Japan-on-a-budget: March 2010

Friday, March 5, 2010

Your one stop travel information on Japan

My absolutely favourite and - the most useful travel web-site on Japan is definately the Japan National Tourism Organization's site http://www.jnto.go.jp/. This excellent site is available in several of the world's global languages.

You can browse by destinations, interests and see where the places you want to visit are on the on-line map of Japan. There are links to travel information, accommodation and attractions and you can find out all about the history and culture of this super efficent and exciting country. Browsing for youth, hotels and ryokans (Japanese style inns) around Japan is easy and you can reserve hotels and ryokans on Japan's leading reservation sites.

JNTO's site also has a Japan Travel Planner for train and map information for traveling around Japan. You can also check when the cherry blossoms will bloom at different parts of the country so follow the cherry blossom parties and enjoy your travels.

Get planning now as you will be traveling soon.

No - Japan is not expensive to travel.

Greetings.

This blog is for everyone who ever told me that Japan is expensive to traval - when they have never been there before. Japan is not expensive to travel if you know how to do it cheaply. April this year will be my 20 th trip to Japan and I want to share with you many buget travel and cultural tips to hhelp you save money

When I can book a single room in downtown Tokyo or Osaka for under $USA 50 and I need to pay over $US 100 for a single room, in a small City in Australia where I reside, something is not quite right.

There are all sorts of travel passes to buy before you go to Japan or once you arrive there.
Planning your trip before you leave home and booking some of your accommodation in advance will help prevent travel stress when you arrive, particularly if you have a map of your hotel in your hot little hand. In true excellent customer service, your location map to your hotel will usually indicate - which line you travel on and the station or bus stop to alight - then there will be a very detailed map to your hotel.

A word of warning - do not catch a taxi from the airport (Narita - Tokyo or Kansai - Osaka) it will cost you a fortune - e.g. around $US 250 from Narita to down- town Tokyo.
There are a selection of trains and busses traveling to down-town, all at reasonable prices.

So join me on my journey as we travel around Japan and please enjoy your trip.

Carole Ann Goldsmith