7days in Tokyo

Iplan to go to Tokyo in 11-18 April 2013 ,, we are 2 adult With 2 children. 8 and 9 years,, My Quentin is
1. Can we just double bed Room in Tokyo,, can we? Because i think in Tokyo hotel has a policy for children in the same Room ? Or we should take tripel beds?
2. Do we need to but jr pass 7days? We Arrive at Narita AirPort and i think to take hotel near Ueno station? How Long Will the train take From Narita to Ueno station? What is the Cost?
3.we plan to go to mt Fuji too.. Can we USe our jr pass?
Or we Just Take a tour to Fuji that Cost 11000 adult and 5000 for children,,So we dont need to buy jr pass ( and for the Narita to Ueno we just buy Round ticket train) what do you think?but i also confuse if we want to go around in Tokyo city(akihabara,shibuya,,shinjuku,harajuku,asakusa, Tokyo skytree,,Etc) what should we USe,,subway One day or metro or bus or what?
4. We plan to go to disney Tokyo to,, we plan One day for sea and One day for lands? What do you think? What should we USe to go there? Jr pass or what? And should we but the ticket Disney now? Or just when we Arrive there?
5. Is it possible for is to to go Kyoto for 2 days too?
6. If you see all My itinerary should i buy jr pass? And for children the jr pass price is same?
Thanks for all the Advice.. And very sorry if i not very Good in My language,, thanks

The JR Pass is somewhat expensive, and would cover some travel around Toyko, but not everything. The JR Pass would cover the JR trains, which is covered by a Tokunai Pass, which costs 730 yen/day. A one week JR Pass is 28300 yen, which works out to 4075 yen/day.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html

If you are staying in Tokyo, a JR Pass is not a worthwile purchase.

The basic Shinkansen fare from Tokyo to Kyoto is 13220 Yen, and a round trip nearly covers the cost, except that you should be able to get a round trip discount.

Since you will be there eight days, you could also cover the trip from Narita Airport to Tokyo using the Narita Express, which costs 2940 yen.

Now, IF you wanted to go to Miyajima Island, or to the Takayama Festival on April 14th & 15th, then yes, it would defiantly be worthwhile.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5909.html

As for Mount Fuji, one of the Hakone Passes is a good deal.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html

Probably the most cost effective way to travel, it you are only going to be in Tokyo, would be to ride the Keisei Private railway to Ueno Station, purchase a Suica card (a charge card) for simple days of travel within the city, and then a Hakone Pass for mount Fuji. The Suica charge card can also be used on private lines, so it can also be used to get from the airport to Ueno.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the Advice,, and how about the Disney ? Tks

If you are staying in Ueno and want to get to the disney parks, you can use the JR train ssytemto get there. The cost of the train is 290 yen each way, so I would advise just using the Suica card, since the total for the day will only be 580 yen.

Ebaychucky is not giving the best advice re: JR pass. You should do the following:
day 1 - Narita to Ueno on the NEX, bought as a one way NEX + Suica pass.
Days 2 - 8:
* For travel on subway lines and other non-JR rail, use the Suica. It's very easy and the discounted price in that package makes it more worthwhile.
* use the JR pass on JR lines in Tokyo (just because you have it)
* use the JR pass to catch the shinkansen to Kyoto and return
* use the JR pass to go to Hakone and back. Bear in mind you can catch the shinkansen or rapid to Odawara, but only some shinkansen stop there. Use hyperdia.com to know which.
* return to Narita using the final day of the JR pass (day 8 of your trip).

That would justify the purchase of a JR pass and decrease the travel times you'd face if you took a cheaper (and slower) train.

Excuse me, but Apue has not decided to actually GET a JR Pass. My advice was to give options so that a decision can be made.

IF they do purchase JR Passesm then yes, use them on the JR trains within Tokyo. But, if you do not purchase a JR Pass, I believe that using a Suica card is find to gettting to and from Disney Land and Disney Sea.

