Tokyo (HND & NRT) Stopover Tips

The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

Tokyo station isn't bad. It can get a bit maze like at times if you aren't there often.
It isn't anywhere near as bad as Shinjuku or Shibuya stations are at the moment.
 
Huh no way!!!. When in Japan go Japanese!!!:);)
Like the restaurants in the Tokyo station basement. ;P


Try to avoid the trains in Tokyo between 8 and 9 on weekday mornings.
This sort of thing is common during that time

Of the 51 busiest train stations in the world, 6 are not in Japan.
Of the 10 busiest in the world, 5 are in Tokyo.
 
Last edited:
Yes lots of dining options at Tokyo station

I prefer Ueno if heading out of town (at least if not heading south to Kyoto)
It sounds like you could plan a very nice itinerary for us! We haven’t started on that yet other than 2 nights in Tokyo. Only just decided after returning from Europe two weeks ago that we needed to be somewhere great for a special birthday.... Japan won the toss.
 
It sounds like you could plan a very nice itinerary for us! We haven’t started on that yet other than 2 nights in Tokyo. Only just decided after returning from Europe two weeks ago that we needed to be somewhere great for a special birthday.... Japan won the toss.
Paging @drron
Paging @mrs.dr.ron
Please come to the Batphone...
 
It sounds like you could plan a very nice itinerary for us! We haven’t started on that yet other than 2 nights in Tokyo. Only just decided after returning from Europe two weeks ago that we needed to be somewhere great for a special birthday.... Japan won the toss.
I've mainly done Tokyo and Osaka. Had a brief stop in Nagoya in Feb for an event, a day trip to Toyohashi for an event, and 2 short trips to Numazu.
I've planned a few day trips to Kyoto from Osaka, but each time I've gotten sick that day and stayed at the hotel in Osaka.
Kyoto, Sendai and Hakodate are my main to do stops at the moment.
Hoping to go to Kyoto next trip after what happened there last week. :(
 
Totally off topic, but if you aren't in a hurry into Tokyo, you might want to do some light shopping at Haneda. One that comes to mind is N.Y.C Sand cookies because the only other place you can get them in Tokyo is at Tokyo Station Daimaru and there's always a massive line there. Haneda, especially the time when you land rarely has a line. It looks like there's another "must have" item when I was there last month opposite the shop selling N.Y.C Sand and there was already a short line at 6ish when I came out. Can't remember what it was though.
 
Sponsored Post

Struggling to use your Frequent Flyer Points?

Frequent Flyer Concierge takes the hard work out of finding award availability and redeeming your frequent flyer or credit card points for flights.

Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, the Frequent Flyer Concierge team at Frequent Flyer Concierge will help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

A Suica card is hugely more convenient than using cash every time.
Obviously..... but horses for courses. If we were talking about any other city, I would 100% agree. But there are still millions of local Japanese people that buy paper tickets, so one is really not at a disadvantage as there are soooooooooooooooooooo many vending machines - unlike Australia, buying a ticket at a station takes about 30 seconds...

The main advantage IMO is that if one has a Suica or IC card, he/she doesn't have to work out how to read the subway map and calculate the correct fare! My golly gosh they can be confusing to read and some are only in Kanji still... which is a problem for those that cannot read Japanese.

And for a tourist only there a handful of days there are other options like day passes etc. I cannot count the number of smartcard train tickets from various countries I have in my desk drawer....

just thinking back to 2 weeks ago when I was there, I took all sorts of trains everyday and paid for a paper ticket each time and it didn't bother me - and I am really impatient! Only had to fare adjust once! :)
 
I find it hard to suggest a Japanese itinerary as there are so many places worth a visit.
When we travel by train in Japan we always use the takkyubin service.We usually get the bags forwarded to a hotel we will be at in 3-4 days time and just take our carryons on the train.have never had a problem-the bags generally waiting in your room.You can get them delivered from the airport or back to the airport.there are several companies and I doubt one would be so much better than the others.most larger hotels have a place you can book your luggage from and in smaller hotels often the hotel concierge will do it.
 
I find it hard to suggest a Japanese itinerary as there are so many places worth a visit.
When we travel by train in Japan we always use the takkyubin service.We usually get the bags forwarded to a hotel we will be at in 3-4 days time and just take our carryons on the train.have never had a problem-the bags generally waiting in your room.You can get them delivered from the airport or back to the airport.there are several companies and I doubt one would be so much better than the others.most larger hotels have a place you can book your luggage from and in smaller hotels often the hotel concierge will do it.
Thanks for the tips.
We have done a train trip independently that took in Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara, Hijemi, Kobe...... cherry blossom time.
Then last trip was Tokyo and a hire car around Hokkeido.

Our planning starts now for next month. A small case each as it’s summer and just two weeks but I like the idea of getting on trains without the case. Sounds something we will use this time.
 
This is the email for Yamato Transport (AKA Yamato Black Cat, Global Yamato). (a Takkyubin or Ta-Q-bin is just Japanese for luggage delivery service)

[email protected]

Its a weird email but it is very effective and a reply is very fast - usually within 1 hr or so

I used this email when I wanted to get my luggage delivered from hotel to hotel and from hotel to airport.
The English language can be used and they will reply in English

In the email just say you want to get luggage from A to B
You can say you want the luggage to arrive at B, and then ask when they have to pick up luggage by.
Or you can request a pickup date and they will tell you when it will arrive

I try to book a pickup a few days before pickup date

Please carry a measuring tape and a portable scales as this will assist in the recording of the dimensions/weight.
You can pay on pickup (cash) or ask the concierge to charge to room.
 
This is the email for Yamato Transport (AKA Yamato Black Cat, Global Yamato). (a Takkyubin or Ta-Q-bin is just Japanese for luggage delivery service)

[email protected]

Its a weird email but it is very effective and a reply is very fast - usually within 1 hr or so

I used this email when I wanted to get my luggage delivered from hotel to hotel and from hotel to airport.
The English language can be used and they will reply in English

In the email just say you want to get luggage from A to B
You can say you want the luggage to arrive at B, and then ask when they have to pick up luggage by.
Or you can request a pickup date and they will tell you when it will arrive

I try to book a pickup a few days before pickup date

Please carry a measuring tape and a portable scales as this will assist in the recording of the dimensions/weight.
You can pay on pickup (cash) or ask the concierge to charge to room.
Great, thanks for the details. We can measure our bags prior and yes we carry the scales. Need to work out our itinerary in order to prebook then. We are onto it!
 
Unlike UPS/Fedex, Ta-Q-Bin don’t provide a tracking number. You just hold on to your copy of the waybill - the form referred to above - one per item and each waybill has a unique serial number

The waybill is filled out by hand in triplicate - one to courier, one to customer, one in a see through plastic sleeve attached to item.

I had luggage delivered from Nagano to Narita 4 days in advance of flight back home. This was because we were going Nagano-Kyoto for 4 days before flight from NRT. We had enough in carry on for Kyoto so the rest went direct Nagano-NRT. No issues. Bags were picked up the day we checked out from Nagano and it was safely at Yamato counter when we got to NRT
 
I’m flying into NRT at 0700 and dep for SYD late evening on JL so with 12 hour break was wondering if I should book a hotel room to freshen up then go sightseeing? In the past I stayed at Narita town, at the former MERCURE hotel, now Hotel Welco,,, your suggestions other than spending time in lounges?
 

Enhance your AFF viewing experience!!

From just $6 we'll remove all advertisements so that you can enjoy a cleaner and uninterupted viewing experience.

And you'll be supporting us so that we can continue to provide this valuable resource :)


Sample AFF with no advertisements? More..
Back
Top