Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!
Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.
|
Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/9 20:47
|
|
Need help!! I've never been to Japan and I have some concerns with booking for a large group. We decided we will stay in the Ueno-Asakusa area as it is close to several sites we want to visit, and has very good choices for accommodations. Problem is we're about 70 people. I booked private buses for our day trip tours, but...
a.) We want to go to Tokyo Disneyland and be there before opening so we can also buy tickets with the group discount. Can we ride the tokyo metro comfortably (say in small groups of 10 each) if we leave Ueno around 6:30am? I already know that our best route is Ueno or Okachimachi-Tokyo-Maihama. I couldn't find bus hires that go from Ueno to Disneyland that were early or affordable.
b.) Can I buy Pasmo/Suica cards in bulk at Narita Airport using a credit card for our party?
We're aiming to visit Japan about a week or two after Golden Week (late May). Thanks! Any advice would be very appreciated! :)
|
|
by Ian Ilagan (guest)
|
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/10 11:30
|
|
One of the options is to buy the pasmo/suica cards in bulk from a company like JapanExperience - it's one of the useful add-ons they have in their rail-pass service.
Are you just doing Tokyo, or somewhere else? Logistics for 70 people must be fun :)
|
|
by JapanCustomTours
|
rate this post as useful
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/10 17:31
|
|
Just Tokyo. It's... not easy. But since we're a group of university students, it's worth it knowing that arranging it myself instead of a travel agency will allow a lot of the students to go because it meets their budget.
Thanks for the answers! Glad to know that I can buy the Pasmo/Suica in bulk. Also, I think I've settled with inquiring to our coach bus hire for a one-way travel to Disneyland early in the morning to get there before opening without the hassle. I'll just leave the getting back to the hotel them. It's probably easier that way so they have the choice of staying in Disney the whole day or visiting Tokyo, Ginza, Akihabara, etc. on the way back.
|
|
by Ian Ilagan (guest)
|
rate this post as useful
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/10 18:35
|
|
You might want to consider day trips.Some tour companies put you on a bus, bring you to some attractions and bring you for lunch. Such trips are usually discounted as the tour company does this in bulk. If you have a large group, chattering a tour bus to Fuji, Nikko, Nagano may be an option.
|
|
by jh (guest)
|
rate this post as useful
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/10 18:42
|
|
We do, we do! Our day trips are Yokohama (consisting entirely of industrial museums) and Kamakura (cultural sightseeing). I also asked if the same company can provide us the bus ride to Disneyland at a small additional fee.
|
|
by Ian Ilagan (guest)
|
rate this post as useful
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/11 07:45
|
|
I saw you had a post on TA as well, so got a little more information.
I thought your idea of travelling in groups of 10 might make things easier for getting on/off trains rather than all piling into one carriage.
Thinking about your trip, you probably have a mix of interests - are you going to be splitting up and heading in different directions on different days? The other thought that occurs is some in your group might want more assistance than others - have you thought about having some local assistance to use as required? (I don't know what your group travel experience is like, but Tokyo presents a mix of easy and hard :) )
|
|
by JapanCustomTours
|
rate this post as useful
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/11 13:30
|
|
Have tried contacting a hotel? May offer group discount if you are booking directly and not through 3rd party sites. You can use the third party sites to identify the hotel you want to stay and then contact the hotel directly through email that is found on the hotel site.
|
|
by Joshua Hugh (guest)
|
rate this post as useful
|
Re: Arranging a large group vacation
|
2015/10/13 01:18
|
|
Definitely split into groups of 10 for trains at that time. Maybe even 5 during rush hour. Make sure everyone everyone everyone knows the station you plan to get off and transfers. Make sure you have clearly stated the plan - stop and wait for everyone at each transfer platform, continue going until the final destination, etc. Make sure you have a plan for if someone fails to get off the train, or if someone gets left on a platform. I travel with a group of 10-15 high school students and invariably someone fails to squeeze on a train. Make sure it is clear whether they are expected to catch the next train (make sure no one gets on some kind of express when they aren't supposed to) or if they are to wait there for their group to return. Tokyo really isn't a bad place to have a bunch of people moving about, but in a group that size it's really important that everyone is working from the same assumptions. Have fun!
|
|
by Emily (guest)
|
rate this post as useful
|
reply to this thread