As for NEX verses Keisei, I would like to rention that if Apue is going to stay in Ueno, then why not take a direct train, even if it is slower to get to the suburb that you will be staying in. The Keisei does have three different levels, which are 1000 yen for a local, 1400 yen for a liner, and 2400 yen for the skyliner. It goes into the smaller Keisei Ueno station which is next to JR's Ueno station.

The Suica & NEX package gives you a 2000 yen Suica card plus a pass for JR Narita Express, which passes through Toyko station on the way to Ofuna Station. The purchaser will then need to use the Suica card to get from Tokyo to Ueno, which will cost an additional 150 yen. So the cost is 1650 yen to use the NEX + Suica.

The 1400 yen cost of the Keisei liner gets you to KeiseiUeno about the same speed as NEX + Suica gets you to Ueno, so it is a better value.

Apue has not decided to go to Kyoto, so I will not assume that he will purchase a JR Pass. If there is only seven days in Japan, and I know that the first day will probably be a jet-lag day, and two others will be spent at Disney, I am not sure that I would want to suggest going to Kyoto, even though it is very very cool place to visit. A day in Kamakura followed by an evening in Yokohama Minato Mirai waterfront might be better advice, and the two daughters could ride the big ferris wheel at Cosmo World after seeing the Big Buddha and washing their money at Zeniarai Benton.

Anyway, I stand by my advice.

Some hotels like below, Metropolitan Edmont in central Tokyo, offer a free shuttle bus ride to Disney everyday upon the reservation.

http://www.jrhotelgroup.com/eng/hotel/eng112.htm

I think twin bed ROOM should be OK by sharing your beds with kids, but you may want to check the bad size ranging from like 110-130cm before you choose your hotel. Wider is better for sure. The hotel above is also offering a family room with some extra space.

You will find that many hotels will have beds that are 110-120 cm wide, which may not be the best rest for you.

There are family hotels that will have three and four twin beds in the room. The Hotel East 31 Tokyo (Okura Hotel & Resort chain) has one in Ueno. This hotel also has adjoining rooms with two twin bed in each.

Another option is to use a Ryokan, where everyone will get their own futon.

Thanks to GUEST,EBAYCHUCKY and jaket. All of the Advice are very helpful for me,, Thanks very much,, like EBAYCHUCKY say,, first day i Arrive may be have jetlag,, and i think i just walking around Ueno and ameyoko,, second day i plan to stay at Tokyo Hilton bay,, the hotel near Disney,, and i just take a amal bag With is,, for 2 day,,the fourth day i think direct to Kyoto ( because in the last April 2012 i had been there and can not reach the cherry blossom,, and is it really cool and for EBAYCHUCKY suggestion to goto Yokohama and Kamasutra ,, it is a Good Advice,, i Will Think about it again) the fifth day back to Tokyo and go around Tokyo like shibuya Etc,,and about ryokan? Can Anybody suggestion what is better that near station and not So expensive? I think to take tripel bed in hotel but i Afraid the hotel Will not let is in With 2 children dont They? Thanks alot ,, i wait for the Advice,,and for EBAYCHUCKY,, if i want to follow you suggestion to Kamakuraa and Yokohama,, in Which day in My itinerary should i go? Thanks alot fren

Can i go tokyoto on the fourth day and back to Kamakura and Yokohama on the fifth day and back Tokyo on sixth day. And seven day to mt Fuji? Is it So tired?

Or Maybe some Advice for me,, to Yokohama hakone lake kawaguchi mt Fuji Kyoto,, what is the rute? Tks

The Kamakura/Yokohama is a day trip on a JR train. It would be free, if you had the JR Pass.

I have based my trip as if you were staying in Ueno, which may not be the case. Going to Kamakura from Ueno is about a one hour and a quarter train ride, and it passes through Yokohama. You will have to transfer trains once, but it is possible to do that in Yokohama.

From Ueno to Yokohama is 45 minutes.
From Yokohama to Kamakura is 24 minutes.

You would then reverse the trip to get back to your hotel, and you could leave the Yokohama station and go to the Park.

I beg to differ.... http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_suica_nex.html
Refer to the bit about the NEX ticket being used to transfer onto any JR line in the map. NEX to Tokyo, then transfer onto the Yamanote line bound for Ueno.

