Japan Travel Tips Part 2
Hey guys, so here is the second part of my Japan travel tips. I know this is a lot of info but it is all really helpful.
Sixth tip...when you land how do you get to your hotel? Well you can book in advance an Airport Bus but that depends what hotel you're staying at. The bus will make four or five different stops at major hotels so if your hotel is not one of them hopefully it is near one of them. There is a desk where you can purchase your tickets and the desk is right near (in Narita Airport anyway) when you come out as well as Tourist Information where they speak English. There is also the option of getting the train to all major stations. The journey takes about an hour.
Seventh tip is as soon as you can get yourself a Suica Card. This is a card that lets you use the transportation system along with some vending machines and in some stores.
There is a 500 yen deposit (which you get back if you so wish) along with I think the minimum of 2500 yen. That did not last me a long time so I had to top up more but we travelled a lot on a daily basis. You can buy these cards at major stations (Tokyo Station is a good one or Shinbashi Station) and the ticket machines have an option for different languages so you do not have to worry about not understanding.
Eighth tip is ask in your hotel for a guidebook. Many hotels have them with the city divided into its districts and things to do in each. We got one in our hotel with a train map in the back and I cannot tell you how helpful this was. Even though all of the signs in the stations are in English, trying to figure out what line you need and in what direction can be a bit daunting. So having a tube map with the English names of all the stations in is a life saver. Also if it is your first time in Tokyo than the JR Yamanote Line (its green) is probably your best bet as it takes you to all of the tourist spots.
Ninth tip is get City Maps 2Go on your smart phone. I cannot tell you how much this helped in trying to find places. You can use it online and offline and when offline it latches onto wifi that is around the area you are in and gives you a location. If you input an address or a landmark it will help you get there without having to be online. I won't say it is foolproof as to get actual directions you need to be connected to wifi. You can do this before you leave your hotel and save the picture or head into a Starbucks. The connection is slow but you can get onto the wifi pretty easily.
Tenth tip...Tokyo is quite an expensive city so be prepared and make sure you have enough money. I would not recommend eating out every night (although you can eat quite cheaply but who wants to eat ramen and curry everyday? Even though it is delicious!). And definitely make sure you check out a Wagyu Beef place (budget allowing) and of course the ramen (because it is sooooooooooooo GOOD!!!) and if you're up for it an Izakaya (Japanese pub). Money can go fast so a tip I have is to have an allowance for each day. If you have any left over then that's good and you can spend it at a later date.
So I know this is a lot of information to absorb but I hope these tips help you guys out. Tokyo is an awesome city and there is so much to see and do. And do not stress too much, getting used to the transport is easy and Japanese people are very polite! So if you are going there any time soon or thinking of going enjoy yourself!
Till next time xx
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Sixth tip...when you land how do you get to your hotel? Well you can book in advance an Airport Bus but that depends what hotel you're staying at. The bus will make four or five different stops at major hotels so if your hotel is not one of them hopefully it is near one of them. There is a desk where you can purchase your tickets and the desk is right near (in Narita Airport anyway) when you come out as well as Tourist Information where they speak English. There is also the option of getting the train to all major stations. The journey takes about an hour.
Seventh tip is as soon as you can get yourself a Suica Card. This is a card that lets you use the transportation system along with some vending machines and in some stores.
There is a 500 yen deposit (which you get back if you so wish) along with I think the minimum of 2500 yen. That did not last me a long time so I had to top up more but we travelled a lot on a daily basis. You can buy these cards at major stations (Tokyo Station is a good one or Shinbashi Station) and the ticket machines have an option for different languages so you do not have to worry about not understanding.
Eighth tip is ask in your hotel for a guidebook. Many hotels have them with the city divided into its districts and things to do in each. We got one in our hotel with a train map in the back and I cannot tell you how helpful this was. Even though all of the signs in the stations are in English, trying to figure out what line you need and in what direction can be a bit daunting. So having a tube map with the English names of all the stations in is a life saver. Also if it is your first time in Tokyo than the JR Yamanote Line (its green) is probably your best bet as it takes you to all of the tourist spots.
Ninth tip is get City Maps 2Go on your smart phone. I cannot tell you how much this helped in trying to find places. You can use it online and offline and when offline it latches onto wifi that is around the area you are in and gives you a location. If you input an address or a landmark it will help you get there without having to be online. I won't say it is foolproof as to get actual directions you need to be connected to wifi. You can do this before you leave your hotel and save the picture or head into a Starbucks. The connection is slow but you can get onto the wifi pretty easily.
Tenth tip...Tokyo is quite an expensive city so be prepared and make sure you have enough money. I would not recommend eating out every night (although you can eat quite cheaply but who wants to eat ramen and curry everyday? Even though it is delicious!). And definitely make sure you check out a Wagyu Beef place (budget allowing) and of course the ramen (because it is sooooooooooooo GOOD!!!) and if you're up for it an Izakaya (Japanese pub). Money can go fast so a tip I have is to have an allowance for each day. If you have any left over then that's good and you can spend it at a later date.
So I know this is a lot of information to absorb but I hope these tips help you guys out. Tokyo is an awesome city and there is so much to see and do. And do not stress too much, getting used to the transport is easy and Japanese people are very polite! So if you are going there any time soon or thinking of going enjoy yourself!
Till next time xx
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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