Where to start

[Blue nose]

I've just seen another thread about Tokyo and it got me thinking...

After cancelling lots last year we'd planned a budget WDW for this year and Maldives for next (special birthday). After reading another poster mention Japan I'm now wondering if that's practical for next year?

I don't know where to begin or even if it's within budget for us. I've planned on about £10-12k for Maldives - is Japan doable for this budget?

We're family of 4. Kids will be 16 and 13. Need separate beds for them or ideally interconnecting room to ours.

We fly from Manchester. We can only go end July/August due to school holidays - don't even know if it's worth going them for weather reasons.

We'd want to do Disney - not sure if there's any other parks to do?

We'd like to see some of Japan but ideally I'd like time on a beach (it is my birthday after all).

Any pointers so I know what to go and Google.

Can you recommend someone that books packages to make it easier or so you all book direct?

[Pumpkin Pie]

We were there in 2019 and were due to go back next month. Our flight next month was with BA flying economy from Edinburgh via Heathrow and PE return was around £1,300 for the two of us. This price also included a one night hotel in Kyoto as we wanted to just pay a deposit rather than pay upfront for flights only. I expect to pay more if we book for next year.

There is a Universal park in Osaka (not far from Kyoto). We didn’t go to that or the Disney park in Tokyo as we went to Japan to see Japan. We did spend a day at DisneySea though and loved it.

Japan is easy to get around if you buy a rail pass. We based ourselves in Tokyo and Kyoto and did day trips including Hakone, Nara, Hiroshima and Himeji Castle. We did not go to a beach but I know it is doable from Tokyo. The rail passes are quite expensive but worth it if you intend to travel around Japan.

I thought the price of packages were expensive compared to DIY and did not give us the flexibility we wanted. We had no problems travelling around or with the language (I learnt a few words before going). We went in May in 2019 and the weather was perfect but getting hot towards the end of our holiday. I think it would be too hot for me in July/August but I start to struggle with anything above 25 degrees!

Eating out can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. There are lots of places I think your children would like to visit in Tokyo but we were more into visiting temples etc. so can’t really comment on those.

Hotels are not cheap (we find they never are in big cities) but we did treat ourselves and I am sure there are good budget ones available.

There are some good websites - try Travel Japan - JNTO, Japan Guide and Tokyo Go for starters.

gotokyo/en/plan/

japan-guide/

japan.travel/en/

[AntonyJ]

I don't know where to begin or even if it's within budget for us. I've planned on about £10-12k for Maldives - is Japan doable for this budget?

Am not sure to be honest as only ever been the 2 of us.

We're family of 4. Kids will be 16 and 13. Need separate beds for them or ideally interconnecting room to ours.
The Hilton Tokyo Bay has family rooms have bunk beds I know- but are themed for small kids - but check their web site for room options. It is a 5 min walk from hotel to the Disney monorail station across the road.


We fly from Manchester. We can only go end July/August due to school holidays - don't even know if it's worth going them for weather reasons.
Do you and the kids enjoy the heat?
The following is off Google:

On an average day in July, the temperature in Tokyo can reach highs of 35°C (95°F) in July and August. ... High humidity levels are also characteristic for Japanese summer weather, ranging from about 78% relative humidity to 83% relative humidity during July and August.

We'd want to do Disney - not sure if there's any other parks to do?
That is about it for Tokyo area, Osaka has Universal Studios and their new Super Nintendo World area. There are parks for animated characters like Sanrio ones but they are more shows / food type places.
But there is so much else to do in Tokyo alone.

We'd like to see some of Japan but ideally I'd like time on a beach (it is my birthday after all).
Cannot help, city boy rather than a beach bunny - but perhaps you could stop at a beach country on way there / back?

Any pointers so I know what to go and Google.
TDR Explorer web site / YT channel and his ebook is a great start - he covers all the parks in Asia.

We got our flights using Virgin air miles, but I know that people have gone with Finnair via Helsinki and that gets good reviews.

Can you recommend someone that books packages to make it easier or so you all book direct?

