3 Weeks in Japan - The Post COVID Version!

[rbjhan]

the airport limousine bus stops at Mark City and the Shibuya Excel Holiday is right there !!

Limousine buses are very expensive for what they are... I assume you don't have big luggage if it's a stopover? Coz that really is the only advantage of an airport bus...

Like I said it's up to your interest and I don't know.
Also don't know which airport your flights are.

But for 24H personally I would always choose somewhere close to airport with direct links.
Narita, it would probably be either Ueno (Keisei Skyliner is the fastest out of NRT) or Tokyo Station (NEX but also there are buses which are the cheapest option).

Haneda, I would most definitely stay at Ginza - Keisei Express trains are frequent and cheap (500 Yen-ish), stop at Higashi Ginza.

But hey, it's just me.

Edit, if you post details of the inbound/outbound flights we might be able to give more suggestions. Note Japanese hotels are very strict about check in/check out time.

 

[pyffii]

Unfortunately we have luggage as Tokyo is the first stop on a 9 week trip
We’ve been forced to overnight and take a late evening flight the following night to Europe because we’re arriving on a separate ticket and can’t risk a miss connect hence my question and the need for the limo bus.
Is it relatively easy to use google maps ? Are the streets named at all ?
Thanks for your help

 

[Quickstatus]

Unfortunately we have luggage as Tokyo is the first stop on a 9 week trip

No problems there. Ta-Q-Bin - the amazingly efficient and cost effective Japanese luggage transfer service will store luggage for short periods. Ive used the Yamato black cat for this in the past. Just approach them at the airport. There are other companies that provide Ta-Q-Bin

When @rbjhan says in the TR that the luggage is sent to the next destination while visiting the current location, it actually means using this service. They come to you, pick up your luggage and send it on for a very reasonable price. And its Ok if it arrives at your next hotel before you get there.

Ive even booked them by email and they respond in email with good English!

 

[RooFlyer]

Doesn’t sound a whole lot like the Japan I live in. Perhaps your friend’s body language is the issue.

Gosh, I've always found the Japanese polite to a fault, as Quickstatus mentioned. But then I haven't traveled extensively there (hope to) .

 

[rbjhan]

No problems there. Ta-Q-Bin - the amazingly efficient and cost effective Japanese luggage transfer service will store luggage for short periods. Ive used the Yamato black cat for this in the past. Just approach them at the airport. There are others.

When @rbjhan says in the TR, the luggage is sent to the next destination while visiting the current location, it actually means using this service. They come to you, pick up your luggage and send it on for a very reasonable price. And its Ok if it arrives at your next hotel before you get there.

Ive even booked them by email and they respond in email with good English!


View attachment 312824

Ta-Q-Bin is the best!
My case is 140, and generally cost less than 2000 Yen to send - depends on the distance ofc.

 

[Quickstatus]

polite to a fault

My expat friend says while polite to a fault, most Japanese tolerate foreigners in the sense they are not important to Japan.
They tolerate the Chinese even less (due to ancestral animosity)

 

[rbjhan]

My expat friend says while polite to a fault, most Japanese tolerate foreigners in the sense they are not important to Japan.
They tolerate the Chinese even less (due to ancestral animosity)

Oh yeah tolerate is the right word, which is why I don't like seeing tourists flaunting the rules...it will only make things worse in the long run.

Re the Chinese, even without historical animosities, their behaviour alone is enough reason!

 

[Quickstatus]

Ta-Q-Bin is the best!

Incredibly they still use paper waybills - with carbon copies. Nevertheless, it works and is so ubiquitous!

 

[drron]

Unfortunately we have luggage as Tokyo is the first stop on a 9 week trip
We’ve been forced to overnight and take a late evening flight the following night to Europe because we’re arriving on a separate ticket and can’t risk a miss connect hence my question and the need for the limo bus.
Is it relatively easy to use google maps ? Are the streets named at all ?
Thanks for your help

Even we are now travelling with only 1 large bag plus 2 carry ons. Takuhaibin is of no use if only staying 1 night but the airlines have very efficient baggage storage facilities at both Tokyo airports.
And if you are travelling around you can Takuhaibin your bags to those facilities.

 

[rbjhan]

Incredibly they still use paper waybills - with carbon copies. Nevertheless, it works and is so ubiquitous!

In the hotels they are.
However this time at Haneda it was all done on a tablet! Finally we are moving towards 20th century

 

[Quickstatus]

Takuhaibin is of no use if only staying 1 night

But I think they can store luggage at airport?

just not deliver to hotel same day?

 

[karen blancfield]

But I think they can store luggage at airport?

just not deliver to hotel same day?

We arrived at 5am last time, luggage was at hotel at 3pm when we checked in. I’ll have to think about which service we took it to at the airport.

 

[Quickstatus]

We arrived at 5am last time, luggage was at hotel at 3pm

yes it will depend on where the hotel is. In the same city yes.

 

[karen blancfield]

yes it will depend on where the hotel is. In the same city yes.

Haneda to hotel in Tokyo, while we visited Mori digital museum. Great use of our time, unencumbered by luggage.

 

[rbjhan]

Note that sending things back to Haneda requires 48H in advance I believe...

 

[Quickstatus]

sending things back to Haneda requires 48H

Yes I recall something like that. We sent our luggage to NRT 2 days before checking out of our last hotel in Kyoto. The hotel desk dealt with the particulars. We actually had spare paper waybills on hand, but I suspect the hotel would have got them too.

 

[rbjhan]

Yes I recall something like that. We sent our luggage to NRT 2 days before checking out of our last hotel in Kyoto. The hotel desk dealt with the particulars. We actually had spare paper waybills on hand, but I suspect the hotel would have got them too.

Now that's prepared!
I just asked the hotel staff to do it for me, every time...

 

[Quickstatus]

prepared

Only because I was being obsessive due to nil prior experience with Japanese service.

The petrol fill-ups are impressive. Attendants bowing as you drive off.

But nothing beats the JR rail service when Mrs QS arrived on crutches at Liyama JR station (after Nagano)

 

[rbjhan]

Only because I was being obsessive due to nil prior experience with Japanese service.

The petrol fill-ups are impressive. Attendants bowing as you drive off.

But nothing beats the JR rail service when Mrs QS arrived on crutches at Liyama JR station (after Nagano)

Have you ever walked into a department store when they just opened?
OMG that was something.

 

[Quickstatus]

It’s the one time you feel like royalty