Planning a trip in the summer months

Hi, I am going to Japan in the summer with my sister and am a little lost on what to do or where to even begin to plan on visiting!

I have a couple of questions in mind and would really appreciate if anyone could answer some of them:

- My first question deals with airlines and ticket pricing. I have not booked this flight yet because prices have seemed so steep! However I was able to find a round trip flight for two people at $561 round trip. It was from this site, cheapeasyflights.com. Before I begin to seem like I'm advertising from them, has anyone ever purchased tickets from this site or knows of a friend who has? Is it legit? Are there any other (seemingly) cheaper ticket sites out there that are legit? This would be a big help.

- My budget for the trip is 10 to 15000, is this too little (or too much) for one months stay? I would like to be able to comfortably visit various historical locations (on a budget), eat (on a budget), buy items, and have money just in case me and my sister get lost.

- On the chance that we do get lost (I'm terrified of this if you can't tell lol...), are there English taxi services (or a cheaper option, are there English speaking workers in the train stations who can direct us or tell us which train to board?). On another note, how much do taxi services range from (I know this depends upon distance and company but can anyone give an estimate)?

- I have been trying looking into female only Guesthouses (in Tokyo Japan) as a means of securely leaving my items in one place and being able to venture off into other areas (and maybe stay in another hotel for one night if need be). Is this a good/safe idea, or should I instead find a cheap alternative instead? Me and my sister are thinking of paying one month's rent to live in a private room in a guesthouse. Is this a good idea? If so, are there any guesthouses you would recommend from past experience?

- I know this is a really silly question, but do guest houses come with beds? I've seen pictures of some, and they show empty rooms with desks.

- What are some interesting locations/sites in Japan? Would you recommend a tour guide (either private or in a group) from a past experience or mostly going off on your own (either because its cheaper/more convenient or otherwise?) for a first time visitor? I'm interested in both, so if anyone has anyone suggestions (even if they want to tell me how they would spend a month in Japan) feel free please!

Any helpful information would be useful and I thank anyone in advance for taking the time out for reading this long message.

Jessica the first thing that you have to do is buy one of the good travel guides to Japan.
Once you have a good book you can begin to formulate a plan of things to see and do. The book will also give you a very good idea on the cost of your trip. Be wary of what seem to be rock bottom air fares....they may come with all sorts of nasty surprises not the least of which will be airport taxes to be added on. I was very nervous before my first trip and found it to be such a wonderful place to travel in I have been back five times. This group has some people with excellent knowledge and when you come back with specific questions you will get great help here. To answer a couple of your questions already asked :- a lot of hotels will hold your luggage for a few days if you intend to come back. Japanese business hotels are very cheap, clean and comfortable. I personally find the business hotels suit my needs. Ryokans are ok but not for me. Minshukus can be fun if you want some interaction with a Japanese family but again not for me. I am usually very busy at night transferring my images and video to a computer and keeping in touch with home. Rooms always come with a bed or a Japanese roll out on the floor. English speaking cab drivers....good luck there but you shouldn't need to use cabs if you plan well.
Travel in Japan is a breeze, all it takes is a little planning and some good advice.

jessicls that flight isnt $561 they didntincluded any tax or any other charges. always read the terms and conditions or look at the total price of purchase if they have it. It takes a lot of looking to find the real cheap flights.

You didn't say where you were from!!

$561 is USD I presume? Or maybe Australian $? That may be with taxes(etc) from Hawaii, but not from New York.

10 to 15000?? $10,000 to $15,000 I guess, or is that 10,000 to 15,000yen per day?

To answer you about the trains and taxis, signs for platforms, lines and destinations in Japan are almost always bilingual, as are signs telling you the next station on the trains (those that have signs). On lines like the Yamanote line in Tokyo, announcements are often bilingual as well. There may or may not be English speaking staff depending on the station, but if you keep questions very clear and simple, someone should be able to help you.

Taxi drivers are unlikely to speak much English, and I don't know of any English taxi services, although there may be something you can book in advance.

You don't really need to worry about this- every week thousands of non-Japanese speaking tourists arrive in Japan (my parents have visited several times and been fine travelling without me), and they all seem to manage, so you will too.

As above, you need to specify which currency you are talking about- on the internet, we can't tell which country you are from!

I will skip your first 2 questions.

- When I get lost in Tokyo, I dont call a taxi. 2 reasons: its pricy and I have to locate myself by phone where exactly the taxi will pick me up from. If I am lost, I cant tell my location, right? What I do is quickly find a train station (surface or underground) and go to my destination. Be sure you have a transportation map.

- As other posters mentioned, you may leave your lugguage for a few days, if you are back to the lodge again. But if you dont want to be back to the same place, you may use coin lockers. They are available in big stations. You may wish to rethink the idea of renting for a month. Because not the whole month will you be in Tokyo. You can pay daily basis. It doesnt differ so much and you can be flexible with your plan.

- As you mentioned, not all guesthouses offer bed. Those offering bed, do mention about it. Otherwise, it be Japanese style floor bedding. So, be sure to check out the details.

- As for Tokyo, guided tours are available in English. Why dont you explore Hato Bus Tours? Its worthy for beginners.
http://www.hatobus.com/en/index.html

I think if you go through the main travel guide on this site, you will have a better understanding of what sightseeing spots you want to see and how things work.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html

You may want to look into getting a JR train pass voucher before you leave your country (if you plan to do a lot of bouncing around all over Japan). http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

I wouldn't worry about getting lost in tourist areas, as you will probably find people that are more than willing to help (even if they speak little to no English). Major train stations have signs written in both Japanese and English. You will most likely be riding a lot of trains/subways, so chances are that your destination is near a station. I suggest finding somewhat detailed area maps online (check this forum and main site) for places where you're going to be doing a lot of walking/sightseeing. It helped me find my way and saved lots of time by going over my routes before the trip.

Taxis can be expensive if not shared with 3 or 4 people, but that's often the case with anything super convenient (and they are convenient because you can catch a cab almost anywhere and quickly). To travel a very short distance it ran me about 700-800 yen. To go a fair amount of distance it was about 2000-3000. I'm sure this varies depending on city, traffic, time of day, and of course, distance.

In my opinion, tour guides are unnecessary and a lot of them overcharge you for something you can do on your own (not to mention at your own pace). I went for my first time and managed to see tons of places without any guides. Just read up on the places before you go to them, so you know its history and background. Finding them should be no problem as transportation in Japan is fantastic and a little preparation with maps goes a long way. Btw, a lot of historical sites will cost you about 500 yen to enter (some are as high as 1000 though). Look through the guide and click the specific location to see pricing for each temple/shrine/etc.

I could tell you places to see, but I think this all depends on your interests and whatnot. Check out the sightseeing guide and locations with red circles, those are considered the best of the best I believe.

And if you're coming from the US, under $600 sounds super low. I'd expect it to be more around $900-1100 at best.

We spend about $ 100 US or a bit less for a budget hotel room for 2 . Then we spent a maximum of $ 100 US a day for food for 2 and a couple of entrance fees to some shrines, temples etc.
We buy JR passes in our home country before leaving so that doesn't count .

30 days X 200 US $ a day as above = 6000 US $
Of course, as you have never been to Japan, 2 or 3 weeks would be a maximum as you may be stressed by so many different things...

I didn't include buying gifts as only buy a few cheap things..we don't like too much stuff anyway...but take thousands of photos..

Coming from the US or Europe US $ 1000 per person for the plane, including taxes, would be a great deal!! air fares are getting up each year.

by the way Summer is not a good time...too hot..may be rain too.