Trip of a lifetime
Mar 25th, 2004, 06:35 AM
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Trip of a lifetime
I've been dreaming to go to Japan since I was a kid. Finally I'll be able to visit Japan in August. I'm looking to forward to visit the historical places in Japan. I would like some comments and suggestions on the itinerary that I made.
day 1 - Arrival (Tokyo)
day 2 - Tokyo
day 3 - Tokyo
day 4 - Tokyo (day trip to Nikko)
day 5 - Tokyo (day trip to Kamakura)
day 6 - Hakone
day 7 - Hakone
day 8 - Kyoto
day 9 - Kyoto
day 10 - Kyoto
day 11 - Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
day 12 - Kyoto (day trip to Osaka)
day 12 - Kyoto
day 14 - Kyoto (day trip to Himeji)
day 15 - Takayama
day 16 - Takayama/Tokyo
day 17 - Departure
Did I miss anything?
It will be my first time traveling by train. Any tips on traveling by train in Japan, besides buying the JR Pass (how about the size of the luggage?).
Thanks for your help.
J-
day 1 - Arrival (Tokyo)
day 2 - Tokyo
day 3 - Tokyo
day 4 - Tokyo (day trip to Nikko)
day 5 - Tokyo (day trip to Kamakura)
day 6 - Hakone
day 7 - Hakone
day 8 - Kyoto
day 9 - Kyoto
day 10 - Kyoto
day 11 - Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
day 12 - Kyoto (day trip to Osaka)
day 12 - Kyoto
day 14 - Kyoto (day trip to Himeji)
day 15 - Takayama
day 16 - Takayama/Tokyo
day 17 - Departure
Did I miss anything?
It will be my first time traveling by train. Any tips on traveling by train in Japan, besides buying the JR Pass (how about the size of the luggage?).
Thanks for your help.
J-
Mar 25th, 2004, 06:57 AM
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Bonjour Jocko,
A couple tips:
- August is school vacations and O-bon month. Book hotels rooms early enough, especially for the first few days and the last night in Tokyo.
- don't stick to a rigid schedule. Better miss one daytrip than THE big festival, or special opening, or exceptional exhibition you hear about upon visiting the local tourist office. They will help you change hotel reservations, etc. if need be.
- trains might be packed on weekends (on O-bon, many people go visit their family in the country). Pack light, reserve your seats a few days in advance.
- Mt Fuji is very often in fog in August. Don't book Hakone before you have an idea of the meteorological conditions. Maybe a longer stay in the Alps would be better (Takayama and vicinity).
- August is on average very hot and humid. Pick hotels or inns with laundry facilities. Avoid open-toed sandals if you stay in ryokans (they don't really appreciate dirty feet on tatami).
- buy drinks in big bottles from "conbini" (convenience stores, ubiquitous, most are open 24/24) rather than vending machines, it's lots cheaper.
- Did I say "pack light" ?
A couple tips:
- August is school vacations and O-bon month. Book hotels rooms early enough, especially for the first few days and the last night in Tokyo.
- don't stick to a rigid schedule. Better miss one daytrip than THE big festival, or special opening, or exceptional exhibition you hear about upon visiting the local tourist office. They will help you change hotel reservations, etc. if need be.
- trains might be packed on weekends (on O-bon, many people go visit their family in the country). Pack light, reserve your seats a few days in advance.
- Mt Fuji is very often in fog in August. Don't book Hakone before you have an idea of the meteorological conditions. Maybe a longer stay in the Alps would be better (Takayama and vicinity).
- August is on average very hot and humid. Pick hotels or inns with laundry facilities. Avoid open-toed sandals if you stay in ryokans (they don't really appreciate dirty feet on tatami).
- buy drinks in big bottles from "conbini" (convenience stores, ubiquitous, most are open 24/24) rather than vending machines, it's lots cheaper.
- Did I say "pack light" ?
Mar 25th, 2004, 10:17 AM
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I always recommend going to Hiroshima, the original Ground Zero. One option would be to include it on the day you visit Himeji. It's a long day, but I have done it. See the castle early and get to the Peace Museum and Memorial before 5:00 closing.