There is a lady called Helen Knowles on here (do not know her Dibb name sorry) who will help with packages - been in contact to try and help me nab a room in the Disney Sea hotel as a treat!

helen . knowles @ travelcounsellors . com

[Gill H]

Helen is Cinders Mum on here.

I have a trip booked with her for November:

Flights from Heathrow to Tokyo, two adults
4 nights Disney
3 nights Kyoto
1 night Hakone
3 nights Tokyo
Flights home

Includes JR rail pass and transfer back to airport (but not transfer from airport to hotel - will just grab a bus).

Doesn’t include Disney tickets.

Cost is £5k for 2 adults and that includes Premium Economy flights and some decent hotels.

[sky13]

When I went a few years ago we stayed at the Sheraton Tokyo Bay which is one of the hotels on the Disney monorail loop. The room we had was a decent size, and we requested an additional bed (which was a bit like a campbed) from the hotel to be added to the room which already had 2 queen beds. So you could potentially fit the 4 of you in there (assuming the two adults share one bed, one teenager takes the other bed, and one teenager takes the added bed). May not be ideal though but just a potential option to consider!

When I was looking for places to stay I was looking both at hotels around Disney and hotels closer to the Tokyo city centre. Found that I could get a much larger/nicer room for the same cost around Disney because it was further out from the city centre, so we used that as a base for Tokyo. Fairly easy commute into Tokyo (Disney monorail to Maihama, then train into Tokyo).

[Melbatb]

My boss usually goes for 2-3m at a time and he tries to avoid August as it is too hot and humid (and we live in the south of France so used to the heat).

He uses airbnb as much more economical and more space so they could be an idea.

I went 20 years ago and world love to go back. It is on the list!

[Rac20]

We flew with Emirates from Newcastle and had a stop over in Dubai before flying on to Tokyo. Spent a week in Tokyo before travelling to Kanazawa. We then stayed in Kyoto. This was our base for when we went to Universal in Osaka and to Hiroshima. We booked everything DIY and stayed in Airbnb’s. Our biggest expense was the rail tickets. They cost well over £1000 for a family of 4. I did a trip report if you fancy a read - might give you an idea of where to start.👍🏻

Edited to add: We went in the summer holidays. It was hotter and more humid than Florida.👍🏻

[Blue nose]

Thanks all.

I now know what I'm doing today on my day off 👍

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by sky13

When I went a few years ago we stayed at the Sheraton Tokyo Bay which is one of the hotels on the Disney monorail loop. The room we had was a decent size, and we requested an additional bed (which was a bit like a campbed) from the hotel to be added to the room which already had 2 queen beds. So you could potentially fit the 4 of you in there (assuming the two adults share one bed, one teenager takes the other bed, and one teenager takes the added bed). May not be ideal though but just a potential option to consider!

When I was looking for places to stay I was looking both at hotels around Disney and hotels closer to the Tokyo city centre. Found that I could get a much larger/nicer room for the same cost around Disney because it was further out from the city centre, so we used that as a base for Tokyo. Fairly easy commute into Tokyo (Disney monorail to Maihama, then train into Tokyo).

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Am tempted to use the Hilton as our base after Disney also - as you say the rooms were so much bigger than you got in Tokyo itself.

The only thing I have against it so far, is the thought of having to do an approx 40 min train journey at the start / end of the day - after a tiring day trudging around Tokyo.

We liked Shibuya as being our base, as most things we wanted to see were within a 20 min or so walk from there. Yes there were other things we went to but the trains from Shibuya are numerous so it all worked out well.

[sky13]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Am tempted to use the Hilton as our base after Disney also - as you say the rooms were so much bigger than you got in Tokyo itself.

The only thing I have against it so far, is the thought of having to do an approx 40 min train journey at the start / end of the day - after a tiring day trudging around Tokyo.

We liked Shibuya as being our base, as most things we wanted to see were within a 20 min or so walk from there. Yes there were other things we went to but the trains from Shibuya are numerous so it all worked out well.

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Yeah it's less fun than being right in the city centre... but at the same time I guess I'm already used to a commute in my daily life so it wasn't too bad! And at least the trains in Japan are incredibly well run so it was a fairly easy commute.