erl Posted May 3, 2015 Share #141 Posted May 3, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) WooHoo! A whole new ball game just came into play. Quick advice, before I go to bed Pete. Check out Japan Rail Pass, which you MUST buy before leaving home. I calculated that I need only two reasonable trips, eg. Tokyo to Kyoto and return to be worthwhile the cost (not cheap), but you can then use it anywhere in Japan for 7 days (7 day pass). Bonus is the convenience of having a ticket to ride all day, every day. Luna Park eat your heart out! Edit: You can use the rail pass to get from the airport to your hotel. It is about a one hour+ trip, so your pass will already be saving you money. Post a text message to your hotel on directions for which train to catch. It will be simolar to the one I will get from Narita Airport, just a bit further away. More info in the morning after I think about it. Tired now. Merlin is currently updating his glossies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 3, 2015 Posted May 3, 2015 Hi erl, Take a look here Asia One Challenge 2015. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
farnz Posted May 3, 2015 Share #142 Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks, John, a colleague advised me to get a Japan Rail pass from the JAL office in London, which I'll do. It'll get you anywhere in Japan on JR lines but there are a number of private lines that it won't work on and only a selection of the Shikansen trains so it's not entirely straightforward unfortunately. I was under the impression that Haneda is closer to Tokyo than Narita so have I got that wrong (I had to fly into Haneda to get a direct flight from London or China Airways(?) would very kindly take me to Beijing for a lengthy luggage-off, luggage-on stop-over that I didn't need or want)? Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share #143 Posted May 3, 2015 Okay it's finally sorted! - I will arrive at Tokyo Haneda airport at 08.20 on Monday 18th May and fly out of Haneda at 08.50 on Tuesday 26th May. - I'm staying at the Tokyo Shinjuku Granbell from 18th to 20th May - Travel to Kyoto on the Shinkansen (Bullet train) on Thursday 21st May - I'm staying at the APA Hotel Kyoto-eki Horikawa-Dori from 21st to 24th May ("0.4" miles from Sakura - it's nice to be precise about things but I shall be measuring it!) - Travel to Tokyo on the Shinkansen on Monday 25 May - Staying at Tokyo Shinjuku Granbell on 25 May for early flight on Tuesday 26th. Wey-hey-hey looking forward to it! (Can anyone very kindly offer any tips on getting from Haneda airport to Shinjuku Granbell please?) Pete. (PS, John, I'm expecting to see up to date glossy pictures of Merlin!) Woohoo indeed, that's great news, Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share #144 Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks, John, a colleague advised me to get a Japan Rail pass from the JAL office in London, which I'll do. It'll get you anywhere in Japan on JR lines but there are a number of private lines that it won't work on and only a selection of the Shikansen trains so it's not entirely straightforward unfortunately. I was under the impression that Haneda is closer to Tokyo than Narita so have I got that wrong (I had to fly into Haneda to get a direct flight from London or China Airways(?) would very kindly take me to Beijing for a lengthy luggage-off, luggage-on stop-over that I didn't need or want)? Pete. Hi Pete, Correct, Haneda is a lot closer to central Tokyo than Narita airport. I will also be flying into Haneda from Korea, and I have been advised to take the shuttle bus from Haneda to Shinjuku. It should take around 35-40 minutes. Alternatively you can take the train, but you have to change and it takes around an hour. By comparison the journey from Narita is around 1h15-1h30 depending on traffic, or 2 hours by train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share #145 Posted May 3, 2015 Updating the list, along with arrival times: DigitalHeMan - May 14th by train from Nagano DanBachmann +1 - May 17th - 0745 @ NaritaStS - May 17th - 1000 @ ???erl +1 - May 18th - 0800 @ Naritachristoph_d +1 - May 23rd, joining in KyotoTorgian - Japan based, joining in KyotoSatijntje - May 18th - 0830 @ Naritafjheimann - May 18th - 0830 @ Naritaocto +1 - May 16th babybinjp - Local, joining in Tokyo Farnz - May 18th - 0820 @ Haneda Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share #146 Posted May 3, 2015 My first question about the data roaming hotspots is, does that affect mobile phone use or just data components such as maps etc. Sometimes I am technically challenged!! Hi John, The hotspot just provides wifi connectivity - so you can turn off data roaming on your handset, but still use the internet. The phone still works as normal, so you will still have to pay roaming charges for making or receiving phone calls. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StS Posted May 3, 2015 Share #147 Posted May 3, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) (...) StS - May 17th - 1000 @ ??? (...) ...Haneda as well. Cheers Stefan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share #148 Posted May 3, 2015 ...Haneda as well. Cheers Stefan Thanks, thought that would be the case.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
satijntje Posted May 3, 2015 Share #149 Posted May 3, 2015 Great news Pete! Looking forward meeting you again! John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StS Posted May 3, 2015 Share #150 Posted May 3, 2015 We're getting the band back together. Stefan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnakChan Posted May 4, 2015 Share #151 Posted May 4, 2015 Hi, I'd like to join you guys for dinner when in Tokyo. As before, I work during the days & will finish around 6 p.m. & my office is just opposite E-Hotel. Who do I PM my contact details to? BTW, just a few notes from the posts above, Japan does have free WiFi for tourists. This service just started late last year and runs through to July. More details :- http://ajw.asahi.com/article/business/AJ201412120060 http://wi2.co.jp/en/ Erl is also right about getting the JR passes -BEFORE- arriving in Japan. Usually though it takes about 2 trips out of Tokyo for it to pay itself off. Also, whilst in Tokyo you can use it in the JR/Yamanote lines but I don't think you can use that on private lines (e.g. Oedo line where Higashi Shinjuku/E-Hotel, etc.). You may still need to pay for tickets with private lines. Finally about distance, yes Haneda is much closer to Tokyo. Narita however has the Narita Express which takes approx 1 hr to get to Shinjuku. Coming in from Haneda through the Monorail or Keikyu to Shinagawa then to Shinjuku would probably take just as long (if not longer). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Bachmann Posted May 4, 2015 Share #152 Posted May 4, 2015 Hi, I'd like to join you guys for dinner when in Tokyo. As before, I work during the days & will finish around 6 p.m. & my office is just opposite E-Hotel. Who do I PM my contact details to?... Please PM Simon (DigitalHeMan) and myself your details. Simon or myself will send you and the others who have confirmed our Japanese mobile number just in case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share #153 Posted May 4, 2015 Hi, I'd like to join you guys for dinner when in Tokyo. As before, I work during the days & will finish around 6 p.m. & my office is just opposite E-Hotel. Who do I PM my contact details to? BTW, just a few notes from the posts above, Japan does have free WiFi for tourists. This service just started late last year and runs through to July. More details :- http://ajw.asahi.com/article/business/AJ201412120060 http://wi2.co.jp/en/ Erl is also right about getting the JR passes -BEFORE- arriving in Japan. Usually though it takes about 2 trips out of Tokyo for it to pay itself off. Also, whilst in Tokyo you can use it in the JR/Yamanote lines but I don't think you can use that on private lines (e.g. Oedo line where Higashi Shinjuku/E-Hotel, etc.). You may still need to pay for tickets with private lines. Finally about distance, yes Haneda is much closer to Tokyo. Narita however has the Narita Express which takes approx 1 hr to get to Shinjuku. Coming in from Haneda through the Monorail or Keikyu to Shinagawa then to Shinjuku would probably take just as long (if not longer). Hi Anak, Thanks for the details. Please PM me your details and I'll make sure I get in touch when we are in town to meet up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
octo Posted May 5, 2015 Share #154 Posted May 5, 2015 So we're getting closer to our trips..... the list below reflects members that have confirmed to be in Japan with us at some point. In order to set some times and locations for meeting up, it would be helpful if you could each post the earliest 'convenient' time you would like to meet on the 17th and/or 18th. Based upon this information we'll come up with a suggestion for an initial meeting point so that we can discuss our individual or joint plans for the week. DigitalHeMan - May 14th DanBachmann +1 - May 17th StS - May 17th erl +1 - May 18th christoph_d +1 - May 23rd, joining in Kyoto Torgian - Japan based, joining in Kyoto Satijntje - May 18th fjheimann - May 18th octo +1 - May 16th babybinjp - Local, joining in Tokyo We are landing in NRT, guess it stands for Narita, at 18:30 on the 16th. It seems that the majority arrive on the 18th. Quite a few are staying in the Granbell where it would be useful to post the time, name & address of the meeting place ( and any other information): if John claims he is sometimes technically challenged, then I am technically impaired. My cell phone is just that: a phone and the nearest I have to a modern implement is an IPod (version 4.2.1). We'll have to depend on the technically proficient if we need to communicate faster than a chat around a beer. See you soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share #155 Posted May 5, 2015 We are landing in NRT, guess it stands for Narita, at 18:30 on the 16th. It seems that the majority arrive on the 18th. Quite a few are staying in the Granbell where it would be useful to post the time, name & address of the meeting place ( and any other information): if John claims he is sometimes technically challenged, then I am technically impaired. My cell phone is just that: a phone and the nearest I have to a modern implement is an IPod (version 4.2.1). We'll have to depend on the technically proficient if we need to communicate faster than a chat around a beer. See you soon! Hi octo, I'll be checking in on the 16th as well, so I'll make sure we get a message to you at the hotel If you could post or PM the name you made the booking in, that would be helpful, as I guess the front desk won't know who octo is Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted May 5, 2015 Share #156 Posted May 5, 2015 We'll have to depend on the technically proficient if we need to communicate faster than a chat around a beer. See you soon! Some of the best things in life take a little longer! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 5, 2015 Share #157 Posted May 5, 2015 We are landing in NRT, guess it stands for Narita, at 18:30 on the 16th. It seems that the majority arrive on the 18th. Quite a few are staying in the Granbell where it would be useful to post the time, name & address of the meeting place ( and any other information): if John claims he is sometimes technically challenged, then I am technically impaired. My cell phone is just that: a phone and the nearest I have to a modern implement is an IPod (version 4.2.1). We'll have to depend on the technically proficient if we need to communicate faster than a chat around a beer. See you soon! Philippe, Just so you know, I'm also arriving on 18th, staying at the Granbell, and looking forward to seeing you again. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
takanori.tomimatsu.apple Posted May 5, 2015 Share #158 Posted May 5, 2015 Hello, This is the first time to say my regards, from Japan. Kindly, SATIJNTJE calls me this place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
octo Posted May 5, 2015 Share #159 Posted May 5, 2015 Hi octo, I'll be checking in on the 16th as well, so I'll make sure we get a message to you at the hotel If you could post or PM the name you made the booking in, that would be helpful, as I guess the front desk won't know who octo is Thanks Simon: I booked under Philippe Octo through Booking.com. Your offer of help is much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share #160 Posted May 5, 2015 Hello, This is the first time to say my regards, from Japan. Kindly, SATIJNTJE calls me this place. Hi Takanori san Thanks for joining the forum, and I hope you are able to meet with us when we are in Tokyo! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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