Mar 25th, 2004, 10:53 AM
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Unless you're planning to climb Mt Fuji, I don't think you need 2 days in Hakone. I would take one of those days, as well as one of the Kyoto days (perhaps nixing the trip to Osaka) and visit Miyajima and Hiroshima. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
Mar 25th, 2004, 12:24 PM
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I think Florence is right in stating that you should not stick to a rigid schedule. Unless you want to make your trip of a lifetime a 'once' in a lifetime experience I really think you should wing it the first time around.
I will be taking my first trip to Japan in a couple months for 10 days. After realizing that there's no way I can really experience everything in that short of a time period I have decided to 'wing' it. I'm doing this to give me an incentive to go back in the near future. I can end up seeing almost everything piecemeal in the next few years. I have made the mistake of cramming so much in very little time. What ends up happening is that I get selective memory blocks. The experience becomes a series of flash cards in my head. I would rather have an experience contructed through mental adaptation. This method has worked for me for my frequent travels to countries through Europe. It does take a lot of pressure off of you. Believe me.
I will be taking my first trip to Japan in a couple months for 10 days. After realizing that there's no way I can really experience everything in that short of a time period I have decided to 'wing' it. I'm doing this to give me an incentive to go back in the near future. I can end up seeing almost everything piecemeal in the next few years. I have made the mistake of cramming so much in very little time. What ends up happening is that I get selective memory blocks. The experience becomes a series of flash cards in my head. I would rather have an experience contructed through mental adaptation. This method has worked for me for my frequent travels to countries through Europe. It does take a lot of pressure off of you. Believe me.
Mar 25th, 2004, 01:55 PM
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Thanks a lot for all the tips. I'm just being rigid on my schedule because I'm planning to go in the end of July and return on the Friday/Saturday of the Obon. After reading a few posts I became concerned about getting trains and booking hotels on the days prior to Obon. Should I really be concerned or not? I'm even planning to book the hotels next week. 
Mar 25th, 2004, 02:29 PM
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Obon is a busy travel time in Japan, but most people either travel abroad or out of the major cities. Last year, we took a spur of the moment trip to Nagoya for obon, and got a great hotel rate...the obon special! We drove there and had no traffic....all the traffic was going the other way, out of the city.
Train reservations cannot be made more than one month in advance of the day of travel, and even if the trains are full, the non-reserved cars just keep taking people until literally no more will fit. During obon and other heavy travel times, trains are often 150% or 200% full...meaning there are often twice as many people as seats. No reserved seats available doeesn't mean you can't go...it does mean you may have to stand in a crowd.
About your itinerary...others have said August is hot...August is really hot. When we visit Bangkok in August, it's a relief! So...I would suggest that you actually skip Osaka and add a day in Shirakawa-go, south of Takayama. It will be cooler there and it's a world heritage site of grass roofed houses. Small village at the base of a small mountain range. It's lovely, and will be a very different experience, since the rest of your stops are all big cities...even Hakone and Takayama are bigger than guidebooks lead you to believe.
On the trains, there is little luggage space, so plan your luggage accordingly. There are also many stairs in stations, so don't count on wheels being your lifesaver if your bag is heavy...you'll still have to haul it up and down long flights of stairs.
I'd wait to book your hotels, and try booking them directly rather than a booking agency. Obon special rates generally become available in early summer, and are not usually offered except from the hotel directly.
Train reservations cannot be made more than one month in advance of the day of travel, and even if the trains are full, the non-reserved cars just keep taking people until literally no more will fit. During obon and other heavy travel times, trains are often 150% or 200% full...meaning there are often twice as many people as seats. No reserved seats available doeesn't mean you can't go...it does mean you may have to stand in a crowd.
About your itinerary...others have said August is hot...August is really hot. When we visit Bangkok in August, it's a relief! So...I would suggest that you actually skip Osaka and add a day in Shirakawa-go, south of Takayama. It will be cooler there and it's a world heritage site of grass roofed houses. Small village at the base of a small mountain range. It's lovely, and will be a very different experience, since the rest of your stops are all big cities...even Hakone and Takayama are bigger than guidebooks lead you to believe.
On the trains, there is little luggage space, so plan your luggage accordingly. There are also many stairs in stations, so don't count on wheels being your lifesaver if your bag is heavy...you'll still have to haul it up and down long flights of stairs.
I'd wait to book your hotels, and try booking them directly rather than a booking agency. Obon special rates generally become available in early summer, and are not usually offered except from the hotel directly.
