Flight prices direct to Japan?

[Kat11]

Hi there, I’m tentatively looking into a trip to Japan next Easter. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka the. Back to Tokyo (including Disney and universal) with a couple of day trips. Maybe snow monkeys too?

Do you guys have any ideas what we should be looking at paying for flights. Bearing in mind it’s Easter. Was hoping to fly business but at the least looking at PE outbound Business return.

I realise it will be significant as it’s further than Orlando and time of year matters? We’ve not got any Avios points.

Thanks for any advise not just on flights but on Japan in general?

Kat

[AntonyJ]

Well I just booked for next May - London to Haneda on ANA in Business and it was £5200 for the two of us.

Look at ANA web site as think there’s is an option to book different classes.

JAL and BA fly direct, read good things about Finnair flights via Helsinki.

As to other things you want to know about just ask here :-)

Perhaps start with a list of questions and take it from there, see where answers take you?

[AntonyJ]

Anything’s that particularly concern you about going - food, travel, language etc?

[Pumpkin Pie]

Not sure what your plans are but i don’t recommend moving hotels between Kyoto and Osaka as both are just a short easy train journey from each other. We took day trips to Hiroshima, Nara and Himeji from Kyoto (I recommend all three). From Tokyo we did a day trip to Hakone which is next to Mt. Fuji. I think the snow monkeys are quite a distance away for a day trip but I could be wrong (I’ve not checked). We were there in 2019.

We had been booked to return to Japan May 2020 and I think the cost was £1,200 PE with BA but of course had to be cancelled - this was for both of us. It seems to have gone up quite a bit now.

[Kat11]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Well I just booked for next May - London to Haneda on ANA in Business and it was £5200 for the two of us.

Look at ANA web site as think there’s is an option to book different classes.

JAL and BA fly direct, read good things about Finnair flights via Helsinki.

As to other things you want to know about just ask here :-)

Perhaps start with a list of questions and take it from there, see where answers take you?

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Oh that’s good to know as a guide price. I’d seen £10,900 business return through BA but the cheaper business flights going have now gone so it’s £8,150 PE out Business back. That’s for 4 people. What does that sound like?

Are business flights to Japan generally more expensive than Orlando do you know?

Will take a look at ANA. Would preferably like direct. Thanks.

Kat

[Kat11]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin Pie

Not sure what your plans are but i don’t recommend moving hotels between Kyoto and Osaka as both are just a short easy train journey from each other. We took day trips to Hiroshima, Nara and Himeji from Kyoto (I recommend all three). From Tokyo we did a day trip to Hakone which is next to Mt. Fuji. I think the snow monkeys are quite a distance away for a day trip but I could be wrong (I’ve not checked). We were there in 2019.

We had been booked to return to Japan May 2020 and I think the cost was £1,200 PE with BA but of course had to be cancelled - this was for both of us. It seems to have gone up quite a bit now.

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This is interesting as I was thinking 4 nights Kyoto going to Nara for a day trip then 3 nights in Osaka in the universal hotel with a day trip to Hiroshima?

How far apart are Kyoto and Osaka on the train? Is it an easy transfer?

Kat

[Pumpkin Pie]

Originally Posted by Kat11

This is interesting as I was thinking 4 nights Kyoto going to Nara for a day trip then 3 nights in Osaka in the universal hotel with a day trip to Hiroshima?

How far apart are Kyoto and Osaka on the train? Is it an easy transfer?

Kat

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From what I remember it is around 25 minutes or so. We could not fit in a trip to Osaka (just not enough days to do everything!) but passed through the station on our day trips elsewhere each time. If you are looking to buy a tourist rail pass all these day trips are covered by rail pass as is travelling around Tokyo on the Yamanote line and bullet trains. We found rail travel easy to navigate - everything is in English as well as Japanese.

Kyoto Station is an experience in itself - we loved the light show on the stairs. I would recommend wherever you decide to stay to pick hotels near a station as you will be off and on trains all the time.

[Kat11]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin Pie

From what I remember it is around 25 minutes or so. We could not fit in a trip to Osaka (just not enough days to do everything!) but passed through the station on our day trips elsewhere each time. If you are looking to buy a tourist rail pass all these day trips are covered by rail pass as is travelling around Tokyo on the Yamanote line and bullet trains. We found rail travel easy to navigate - everything is in English as well as Japanese.

Kyoto Station is an experience in itself - we loved the light show on the stairs. I would recommend wherever you decide to stay to pick hotels near a station as you will be off and on trains all the time.

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Thank you.

I wonder wether it’s best to stay in Kyoto the whole time then go to universal from there? Or stay in Osaka with trips into Kyoto. What do both Cities have to offer? I assume Kyoto would be better as a base?

Did you do Disney was looking at Hilton Tokyo Bay for that?

Don’t know where’s best in Tokyo either as we’d really want to be central to be able to mostly walk everywhere.

Kat

[Kat11]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Anything’s that particularly concern you about going - food, travel, language etc?

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My main concern is plucking up the courage to actually book to go! 😂 My Dd’s would love it, as would I, it’s just we are so used to Orlando. It’s like a comfort blanket but really could do with a change.

I’ve read on here about the rail pass so would be buying that. Also you’ve given be a couple of hotel ideas for Disney and universal reading through other threads. Still Need ides on Tokyo hotels now. I really like the idea of breakfast included as that would be one of the meals accounted for.

I am a bit of a planner so knowing what we are doing whilst there is important to take the stress out of it.

Booking flights is a big one too as I’d prefer to pay deposit only so would need to book a hotel for part of the trip to secure that. As it’s such a lot of money upfront otherwise. I got stuck with £6.5k in vouchers when I’d paid upfront on flights this last trip. Luckily managed to use on hotels but want avoid it this time.

Kat

[Pumpkin Pie]

Originally Posted by Kat11

Thank you.

I wonder wether it’s best to stay in Kyoto the whole time then go to universal from there? Or stay in Osaka with trips into Kyoto. What do both Cities have to offer? I assume Kyoto would be better as a base?

Did you do Disney was looking at Hilton Tokyo Bay for that?

Don’t know where’s best in Tokyo either as we’d really want to be central to be able to mostly walk everywhere.

Kat

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We went to Disney Sea but we were based in Tokyo itself. Tokyo is huge and I think Antony will agree there is no actual centre to Tokyo. There are places to visit, shopping etc. close to most of the big stations in Tokyo instead.

The Yamanote line circles Tokyo with the underground metro cutting across. We mostly used the Yamanote line. For instance Tokyo station has the Palace and gardens to investigate, other stations have temples nearby or other tourist spots like the zoo and all have large shopping areas surrounding the station. It is easy to travel from one area to another though. I liked Ginza the best for shopping.

We stayed at Shinagawa - InterContinental the Strings Hotel. It was a great hotel with breakfast. Shinagawa may seem an odd choice but it suited us and we would stay there again (or a hotel at Tokyo Station). Both these stations are Shinkansen (bullet train) stations. From Shinagawa we would choose to go either right or left up the Yamanote line and take it from there. The trains come every few minutes like clockwork.

If you are spending a few days at Disney then it would be easier to stay close by.

I can’t really answer between Kyoto or Osaka as we did not bother with Universal etc. We decided to concentrate on seeing Japan and giving the parks a miss (except DisneySea). There are a lot of temples in Kyoto and we went to a large market at one of them (it’s held once a month). Lots of small handmade things to buy - I was in my element,