|
TravelBug,
Firstly, make sure you take everything your child will need for a 9 hour flight with you in your carryon luggage. Airlines allow a baby bag as well as a small trolley-on. This must include your formula, if you are bottle feeding, and the bottle plus cans of baby food, a pacifier ( if you use one) a baby rug and as many diapers you think you will need. Don't expect the airline to provide. They often have emergency needs for babies, but they are not obligated to . The flight attendants will help you by heating milk or food. and providing the water needed. As well when you book, you have to make sure you request a bassinet . i.e. a front row, so you can put your baby down for its nap. Don't leave this too late as there are only a couple of these rows at the front of each cabin or division of cabin.
Regards Limousine Bus to hotel. It is probably the easiest to get the bus from Airport to the hotel door, as you won't need to load on or off the bus, as the driver does it, but it is not the quickest way, because the bus can get caught up in traffic. A quicker route is to use the Narita Express, and go to Shinjuku Station, then transfer to a taxi to the Hilton Hotel. To do this efficiently with luggage, would be to have your baby in stroller, and your husband can manage two suitcases on wheels preferably to the station downstairs. Use the lift, it is so much easier. Have you considered a baby front pack? Either you or your husband could put this on, and it frees up your hands. It would be worth purchasing one if you haven't got one as it would be worth its weight in gold while you are in Japan, getting on and off trains etc. Is your stroller a large Western style one or a smaller Japanese styled one? The smaller one is so much easier to move around stations, and narrow streets, and shops, as well they fold up easily and can be transported onto trains, and baby goes into the front pack. There are a lot of stations with lifts now, which is a vast improvement on the past!!
Takkyubin, Yamoto, ABC will take your luggage from the hotel to your husbands parents home. As soon as you check in the hotel, ask at the front desk, and they will tell you when to drop your luggage down so it can be transported to Hyogo. It will probably be overnight. Its an extremely efficient service. Same applies in reverse. Contact the company, and they will arrange to pick it up at your in-laws home and take it to Narita Airport. Know what terminal your airline flies from, and allow a couple of days.
Re storage on Shinkansen: Pram can be stored at end of carriage behind seating. As the train gets near your station your husband can move to the back and pick it up. You leave with your baby. Not hard at all.
Re Immigration; I have found that Japanese Immigration and Customs to be very considerate of families with babies. They usually have a special counter so the kids don't have to queue long. There is usually always a helpful person as you approach the counters. Can your husband go with you and baby to the family counter, and not break off and go to the Japanese counters? Ask this attendant if that is possible. If your baby is screaming don't get too upset, we've all been through it, and I'm sure the attendant will come to your rescue.
Lastly, if you have a reasonable sized stroller, you can ask the airline to allow you to take it through to the departure gate (the check-in clerk will provide a label) and the gate staff will load it in the hold, and when you arrive at Narita, it will be unloaded and waiting for you so you can transfer baby into it. Makes it so much easier. (Just like they do with wheelchairs). Sometimes they have it right by the exit door of the plane, other times it is near where you pick up luggage. Check with the Senior Flight Attendant just before landing.
I wish you well, it is very manageable.
|