Thanks for the Advice EBAYCHUCKY and GUEST,, but i Wonder can i USe Tokyo shuttle bus From Narita that just Cost 1000 yen /800 yen,, to Ueno station? And in Ueno station to Disney can i just USe Tokunai pass that Cost 700 yen all day? Or i still have to buy suica net pass for 2000 yen for? I bring 2 big suitcases andwith 2 children ,, if i USe Narita ekspresi i have to transfer to Yamamoto line,, is it possible for me? Or i just USe Keisei limited expenss? What is the better choice? Some Advice Will very helpfull for me,, thanks

I stand corrected. The cost of the NEX is down to 1500 to get to Ueno. It's still higher than Keisei, and it takes about the same amount of time, and involves loading and unloading luggage because of the transfer. I have never used the NEX, and I have kept my Suica card, so I don't need to purchase another. I will admit that I didn't catch that bonus about being able to transfer.

I am sorry about this, but you are now dealing with small details that you do not need to worry about. At this point, you probably have not booked and paid for your flight, so you can be open to flying into either of the Tokyo airports, and even the Osaka airport. You also may not know what time pf day you will arrive in Japan.

The reason I mentioned Osaka Airport is, there were some fantastic deals about a year ago from Korean Air, and they first flew to Korea, and then had a short hop to Japan. Osaka is closer to Korea, so the least expensive tickets when I was looking to book my flight was into Osaka. After some contenplation, I ended up choosing an American Airlines direct flight into Tokyo Narita.

The Suica card is a debit card that you charge up. For 2000 yen, you will get the card, plus 1500 yen of credit. To use the card, you wave the card over a reader at the station turnstyle, and it will beep and tell you how much you have left on the card. When you exit from your destination station, you will have to swipe the card again, and it will tell you how much your spent, and how much is left on your card.

The cost of the card is 500 yen, but that is refundable when if you choose to turn in your card at a ticket counter when you leave Japan.

It also work on the buses and subways that your JR Pass will not cover. It will also work on private trains, such as the Disney resort line, which will cost you 250 yen to ride from the Disney Resort Gateway to Disney Sea. The Disney Resort Gateway is a two minute walk from Maihama station. A similar fee will be needed to get to Disney Land.

It also works on vending machines at the station, so your children can use their card to buy a drink from a drink machine. Some of the food kiosks and stores within the station will also allow you to swipe the card for a purchase.

In short, it is a useful purchase, even if it is only to allow your children to practice playing with a card.

Either way, you are probably going to either fumble you way with a ticketing machine for bus fare, or a private train fare, or get one of these cards, and use it.

As for your question about a shuttle bus:

I would not purchase a shuttle bus ticket from a specific airport, until I have purchased my flight tickets. I think you are jumping the gun. My first trip to Japan was delayed, because of a Typhoon (not wanting to land a plane during a typhoon, go figure!), and when I rescheduled my flight, I added two extra days onto the return, so there's a lesson in there about planning everything down to the last detail.

As for the start of your plan:

In general, when you get to Japan, you will need to get to you hotel and at least have them hold your luggage until you can check in. The first day will probably be spend near your hotel, so it is usually not a good day to activate a JR Pass, because you will have burned a travel day.

I understand your selection of Ueno as your first night's, because you will be able to walk about Ueno Park, and if the cherry blossums are blooming, you have a wonderful location to just walk around. Ueno is one of the best locations in Toyko for Cherry Blossum viewing. I also like the main street prominade in Kamakura.

I think this is a good start for your trip. I do something similar, and I will usually start near Ueno too.

