Melbourne to Narita return seats and other questions

[Cynicor]

My thoughts on Tokyo and your trip:

CC- Bankwest Plat/Zero or 28 degrees for fee free fx transactions.
Cash- Get yourself a free citi debit card for fee free cash withdrawals. Please fin th relevant thread for more details (hard for me to link on the app!)

Travel- Don't get a metro pass. Use the suica/pasmo, easiest to use and get around, easy to recharge and takes no thought. Combine with hyperdia android/iPhone app.

Phone/data- I use a portable wifi device. Many companies rent them, I use Global advanced. This allows mapping and hyperdia use anywhere, making travel ridiculously easy.

Maps- use anything you want if you have data. If you do not then use Maps.me app which is offline mapping. It's excellent and either very cheap or free.

Money- cash is king, Credit cards are moving into wider use but if you eat in smaller places and do out of the way things, credit is still rarely accepted.

I love Tokyo, and Japan. Actually, I'm in Hokkaido right now.

 

[SRS65]

Thanks again to all the board members who have provided tips and feedback - its fantastic!

We have now booked the Ritz Carlton Club level room facing the Tokyo Tower for our trip.

Any reports on this would also be great.

Also - I have read that June is quite humid during the rainy season - so any input regarding this would also be excellent

Thanks

 

[Himeno]

Roppongi is a nice area.
What sorts of things are you interested in doing?

 

[SRS65]

Roppongi is a nice area.
What sorts of things are you interested in doing?

Hi Himeno

My wife loves shopping - as they all do - and really likes shops along the line of Charles & Keith which offer value and aren't available in Australia. (undoubtedly MUJI will be on her list)
I am a foodie that loves the Japanese culinary opportunity - teppanyaki and tempura mostly.
Great food is definitely a priority for both of us.
We aren't big on walking / nature trails but love sightseeing with different cultural aspects. (people watching is also a favourite pastime)
Sitting at a nice venue having a wonderful alcoholic drink is also a favourite - but I hear this can be quite expensive in Japan - hence booking club level at the RC (with all day drinks included)

Thanks again

 

[Himeno]

What sort of shopping?
There are a lot of shops of different types quite close to major train stations (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, Ginza).
There are a number of restaurants and small shops in the basement of Tokyo station (downstairs near the Shinkansen ticket offices). This area tends to be overlooked by the tourists.

Try to avoid the trains during rush hour (depending on line/direction 7-9am and 5.30-7pm - morning is worse). Shouldn't be too hard to do so as many (not all) shops and attractions don't start opening until 10-11am.
This is a thing (only during peak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr62mxhPQKM

 

[Conrad_S]

June in Tokyo is hot and humid during the days. We were there last year for the rugby and come 2 pm most days we were looking for somewhere with air conditioning. There are some great cheap little izakaya and yakitori places at Yurakucho under the train line. Another place worth a try is under Shimbashi station. There is a great little arcade that opens up in the evening there that is full of little bars.

 

[offshore171]

Travel- Don't get a metro pass. Use the suica/pasmo, easiest to use and get around, easy to recharge and takes no thought.

If there's only one piece of advice taken, this is it.

Get a Suica card. It makes getting around in Tokyo totally effortless. The other thing it's great for is all those little transactions such as buying a drink from a vending machine, or small purchases from convenience stores. Use the Suica and don't end up with a wallet full of shrapnel...

 

[offshore171]

June in Tokyo is hot and humid during the days. We were there last year for the rugby and come 2 pm most days we were looking for somewhere with air conditioning. There are some great cheap little izakaya and yakitori places at Yurakucho under the train line. Another place worth a try is under Shimbashi station. There is a great little arcade that opens up in the evening there that is full of little bars.

Agreed. To this end, I'd suggest that the OP change their accomodation to the Conrad. Direct access to Shimbashi, and walking distance to Ginza and Yurakucho.

Best hotel in Tokyo in my view.

 

[Himeno]

Agreed. To this end, I'd suggest that the OP change their accomodation to the Conrad. Direct access to Shimbashi, and walking distance to Ginza and Yurakucho.

Might be an idea.

The nearest stations to the Ritz Carlton are Nogizaka Station on the Chiyoda subway line and Roppongi Station on the Hibiya and Oedo subway lines (There is an entrance to Roppongi Station at the hotel, but it has a walk through an underground passage for about a block before you get to the station itself).

