taxis in Japan

[Sumar76]

Arriving from Narita airport to go to Ginza Hotel. Does anyone know if the taxi is the best way to get there? Has anyone tried the Limosuine Bus Routes? Do not want to go the train route..as will be going on the Bullet 2 days after that.

Thanks for any info. Sue

[A J Theodore]

I fear that you may not have posted the full name of the hotel because Ginza is a district in Tokyo and there are a number of hotels with "Ginza" in the name. If you are able to get a more complete name - or, better, a name and address - I willl try to help.

[Jane110]

No matter which hotel in Tokyo you're going to, I wouldn't advise taking a taxi from the airport unless money is not an issue for you. The cost is over $200. one way.....

 

Japan has excellent train and bus systems and very few people use taxi's.

 

Jane

[BruceMuzz]

If you don't speak or read Japanese, the Limousine Bus is a good bet. It stops at many downtown hotels; takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours (depends on traffic) from Narita to downtown Tokyo. Cost 2900 yen.

 

If you do speak Japanese - or are a bit adventurous - there is a very nice express train that departs from the basement of the Narita Terminals and gets you to Ueno Station or Tokyo Station in about 48 minutes. Cost 3400 yen.

 

You can also take a local JR train from Narita to anywhere in central Tokyo for about 1000 yen. It takes about 90 minutes.

 

Gambatte Kudasai !

[Sumar76]

A J Theodore...I will be staying at the Renissance Tokyo Hotel Ginza Tobu

14-10 Ginza 6-Chrome, Chuo-ku

 

Are you familiar with it? and is it an okay place area wise? Have never been to Tokyo before so need to be centrally located. Thank you for trying to help.

 

Jane110 and BruceMuzz, thank you for your input, and I think I know what my options are now. Had no idea taxi was that expensive. Will look into one of the other alternatives you suggested.

 

Sue

[A J Theodore]

There is "limousine bus" service from Narita that includes the hotel where you will be staying (this is really a bus service, not a limousine). Price is probably about 2900-3000 yen (for convenience, figure 100 yen to the US dollar). You can get more information by going to the website www DOT limousinebus DOT co DOT ja (note that this is "co" not "com"). If I am reading the timetable correctly, the bus you will want leaves at about 45 minutes after the hour every hour.

 

You can get the bus ticket inside the terminal and they should be able to direct you to the bus stop (right outside the door of the terminal and very convenient). Almost everyone in services at Narita speaks English.

 

I absolutely agree with the prior comments about not taking the train (too difficult to navigate with luggage) unless you are quite adventurous and don't mind getting lost at one terminal or another. Taxis are prohibitive. Bus is just as fast and will go directly to your destination.

 

Other things. Yes, this is a good, central hotel location and a safe area of town (very little street crime in Tokyo, anyway, but there will always be some folks who will try to target tourists, so watch your purse, wallet, etc.). While I have never stayed at this hotel or eaten at any of the restaurants there, it has seemed very good to me and I have never heard anything adverse. Ginza is a very high end area of Tokyo (lots of expensive shops, boutiques. and restaurants, etc.); very good for a night in Tokyo after a long flight from North America. Not very far from the cruise terminal.

 

If you have a few hours or a day in Tokyo, Ginza is a good starting place for a little touring. You can get to the public parts of the Imperial Palace with ease. Also, consider the Tokyo Museum of Art. My personal favorites are the Tokyo City Museum and the Kabuki theater. If you are not dead from the jet lag, the early morning fish market is not to be missed.

 

Your hotel can certainly help arrange a taxi and, perhaps, a guide for you. If interested, you might want to contact the hotel in advaince. Otherwise, Japan National Tourist Bureau can be helpful. Note that taxi and/or guide will be expensive. If you want to do any of those things on your own (and all three can be done on your own), get a card from the hotel desk with your destination written on it in Japanese to show the cab driver (very few of whom speak any English). Then, get another card with the hotel's name and address to do the same for the return trip. Japanese cabs are metered.

 

Note that Japan is VERY expensive and the Ginza district is probably the most expensive in Tokyo. Credit cards are generally usable only in places that cater to non-Japanese (such as the hotel where you will be staying). Therefore, take travellers checks and exchange them at the airport (better exchange rate by at least a couple of yen than for cash).

 

Enjoy. Tokyo is very exciting and loads of fun.

[Jane110]

A J Theodore...I will be staying at the Renissance Tokyo Hotel Ginza Tobu

14-10 Ginza 6-Chrome, Chuo-ku

 

Are you familiar with it? and is it an okay place area wise? Have never been to Tokyo before so need to be centrally located. Thank you for trying to help.

 

Jane110 and BruceMuzz, thank you for your input, and I think I know what my options are now. Had no idea taxi was that expensive. Will look into one of the other alternatives you suggested.

 

Sue

 

Sue,

 

AJ gave you a lot of good info. All area's of Tokyo are good but the Ginza probably has more night life than most, so it's a good area to stay in. There's a nice ice-cream shop near the main subway entrance where you'll see a lot of people go for a late night dessert.