My first night is in Nippori, because it is a little quieter, and about 600 meters north of Ueno Park. Ueno is a huge station. I favor the Keisei train because it's first stop in Tokyo is Nippori Station. My wife's hobby is sewing and quilting, and Nippori is also known at "Fabric Town", so I end up walking around the shops in Nippori and buying Japanese fabric for her to make things out of. Nippori is two stations counter clockwise on the Yamanote loop line.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for some Advice again EBAYCHUCKY,,I am really appreciate ,, i want to inform that i have already buy the ticket From Jakarta to Narita ,, From 10 - 18april2013,, So i can not Change to Kansai anymore,, and i have ever been to Osaka and Kyoto,, So i think i just want to go to Tokyo,, Maybe back to Kyoto ,, that is My itinerary,, but some times ,, we have to choose the easy way and the cheaper way,, Thanks alot for the information,,,

[Tokyo Disney trips]

Personally I suppose you had better set at least one full day for you to feel relaxed between your arrival to Ueno and your Tokyo Disney trips. I also recommend that you either choose one theme park or put the two park trips apart in your itinerary.
Children may get exhausted due to waiting long for popular attractions and/or get lost in a wide theme park.

I plan to stay at Tokyo Hilton bay, the hotel near Disney

Staying at a Tokyo Disney Resort official hotel sounds a nice choice, because each of you can get a ticket which guarantees admission to the theme park. (Note that it will NOT save your time waiting for attractions.)

Please know in advance that theme parks, stations and/or trains may be crowded.
If you are in a theme park until around the closing time, maybe it will be better to stay for one extra night at a nearby hotel.

As to transportation, I never recommend you transfer from/to Keiyo Line in Tokyo Station. The platforms are located on the 4th basement and it may require more than 15 minutes.

# Route via subway Hibiya Line and JR-East Keiyo Line
= Ueno -- [subway Hibiya Line] -- Hatchobori : gate --[walk for about 10 minutes via pathway and staircases]-- gate: Hatchobori of JR-East --[Keiyo Line]-- Maihama.

[Tokyo Station of JR]

Tokyo Station of JR has two sets of underground platforms.
# Platforms for Keiyo Line
: They are located on the 4th basement, and there are long ways to transfer from/to them.
# Platforms for Sobu Line Rapid service and Yokosuka Line
: They are located on the 5th basement and used by all trains (including N’EX trains) which are running from / to NRT.

[Suica Card]

ebaychucky311: The Suica & N’EX package gives you a 2000 yen Suica card

The initially stored value is 1500yen. The holder has to pay 500 yen as a deposit.

A child who has not reached 12 cannot hold a nameless Suica Card. He/she can get issued a named card called My Suica with personal data (such as his/her name and date of birth) registered on the Suica system. My Suica cards are not sold at vending machines.
A holder of a nameless Suica Card can use it at a vending machine to purchase regular tickets for adults and/or children.

[From NRT to Ueno area]

Several railroad stations are located in Ueno area.
Keisei Ueno Station and Ueno Stations on subway Ginza and Hibiya Lines are located apart. In between is located Ueno Station of JR-East; which is a huge and complicated terminal.

When you are not sure about the route between your station and your hotel in Ueno area, taking a taxi is worth considering; it can result in less than 500 yen per person, I guess, because you will be a group of four.

Every seat in N’EX trains and Skyliner trains requires reservation.

If I use Narita Express I have to transfer to Yamanote Line

You can, but I do not recommend you transfer so in Tokyo Station, because the platforms are located apart.
N’EX trains use platforms deep under the ground, while Yamanote Line trains use platforms on the ground.
If you try to transfer so in Tokyo Station, be sure to change to Track 4 for Ueno, which is the inner track of Yamanote loop line.

ebaychucky311: I stand corrected. The cost of the NEX is down to 1500 to get to Ueno.

Yes. A one-day ticket in a one-way Suica & N’EX package, though it is called a N’EX ticket, is valid in a wide designated area; unless the holder exit the railroad, it is valid until the midnight even after his/her getting off a N’EX train.
- http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html

ebaychucky311: if Apue is going to stay in Ueno, then why not take a direct train,…. Keisei does have three different levels, which are 1000 yen for a local, 1400 yen for a liner, and 2400 yen for the Skyliner.

Non-liner express / rapid services are not mentioned above.
Keisei offers two routes and has four different cost ranks.