The nearest stations to the Conrad are Shiodome Station on the Oedo line and Yurikamome (a monorail like train which goes throughOdaiba and over the Rainbow Bridge) and Shimbashi Station (Ginza and Asakusa subway lines, the Yurikamome terminus and 7 JR lines, including the Yamanote line [loop around Tokyo passing through the major stations])



Those hotels are out of my price range. I normally stay at budget accommodation like the Sakura Hostel/Hotel in Ikebukuro or a Prince Hotel (Sunshine or Shinagawa). The last few times I've been in Tokyo, I've stayed at an airbnb.

 

[Conrad_S]

The Conrad in Tokyo is a great hotel. Another option we've also stayed at is the Royal Park Shiodome. It's a bit cheaper and they have great showers in the better rooms. It's a bit closer to Shimbashi but doesn't have as good a view of the park and the rainbow bridge.
Another advantage of that area is its close to the river and the ferries.

 

[JessicaTam]

When are you flying out of NRT? There is a little gathering on the 11th:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....al-events/nrt-lounge-crawl-11-june-77011.html

 

[offshore171]

Those hotels are out of my price range.

Normally for us too, but the Conrad frequently comes up on 40% off sales. This is what brought it into play for our trip. Worked out at around $100 per head, per night, including full breakfast.

Fantastic hotel, with excellent facilities and location, including an amazing swimming pool on the 29th floor. I've stayed at the Imperial and the Palace previously and would rate the Conrad as the pick of the bunch.

To get early warning of the 40% deals, get on the Hilton mailing list.

 

[SRS65]

Thanks everyone- great tips and advice.
Gained a preferential rate at RC which made the decision an easy one - plus we are real fans of their hotels in Asia having great club experiences in Singapore and HK.
suica card sounds like a must have as does good aircon during June!
cant wait to experience Tokyo and surrounding areas - and unfortunately the timing isn't quite right for the AFF catch up.

 

[Himeno]

Friendly Limousine Bus (the main Tokyo airport bus company) has some services between Narita and the Ritz, but the last bus departs NRT T2 10 minutes after QF79 is due to land, so wouldn't work. There are more services to the nearby Grand Hyatt.

Otherwise, the best option to get from the airport to the hotel would be the Keisei Skyliner to the last stop (Keisei Ueno), then transfer to the Hibiya Subway line to Roppongi Station. There is a short walk between Keisei Ueno and Ueno Stations (across a road and around the corner). The other options involve multiple connections or using a local bus which can be difficult to navigate if you aren't familiar with the area/route.

The airport bus might be more helpful direct from the hotel for QF80 https://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/platform_searches/index/1/58

 

[Conrad_S]

Have a good trip. Japan is a country I'm happy to go back to again and again. Tokyo is amazing and pretty much anywhere you'll go there'll be friendly people and great things to experience. Don't forget your hat and sunscreen for June.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

I'm a bit late to this thread, although I have to say the contributions so far in this thread, sharing some fantastic suggestions for a highly memorable trip to The Land of the Rising Sun !

No doubt the OP won't be disappointed with some of the recommendations made here.

I've just booked my third trip to Japan ( for November) and I will certainly use many of the suggestions made in this thread.

 

[SRS65]

I'm a bit late to this thread, although I have to say the contributions so far in this thread, sharing some fantastic suggestions for a highly memorable trip to The Land of the Rising Sun !

No doubt the OP won't be disappointed with some of the recommendations made here.

I've just booked my third trip to Japan ( for November) and I will certainly use many of the suggestions made in this thread.

Yes agreed - the tips and hints are amazing and really helpful.

Would also be interested to hear of any RC Tokyo feedback and member experiences when staying there (cant find many reviews on the board)

Cant wait for June to come around so we can visit this exciting country.

 

[nonscenic]

Re Mapping, I use OsmAnd for my travels. It is open Source and you download the maps onto your Android before leaving home. The maps are updated monthly, you can get contour maps if needed for hiking and the maps tend to have "useful" info such as hiking trails rather than info by whoever pays Google.
I'm heading to Tokyo and Osaka next week. Just how bad is the QF NRT J lounge? I did use a QF lounge at NRT in 2008 and seem to remember that food came out in very small amounts. (I'm QC Silver and flying Y so don't have other Oneworld options)

 

[Himeno]

Just how bad is the QF NRT J lounge?

I'd have to say the QF MEL Int J lounge is better...

 

[greyyy]

Thankfully you would have access to the JAL, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific lounges though, right? (provided you're flying QF J, or have status)