Best and reasonably cheapest time to book 2 weeks in Japan.

safetyboy

Have a few bob ready for flights, have been for a month between Dec and Jan back in 2007, so I was looking at another time of the year. :pac:

thechanger

At the moment with BA you can get a return from LHR for £554. That's probably the cheapest I've seen direct flights to Japan since I started going in 2007.

If you can get it around the £600 mark, you're doing well. I got stung with £800 last year.

FruitLover

Around May would be my recommendation (although it's a popular time for tourism in Japan, so you might want to get booking sharpish). The dreaded Japanese summer won't have hit yet, and you might be able to catch the cherry blossoms.

Failing that, autumn is nice too, and flights and accom might work out a little cheaper.

Just don't come here in the summer!

hibby

Summer isn't the best time, as Fruit Lover said, because it's hot and humid. If you're there in summer you should get away from the city and climb Mount Fuji or something. May is perfect for weather, but if you're trying to get around (or get accommodation) in Golden Week it can be a bit fraught (but not impossible). There's a lot to be said for April, if it's not too soon for you. The weather can be really nice especially in the Kansai area that I'm more familiar with, and if you are there in early April you can experience the cherry-blossom viewing.

By the way I've usually found KLM to have the cheapest economy tickets and Air France's Premium Economy is very good (typically around €1500). I would stay away from BA and the Japanese airlines just because transiting Heathrow is such a pain.

Another new option you should look into is Emirates via Dubai. It's surprisingly quick and they are doing a really excellent sale on Business Class if you're interested.

dps

Just wondering what the price range you should expect to pay is.. Im looking at autumn and it seems the €900-1000 mark is a reasonable price.

Is this the right ballpark to be paying for flights?

shindig-jp

September ~November inclusive for the season of Autumn you should be able to get a lift from Dublin ~ Tokyo for about 650~700


One Stop
€665.67


With BA, one month round trip for September.

dps

Thanks shindig-jp,looking to get things organised sooner rather than later.twill be my first trip to Japan,exciting times!

shindig-jp

Yeah, that price I've quoted above will get you landed at Narita , Expect to pay another 1,500yen on the Sky-liner to Tokyo Ueno.

Allow for the same train fare on your return to Narita from Tokyo , There is no departure tax from that hub . however Osaka will hit you with a tax of 2,500 yen if you leave from there.

If you fly BA, check that food is included with your flight ticket or you could do as I do when making that run on a bucket ticket ...... take a sleeping pill and skip meals .

You will find the whole travel time to be more than a 24 hour trip if you include check in Dublin , one hour + or - stop at Heathrow , flying time , baggage pickup at Narita carousel , visa stamp, then go through customs , orientation and finding train into city and you still have not dropped your baggage in the room you intend to rest in . In summer time I sometimes do a little commando camping on a bench in Ueno Park, a couple of Asahi Dry makes the bench seem a little softer . The police will move you on politely if they think you are overstaying your welcome in the park. Just say "gomenasai" bow and then move off .

Never carry another persons bag through customs and make sure the bag you have is exactly your own baggage.

I'm still visiting an innocent friend of mine in Fuchu Prison .

dps

Great advice shindigjp thanks:)

cocoshovel

shindig-jp wrote: »

I'm still visiting an innocent friend of mine in Fuchu Prison .

ouch

thechanger

shindig-jp wrote: »

In summer time I sometimes do a little commando camping on a bench in Ueno Park, a couple of Asahi Dry makes the bench seem a little softer .

Care to elaborate on the reason for this?

shindig-jp

thechanger wrote: »

Care to elaborate on the reason for this?

Yep... I haven't scored at "What the Dickens" and the first train home out of Ueno starts at 05:10

JapanZone

Ah, c'mon Shindig. If you haven't scored at the Dickens, you haven't been trying hard enough

JapanZone

Unfortunately, I have to recommend a rival website when it comes to the best and most up-to-date info on traveling to Japan. Japan Guide always has the hanami (cherry blossoms) and koyo (autumnal leaves) info in advance so you can plan a trip around those two most scenic/beautiful times of the year. The recently launched private (ie. not Japan Tourism Board) site Japan Tourist is also adding lots of travel-related content.

As has been said, summer is not a good time to travel here in general, unless your ideal itinerary can be contained in Hokkaido to the north, which is much milder. I'd agree that April/May is an ideal time for general travel in Japan, just avoid the very specific crowded & expensive Golden Week at the beginning of May. Autumn is also good, with the koyo season making places like Kyoto even more spectacular and photogenic than the hanami.

shindig-jp

JapanZone wrote: »

Ah, c'mon Shindig. If you haven't scored at the Dickens, you haven't been trying hard enough

Can't wait for you going back to Dublin JapanZone and starting a thread on Reverse Culture Shock. Another point to be taken into consideration, You will be subject to the Habitual Residence Condition so I trust you have a job lined up. By the way have you had your Sayonara Sale yet ?

Sayonara Sale ? and if not I'm seeking a good condition AirCon.

JapanZone

I'm not looking forward to the reverse culture shock myself. After 23 years in Japan, I imagine it'll be pretty bad. Though to be honest I'm more worried about my Jpn wife finding a sense of community in NCD.

As for aircon, I'm afraid that's not one of the items we have for sale. If you're interested you can check what we do have here: mcbennett.com

shindig-jp

JapanZone wrote: »

I'm not looking forward to the reverse culture shock myself. After 23 years in Japan, I imagine it'll be pretty bad. Though to be honest I'm more worried about my Jpn wife finding a sense of community in NCD.

As for aircon, I'm afraid that's not one of the items we have for sale. If you're interested you can check what we do have here: mcbennett.com

Cheers JapanZone, Map reads you are nearer to Hibby-chan in Osaka from Aichi-ken , a million miles away from Saitama .

shindig-jp

Love this

hibby

Someone mentioned my name?

JapanZone, well done for selling many of those items. I'll show the list to my wife and see if we are interested in any of the remaining items. As shindig points out, Aichi-ken is relatively near where we are (but still quite far away!)

Best of luck with the move and all the preparation, and I hope you'll settle in well in Dublin.