# Route only via Keisei Main Line until Keisei Ueno
: "Local" trains are running only early in the morning and late in the night.
: It requires 1000 yen per adult (only as a base fare) to take a non-liner express / rapid train.
: Most westbound express / rapid trains are direct trains connecting NRT and Keisei Ueno.
: It requires 1400 yen per adult to take a liner train (called "Morning Liner"); NO SEAT can be reserved, but there is a limit on the number of passengers.
: As of July 2012, only two direct Morning Liner trains are running from NRT to Keisei Ueno.
: In order to take this route from NRT terminal 1 or 2, passengers have to pass through both the entrance and the intermediate ticket gates.

# Route via Narita Sky Access until Keisei Ueno
: "Local" train service is not available on this route.
: It requires 1200 yen per adult (only as a base fare) to take a non-liner Access Express train.
: Not all westbound Access Express trains are direct trains connecting NRT and Keisei Ueno.
: Normally it requires 2400 yen per adult to take a Skyliner; every seat needs reservation.
: In order to take this route from NRT terminal 1 or 2, passengers have to pass through only the entrance ticket gate.

After thinking about you trip, and hhaving the dates that you will be going, I can suggest a possible day by day itenary.

Here's what I know:

You will arrive on Wednesday April 10th, and go to Ueno for the night.

On Thursday, you may be jet lagged, but you plan to walk around Ueno park. You plan to check out of your hotel, and have them hold the bags for you. After walking around, you will return to the hotel, and move to a second hotel in the area.

On Friday and Saturday, you planned to go to Disney Sea and Disney Land. I think going to either of the Disney parks on a Saturday or Sunday is a bad idea, because it will be crowded. I would suggest you defer the Disney theme parks until after the weekend. The children will want to go to a theme park, so my suggestion is to go do the Kamakura/Yokohama day trip on this day.

After thinking about this for a while, I realised that the best time for you to go to the Disney Theme parks would be the last two full days that you are going to be in Japan, Which would be Tuesday the 16th, and Wednesday the 17th. This is when you will want a hotel near Disney, and you will also not be traveling very much, and have less of a need for a Japan Rail Pass.

I now think that you should activate you JR Pass upon arrival on Wednesday, and use the pass to get to your hotel in Ueno.

On Thursday, you should walk arround Ueno, but when you move to a new hotel in the afternoon or evening, you should go to Kyoto.

Friday and Saturday in Kyoto, returning back on Saturday night to Tokyo. My suggestion would be to ride the Romantic Train as one of you activities. Another suggestion would be Osaka Aquarium because I think the kids will love it.

Sunday and Monday are yours to pick and choose what you are going to do.

Tuesday and Wednesday are the Disney Parks. The JR rail pass will expire on Tuesday, but if you are at a hotel near the Disney Parks, there is no need for it.

Thursday you will fly back. Pay for a NEX, or a shuttle bus, or use the Keisei train to get to the Airport.

After looking at the schedule, the idea of going to Kamakura and Yokohama is not a bad idea, but you are running short on days. One of the reasons I suggested it was that I didn't know if you were going to Kyoto. Kamakura is one of the bast places in Japan for cherry blossum viewing, so I suggested it, and the evening at the Park will give an activity for the children. It's up to you.

Thanks One more again EBAYCHUCKY,,i had learn your suggestion,, and i have some suggestion,, i need some Advice again,, first ,, i Arrive on 11 April 2013 not 10 April 2013. Because i fly From My country in the Midnight. And i reach Narita on 9 in the morning in 11 April 2013. My plan are,, ( because we can not get in to the hotel) we world like to go around Ueno park,( suitcases i Will leave With the reception) , sinjuku Goen,yoyogi park( if we can,, and we plan to take shower. In Narita), tomorrow we plan to take tateyama kurobe alphine route,, third day to Yokohama +Kamakura,, fourth to kyoto( back in One day) fifth go around tokyo(asakusa. Shibuya. Harajuku. Tokyo Tower. Tokyo skytree). Six and seven we plan to go Disney ,, what do you think? And i also want to ask,, the best view that u say in Kamakura ,, where is it in cherry blossom? Tks ,, please some Advice,,