 

If you have a few days there, take a tour of Nikko. You can arrange that with your hotel concierge. It will be a group tour, you'll meet a guide at a central place and everyone will take the train together to Nikko where you'll get on a bus. It's an interesting place and a nice day tour.

 

Beverages are very expensive in Japan. A cup of coffee can easily cost $15.00 or more in a cafe or restaurant. If you need a coffee or juice "fix", you'll see a lot ot vending machines around Tokyo where you can buy hot and cold beverages for a few dollars.

 

If you want to save some money on lunches eat in the department stores. They usually have multiple restaurants on one of the upper floors. Dept stores also have food courts on the lower floors where you can buy fresh produce and ready cooked food (red bean paste filled pastry is my favorite) to keep with you or in your room if you like to snack. Don't even think of ordering room service in Japan unless you have unlimited funds!

The two biggest deapartment stores are Mitsokushi and Takashimaya. If you get there for store opening (10:00AM?) you'll see the staff's opening "ceremony" which is nice to experience.

Another way to save some money on lunch or dinner is to go to the places where you're charged by the plate color. I think it's called Ginroku Sushi.....the sushi and other things come around the counter on a train carrying small plates. The plates are of different colors and there's a price list on the wall telling you how much each plate is. When you're finished, the waitress adds up the plates and hands you the bill.

On my two trips to Japan, my husband was working and I don't like going into restaurants alone, so this was a perfect option for me. It's very comfortable.

 

For dinners, we went to some Korean barbeque places and sushi bars. There's no tipping in Japan, but DH often bought a beer for the sushi chef as we sat at the counter. Some nice little complimentary tidbits came our way. :)

[Sumar76]

Wow...thanks both A J and Jane110, what helpful hints and great ideas!

 

I am printing them out so I can take it with me.

Since you are both so knowlegable, maybe you can tell me about the Bullet Train. My husband very much wants to take it to Osaka, as that is where our cruise begins. However I am very leary because of luggage. I did hear that you can send luggage ahead, however do not think you can because the destination is a cruise ship. Any ideas????

 

Thanks again...Sue

[Jane110]

Wow...thanks both A J and Jane110, what helpful hints and great ideas!

 

I am printing them out so I can take it with me.

Since you are both so knowlegable, maybe you can tell me about the Bullet Train. My husband very much wants to take it to Osaka, as that is where our cruise begins. However I am very leary because of luggage. I did hear that you can send luggage ahead, however do not think you can because the destination is a cruise ship. Any ideas????

 

Thanks again...Sue

 

Sue,

 

You're welcome.

 

I've taken the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto twice. There is enough room in the trains for luggage storage, but you will have to schlep your luggage through the train stations on your own. (unless this has changed in the past 6 years).

I'm sorry, but I don't have any info on sending luggage ahead to the cruise ship. I've never cruised in or out of Japan.

 

If you do go on the bullet train, buy yourselves some lunch beforehand at the train station. All train stations in Japan have wonderful food vendors. Once on the train there will be people walking up the aisles selling food, however, the japanese like to wrap everything like it's a gift so you won't know what's inside unless you read japanese. <g> They will also have hot and cold beverages and ice cream - those are easy to buy. The japanese language sound is consonant-vowel, hence they put a vowel at the end of all american words. So, milk becomes Milku, and ice-cream becomes ice-creama - you'll get used to it. If you do the same thing, they'll understand you a lot better.

 

Also, if you're going to go on the bullet train, buy your tickets here in advance with a Japan Rail Pass. It'll be a lot cheaper and you can use the pass for all train travel in Japan, though not the subways in Tokyo or Kyoto.

 

Jane

[Sumar76]

Thank you again, Jane....very ,very helpful. Sue

[Jane110]

Sue,

 

You're welcome.

 

Oh and one more important thing...........

 

Make sure you are wearing shoes that you can easily get on and off (like loafers). You will be taking your shoes off a lot and if they're time-consuming to put on or take off, you'll hate yourself. No one told me this on my first trip to Japan - it was winter and I wore calf high boots that needed to be laced up. What a pain that was!

 

Jane

[tclowe]

You can send your luggage to your hotel or a residence. But not the ship because no one to accept the baggage. We did this from Osaka airport without problems. We booked 3 days in Osaka pre-cruise and wanted to take the train. There were two companies in the airport that do luggage sending and we sent our 3 big luggages to the Osaka hotel. Arrived the next day around 2 or 4 in the afternoon. Very promptly and no damage to the luggage. Bellhop held the luggage for us until we claimed it. I think it was about $15 per piece.

 

Then we just took our carry-on (with a single day change of clothing) with us onto the train. There is room for big and small pieces of luggage on the train in a separate compartment before you take seat in the passenger compartment. But we didn't want to haul all our luggage through the train station in Osaka and then walk a block to our Osaka hotel. The luggage delivery system worked very well and I heard that most Japanese travel this way or take the Limo Bus.

