirected from a layover in Hong Kong to a 10 hour one in Narita because of SARS. So I have a 5 hour outgoing (will take advice and nap) But I would love the opportunity of venturing into Narita City to see a little of Japan now I have a 10 hour layover on the way home. What part of town should I head for when I take the train - and how much local money do you suggest I exchange at the airport if I can tour a temple? Or did you notice ATM's scattered around the City?

twice we have had a layover of about 6 hours in narita....both times we went out into narita city...it is a nice little town with some interesting spots...we especially liked the shrine on the top of the hill ..the name escapes me at the moment...at the information booth in the lower lobby they have a book that tells you about the things to do near narita, how to get there and how much it costs...<BR>i think you have to get a special pass from your airline to go out for just a few hours....ask them...you do not do the full immigration bit, only part of it...you do not need a visa, etc...<BR>once we took an hotel bus to the 5* hotle nearby and had a wonderful lunch which was fun...the other time we took the train to narita which is very easy as mentioned above...<BR>or just stay and rest...shop and eat...if you are on northwest get out of their area however as it is too small....save time for recheck in by security...last fall that alone took me 30 minutes...

majshe, if you have a full 10 hours between flights, you may want to travel into Tokyo itself. The train is a little over an hour each way, but even with that (and allowing for re-check in at the airport), you'd still have 3-4 hours in Tokyo. If you're concerned about the time, then go to Narita City--but I couldn't imagine wanting to sit around the airport for a full 10 hours!!

majshe - 10 hours is a long layover, on the positive side your airline's decision to avoid Hong Kong because of SARS is for the benefit or cabin crew and passengers. Which airline is this?<BR><BR>On my previous post I forgot to mention that immigration lines at Narita airport are always long. This applies to both arrivals and departures - allow time for this. Keep this in mind should you deceide to venture away from the airport.

Thanks for the advice. If you have to get prior permission from your airline do you have to get it prior to departure or in Narita airport itself. The airline which has rerouted me through Narita homebound rather than Honk Kong is Air Canada....who declared bankruptcy today but have government protection and so are continuing to operate thank goodness. It seems the odds are stacking up against my trip - the war - SARS - and airline bankruptcy - oh the joys of air travel!! I don't think I'll chance going into Tokyo because I have a bad habit of procrastination - and the lure of the City may be just too much for me!

the permission is really just a piece of paper which you give to immigration...you get that at narita from the airline counter when you arrive...you might ask the toll free number before you leave to have a heads up on it...maybe it is no longer necessary...i would not consider toyko as the train is expensive and takes longer than quoted i believe..<BR><BR>go and have fun....too bad about a/c but they will spring back...just pay more taxes...

HEADS UP TRAVELERS!!!!!!!! A friend of mine who flies for UAL just returned from Tokyo 14 days ago with a plane load of Japanese and national Chinese and said lots of folks were coughing and one barfed big time on the escalator into immegration at LAX. UAL forbids the attendants to wear germ masks or gloves and she said she observed the lavatory cleaning that only includes a wipe down, not disinfectant.She is ok so far.<BR>What to do at Narita? Buy masks, Clorox wipes, handy wipes for the hands, keep the mask on until you get to your house<BR> and drink liquid through a straw YOU provide in a wrap. Cancelled our trip to China yesterday and got her call today altho we were going to HK and Beijing on another airline. The hotel manager in HK where we had resies recommended we postpone.And for the record, LAX immigration just chatted with everyone and let them go.....into<BR>LA!!!!!! Lotsa Luck!!!

Delores, I understand your need to cancel your trip at this time. I don't, however, understand all the alarmist, half-truth posts you write. Of course SARS is a huge problem and quite scary, but you are trying to provoke a frenzy. For the record, &quot;barfing&quot; is not a symtom of SARS. And the &quot;plane load of Japanese&quot; are more safe than you since SARS has not yet been identified in Japan. Please stop these posts, you're really not helping anyone!

Bonjour All,<BR><BR>I'm just back (Friday night) from 3 weeks in Japan, Tokyo last. No signs of SARS so far.<BR><BR>Majshe, 10 hours leave you enough time to go to the city and back: take the Keisei Skyliner (1 hour 10 minutes, Yen 1940 one way - coin lockers to the left of the turnstiles) to Ueno, where you can visit the park (&quot;hanami&quot;, blossom viewing), with its museums (don't miss the Shitamachi museum along the small lake, depicting the life of the common people of Tokyo). Ameya Yokocho (along the rail tracks, left when you go out of Keisei Ueno station) will give you a glimpse of a traditional food market (get some fresh fruits - strawberries, melon, ananas - on a stick for Yen 100), you can have great coffee, cakes an bread at &quot;Andersen&quot;, as well as a choice of books on Tokyo inside Ueno JR station, Akihabara (&quot;electronic town&quot;) is 20 minutes on foot or 2 stops on the Yamanote loop line, and Asakusa (temple, great shopping, plenty of good restaurants) is 3 stops away on the Ginza subway line).<BR><BR>Get some yens from an ATM inside Narita airport.<BR><BR>

FLorence: Thanks for all the info - I'm only hoping they will let travellers leave the airport as a result of SARS. Coming from Canada, I know there's a lot of concern because of the high rate of cases in Toronto right now.