i have been on this chat before and spoken to a lot of you guys who have been very helpful , i am currently in a stage of both looking at getting a trip to japan booked for the very first time and also trying to convince / talk to my parents about going but they are a little bit hesitant to agree about going, i have done a decent ish ammount of research in terms of flights which i think i can buy for around £500 , im not sure about my plan yet for things to do hotels etc, i think the main things my parents (and myself a little) are worried about is the flight and the food as well as my safety of course any help would be greatly appreciated
#First trip to japan and First trip alone , planning
lucid terrace
split creek
Your safety, once you get to Japan, pretty much just falls down to common sense.
As for the other parts, are you looking more for budgetary recommendations or something else?
lucid terrace
Your safety, once you get to Japan, pretty much just falls down to common sense....
isn't japan a pretty safe place to be in? i know obviously no where is 100 percent safe but compared to hter places i saw that you can like leave a bad for 4 hours or something and it will still be there . and then in terms of budget i think i would like to keep it cheap ish , if i keep my cost down in places like hotels and flgiths i can spend more money on merch activites soviniours etc i think?
split creek
Yes, that's why I said it is pretty much just common sense. Don't go with the hawker. Don't give people on the streets money. Etc.
lucid terrace
Yes, that's why I said it is pretty much just common sense. Don't go with the ha...
hawker ? like scammer ?
split creek
No, like person outside of a business who is trying to get you to go in it
Particularly, but not limited to, clubs.
Where you can get scammed for sure
lucid terrace
oh i see, i dont really do clubbing anyway
lucid terrace
Particularly, but not limited to, clubs.
im not really a fan of "DRINK DRINK DRINK!!" or that kind of thing
are those capsule hotels people talk about any good for a first time vsisiter ? i assume they are cheaper?
split creek
I stayed at one for a whole two days. They're a fun thing to do but I, personally, wouldn't want to stay in one for more than a night or two
lucid terrace
I stayed at one for a whole two days. They're a fun thing to do but I, personall...
not for 2/3 weeks then? haha
split creek
Not for me
Hostels are another cheaper option but you're sharing space with multiple people.
lucid terrace
Hostels are another cheaper option but you're sharing space with multiple people...
i see, i am currently on booking .com looking at hotels , will the price differ if i go during different times of the year ? im not sure when i will be going so i just want a rough guide
lucid terrace
Demand changes prices
thought so , still i can get a rough idea
lucid terrace
Demand changes prices
£500 a night ???😅 wow and thats "best deals for solo travlers "
split creek
Some places are expensive, yes
lucid terrace
Some places are expensive, yes
And the flights are £800 😨😨 Its so expensive
lucid terrace
For a flight
I mean yeah I suppose but idk if I can even afford to go 😅I swear I read someone say you can get flights from between £150 and £300 maybe I read wrong
lucid terrace
But that’s not normal
I see ,
round berry
Or maybe it was from hong kong or something. Then it would make sense. But from europe, getting there under 1k is hard and will most likely require 1-2 lay overs. Something I'd totally avoid as first timer (or always really).
sterile panther
150 Eur from Hong Kong would sit somewhere between the LCC and FSC, just saying
Although, you could transfer here and there are usually decently priced flights between HK and Europe
Probably a little too complicated tho for a first time intercontinential traveller
I think 1K is a pretty normal or on the high end amount for Europe - Japan flight
ashen jacinth
Although, you could transfer here and there are usually decently priced flights ...
Also tricky, if those are separate bookings and one of the flights gets delayed, you're in trouble. Or you have to build in a pretty large buffer.....
sterile panther
Not to meantion the manual baggage transfer and additional visa some may need
But its fun if you like transfers xD
ashen jacinth
Well, I have once done a 10 9 hour or so transfer at HK, but that was still with one airline/booking. Choice between waiting 4 hours at the airport, or have enough time to spend a few hours in the city.
Flight times couldn't be any better.....
But still not advised for a first time traveler. It will likely take you some more time to get up and running (I mean, I already had been to HK twice before, knew how to get around and also already had some cash and an Octopus card from those previous visits), so quite hard to make the most of those few hours. And you surely don't want to miscalculate the time to get back to the airport or otherwise mess up, and miss the connecting flight...
icy jewel
I mean yeah I suppose but idk if I can even afford to go 😅I swear I read someon...
You're probably referring to my post. You're not wrong, but I'm also not from the UK.
Do keep in mind that price varies with distance, so naturally the further away you are from Japan the more expensive the price of the flight is gonna be.
icy jewel
are those capsule hotels people talk about any good for a first time vsisiter...
They aren't as expensive as a proper hotel room but from the prices I've seen I don't think they are worth it
I think hostels are much better and can be quite fun experiences as well since you can meet and hang out with other guests and the staffs
But I suppose capsule hotels generally do provide more privacy than a hostel bunk
It's up to you really
I've never stayed in a capsule hotel before, but have stayed in hostels plenty of times and have many great experiences meeting and hanging out with the other people there
Some hostels will also host fun activities like dinner parties and game nights etc to encourage more socializing among the guests
Another type of budget accomodation would be minshuku, which are family-run guesthouses. You get a proper room of your own so you have plenty of privacy, but most of them still do not have private bathrooms, so you will need to go out of your room to use them.
I recently stayed in one in Aizuwakamatsu and it was a lovely experience, very comfy and the eldery couple who owns the place took great care of me when I was feeling a bit unwell
This is a hostel I stayed in Toyama, typically you'd get a fully furnished kitchen if you wanna cook anything, a common area where all the guests can sit and chill, a shared bathroom (some may have multiple, some may have bathtubs while some are just showers), and the dorm rooms where all the beds are.
This is a minshuku I stayed at in Aizuwakamatsu, nice spacious traditional Japanese style room with a futon bed, furnished with a floor sitting table, a TV and fridge
icy jewel
For hostels I normally pay around ¥3000 per night
For minshuku and budget ryokan (traditional inn), they usually go around ¥6000-8000
The minshuku I posted above was really cheap, it was only ¥4600 per night, I even added an extra night while I was there and the owner gave me a discount for it