 

But I wouldn't recommend sending your luggage if you are only doing a one-day pre-cruise stay. If your luggage don't arrive on time, then you will have no clothes on your cruise. Then you should keep your luggage with you by taking the train or limo bus.

[Sumar76]

Thanks again, Jane...very interesting about the shoes..I would have never thought of that. Loafers for me now..

 

Tclowe...thank you for explaining the luggage situation so clearly. You brought up a couple of very good facts..I think it is best we keep it with us and battle the train station...thanks for your reply

 

Sue

[susiesan]

"Also, if you're going to go on the bullet train, buy your tickets here in advance with a Japan Rail Pass. It'll be a lot cheaper and you can use the pass for all train travel in Japan, though not the subways in Tokyo or Kyoto."

 

 

There is a circle train line in Toko, the Yamanote line which is like the subway. A Japan Rail pass is good on this line. It is also good on the Narita Express train into the city. You have to buy the pass from a travel agent in the US-you can't buy it in Japan. Then you activate it at the Narita station. It is good for 7 days. It will get you a reserved seat on the Shinkansen for no extra charge. A one way ticket on the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka is $142. The pass is around $280. Your hotel can send the luggage ahead-its called takyubin. They will know how it works. Lots of Japanese do this when they are going to the airport. I'm sure they can takyubin your luggae to the cruise ship-the Japanese can do anything!

[Sumar76]

Thank you Susiesan...lots of good tips.....we will definately get the bullet train tickets here. Just have to remember to activate them before we get on train. Had a problem with that in France once.

[babsjoy]

I fear that you may not have posted the full name of the hotel because Ginza is a district in Tokyo and there are a number of hotels with "Ginza" in the name. If you are able to get a more complete name - or, better, a name and address - I willl try to help.

Am hoping to find someone to pick us up at Narita and bring to hotel and then give us a private tour the next day. Know anyone in Tokyo?

Thanks. Babs

[babsjoy]

Sue,

 

AJ gave you a lot of good info. All area's of Tokyo are good but the Ginza probably has more night life than most, so it's a good area to stay in. There's a nice ice-cream shop near the main subway entrance where you'll see a lot of people go for a late night dessert.

 

If you have a few days there, take a tour of Nikko. You can arrange that with your hotel concierge. It will be a group tour, you'll meet a guide at a central place and everyone will take the train together to Nikko where you'll get on a bus. It's an interesting place and a nice day tour.

 

Beverages are very expensive in Japan. A cup of coffee can easily cost $15.00 or more in a cafe or restaurant. If you need a coffee or juice "fix", you'll see a lot ot vending machines around Tokyo where you can buy hot and cold beverages for a few dollars.

 

If you want to save some money on lunches eat in the department stores. They usually have multiple restaurants on one of the upper floors. Dept stores also have food courts on the lower floors where you can buy fresh produce and ready cooked food (red bean paste filled pastry is my favorite) to keep with you or in your room if you like to snack. Don't even think of ordering room service in Japan unless you have unlimited funds!

The two biggest deapartment stores are Mitsokushi and Takashimaya. If you get there for store opening (10:00AM?) you'll see the staff's opening "ceremony" which is nice to experience.

Another way to save some money on lunch or dinner is to go to the places where you're charged by the plate color. I think it's called Ginroku Sushi.....the sushi and other things come around the counter on a train carrying small plates. The plates are of different colors and there's a price list on the wall telling you how much each plate is. When you're finished, the waitress adds up the plates and hands you the bill.

On my two trips to Japan, my husband was working and I don't like going into restaurants alone, so this was a perfect option for me. It's very comfortable.

 

For dinners, we went to some Korean barbeque places and sushi bars. There's no tipping in Japan, but DH often bought a beer for the sushi chef as we sat at the counter. Some nice little complimentary tidbits came our way. :)

Do you know of a tour guide in Tokyo? Also someone to pick us up at Narita? Thanks. Babs

[Jane110]

Do you know of a tour guide in Tokyo? Also someone to pick us up at Narita? Thanks. Babs

 

Sorry I don't. We always did it on out own. We did one day take a group tour to Nikko. We just asked our hotel to arrange it. We simply showed up the next morning, met the group leader and we were off for the day.

 

Sorry again - but I don't know of a car service. We used the nice bus from airport to hotel.

[PlanoDebbie]

My son and his girlfriend will be in Tokyo next year to compete in a programming competition at the Hilton Tokyo Bay hotel. What's the cheapest way to get there from the Norita Airport?

 

Also, for a couple of college kids on a very tight budget, is there anything for them to do around their hotel in their spare time that isn't outrageously expensive?

[Jim Gallup]

PlanoDebbie,

They can take a local train from Narita to anywhere in downtown Tokyo for just a few dollars. It takes a bit longer, but is a great introduction to Japan.

 

They are going to be visiting the largest and most modern city in the world.

The question is not, "What is there to do?"

The question is, "How can we possibly see and visit everything (free and otherwise) in a short time?"

 

Right now they should be reading Tokyo Guidebooks and Googling Japan tourism websites.