I've recently come back from the trip of a lifetime - two weeks in Japan! The whole trip was amazing - I was really apprehensive about the whole trip, having never been on a long haul flight before, or had such a drastic language barrier - That's right Kanji; I'm looking at you!
At first I was looking at going on a tour for two weeks, having someone there to help us get around and make sure we saw all the sights - after some research and pricing it all up, it was cheaper to do it ourselves and it gave us the freedom to do what what we liked. Also imagine being stuck on a group holiday for two weeks with people you don't like!
I'll be doing a day by day run down of our trip too - so keep an eye out!
Tip Number 1:
Get a pocket wifi.
For two weeks it cost us around £100 for a decent pocket wifi which meant we had access to the internet the whole holiday. It was priceless for getting us around Tokyo. Google maps was our biggest friend whilst we were out there.
I ordered mine in advance from this website: http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html I picked it up at the airport, connected straight away - and then just posted it back once the holiday was over. You can connect up to 15 devices to it - so great if your in a group!
(also invaluable if your playing Pokemon Go!)
Tip Number 2:
Get a JR Pass.
The Japan Rail Pass allows you to use any of their JR trains in Tokyo and beyond. It also allows you to ride certain bullet trains, so if your planning on travelling down to Osaka like we did, the price of the JR pass is already covered by that one trip alone,
I did find information on the website to be tricky. make sure you read all about it and make sure it's worth the £250 - If your just staying in Tokyo I wouldn't bother.
Tip Number 3:
Itinerary.
Before we went, we researched everything Japan had to offer and tailor made our holiday from all the things we wanted to do or see. We were pretty easy going and put in some free days so we could explore. It also meant you could travel efficiently and group attractions together based on their location. I found a great website called https://www.odigo.jp/ It helps you put together an itinerary so that you don't waste half your day travelling on the subway.
Tip Number 4:
Air BnB.
This was the first time we had used Air BnB - we were a little apprehensive but took the leap anyway as Hotels were starting to get expensive as were were heading into Japan's peak season - Cherry Blossom Season. It was alot cheaper, and we had a really great experience at both our Air BnB's. You get a real look into Japanese culture and they often have free pocket wifi's included in the price of the room. So great if your really on a budget! There was also alot of choice in both Tokyo and Osaka - so there is something to suit everyone!
Tip Number 5:
Relax and Enjoy.
Japan was the most welcoming country I've ever visited. Everyone is so polite and willing to help; even though Tokyo is so over populated, it didn't seem it as everyone gets on with their day, whilst being mindful of others. Getting around was really easy, and it was just as beautiful and crazy as you would imagine.
Stay tuned for a day by day run down of our trip - with lots if pictures too!
If you have visited Japan and have any more tips please leave them in the comments.
Or if your planning a trip to Japan and have any questions please ask away!
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