Japan Budget Questions

Hey everyone im developing a budget for my future trip to japan however i have a couple of questions:

1. Atm my budget for food is about 200 dollars and i want to know if that's enough for a week in Japan since im gonna be there for a week.

2. I've narrowed down possible hotels to 2 possible options either the Dormy Inn Akihabara or the Hotel Mystays Asakusa what i like about Dormy is that its spacious and it has its own spa however if i go with Hotel Mystays i would want to go to a hot spring while im in Japan to make up for the no spa anyone know of any hot springs in the Kanto region and price ranges and also has anyone stayed in these hotels if so how are they or any recommendations for hotels near Akihabara.

3. It seems that i'm gonna be flying into NRT however NRT is about an hour away from both hotels and im a little uneasy about taking 2 trains just to get to the hotel and back to NRT so im considering just taking a taxi what do you guys think.

4. As far as trains go im thinking of getting the Rail Pass is it a good option considering how im only gonna be in Japan for a week or is it cheaper just to pay for every ticket.

Thanks for the help everyone :)

Hi Chris, welcome to the forum.

1. Atm my budget for food is about 200 dollars and i want to know if that's enough for a week...

200 USD (I assume this is USD - or are you referring to another currency?) is equivalent to about 23,000 JPY, which works out to roughly 3,285 JPY a day for 7 days. If you follow the suggestions on the page below, it should work out fine (more so if the hotel you eventually choose offers a free breakfast).

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2410.html

It seems that i'm gonna be flying into NRT...

A taxi to/from Narita could set you back 20,000 yen (roughly 170 USD) one-way and take up to 1.5 hours or so depending on traffic. Definitely not recommended if you're on a budget.

The trains are a lot easier to use than one might think, and transfers (whether you use the Keisei or the JR line) aren't all that challenging unless you have a lot of luggage or are travelling during rush hour.

Your options for travelling to/from Narita are outline on the following page. Forum members will be able to offer more specific advice (which line to take, JR or Keisei; where to transfer; etc.) once you've finalised your choice of a hotel/location base.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html

As far as trains go im thinking of getting the Rail Pass...

If you're only staying in the Tōkyō/Kantō area, a JR Pass will not pay off.

Depending on your exact plans - whether you plan to make any long day trips, for example - other passes might make more sense (see below). If you don't plan on travelling widely, don't bother with a pass; just get a Suica card and top it up as you go.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_06.html

Cheers.

http://www.khaosan-tokyo.com/en/world/

Use their website. This might help...

Oops.

Sever error. posted wrong forum...
Anyway, please use fullstops. It helps the eyes.

I would recommend Hakone or Atami for onsens in the Kanto Region.

The trains in Japan are convenient and may be even faster than taxis as there wouldnt be traffic. Price wise, the taxis at the airport are fixed rate if entering Tokyo city center.

1) $200/week would be quite tight, but good enough for proper 3 meals a day. Bread/coffee in the morning, set meal at sukiya in the afternoon, ramen at night. Recommended cheap fast food outlets here http://jrvacation.com/cheap-and-delicious-food-choices/

2) Had stayed at Dormy Inn Akihabara a few times, will be going there again coming February. Love the open air onsen, and theres free ramen supper. One of the more affordable hotel in tokyo

3) But JR is so much cheaper than taxi. Only 4500yen to/fro narita

4) I will only consider JR pass if shinkansen (bullet train) is used during the trip

1 200 USD should be enough for a week, some days you can eat cheap stuff, whiles having enough for a better mealfor next day.

2 It's best if you provide the approximate date, as Hotel prices do change accordingly, of the two you have selected, both are consider good, whiles Hotel Dormy Inn Akihabara, I can't confirm if it's a real spring water onsen or just a indoor/outdoor community bath, you can also try annex/hotel marutani also have a community bath, this is a place I will be staying.

If you need a hot spring onsen within Tokyo, you can consider http://www.laqua.jp/spa or http://www.niwanoyu.jp/index.html , there are many more, if you can travel further you can consider atami or hakone.

3 traveling to and from narita, you can consider the NEX, they will have a new fare package soon, although not as cheap as before, but it's consider ok, better than Taxi which is very expensive.

4 If you are staying within Tokyo, just use a suica, the JR pass will not payoff.

Just to add to question 2

http://wanderlust-japan.com/tokyo-area-onsen/

Most of the info you want is on the main Japan Guide forum. Why not start there?

1. It should be enough unless you plan on splurging at every meal. What I usually do is buy breakfast the night before from a convenience store or eat at the hotel restaurant buffet if it's reasonably priced. Dine out for lunch because lunch sets are plenty and inexpensive. I usually buy bento from convenience store for dinner (this is also when I buy my breakfast in advance) because they have a wide selection and they actually taste good. Sometimes I'd go out for dinner if I'm not a tight budget.

2. I have yet to stay in either of these hotels.

3. If you're on a tight budget, stick with the trains. They're the cheapest option and not difficult to make transfers. If you get lost, you can always ask a station attendant. Better to ask while you're still at Narita booking your train ticket. They're more likely to speak English since they deal with foreign tourists on a daily basis.

4. As others have said, if you're only staying in the Tokyo/Kanto area, then there's no need to buy a rail pass.