tokyo

[poppyinstitches]

anyone been to Tokyo? Reccomendations on places to stay and best time of year to travel there.

I've been to Tokyo.
Sadly the place I stayed has closed so I can't recommend it.
There are a few different kinds of hotels. Regular, western, style hotels, or ryokan.
Ryokan are cheap, basic and very traditional. Beware though that they often have shared bathrooms.
I went in early October and it was rather hot still but got dark early.
The public train system is very clean and reliable so you can save money by staying a little way out and train it in every day.

April is nice to visit Tokyo but it can be expensive to stay there then because its one of their peak seasons (people come to see the cherry blossom trees). November is also a good month in which to visit Tokyo.

bump
I'm also interested in recommendations for accommodation in Tokyo.

I lived there for 3 years. It is the most amazing place, you'll have a ball! As long as you avoid June-August, when it is hot and humid and utterly disgusting, any time is good. Business hotels are relatively cheap but the rooms are minute.

We went several years ago and stayed in Oakwood serviced apartments. It was great for us as we had two small DC at the time so they had a seperate bedroom and we could have breakfast in.

We also had a couple of nights in a traditional hotel which was a good experience.

We went in October due to school holidays but i would have preferred to go when the cherry blosson was out.

Went in July & loved Tokyo. Stayed in an apartment in the centre of town through airbnb.
Highlights:
watching the tune auction at 6am
eating sushi in the fish market
visiting the royal palace (apply in advance)
Edo Museum
Disney Sea

Am i able to butt in and ask if english is spoken widely in tokyo?

I'd love to visit Japan, we're planning a trip in 2 years (will take us that long to save). Very jealous!

I have nothing useful to add. Sorry.

Am i able to butt in and ask if english is spoken widely in tokyo?

I found not really. There were about two people in shops that I could speak fluently to in English. (One was the Apple Store, very safe bet there).
My phrase book was my best friend as although I had a bit of Japanese.

Posted to soon.

Although I had a bit of Japanese I needed lots more to get by.

Went last summer (August) was hot but everywhere was air conditioned. I can't speak a word of Japanese and we got on fine. We stayed at the Intercontinental. Also went to Kyoto for a few days by bullet train.

We went a few years ago it's a fantastic place to visit.
We went at the cherry blossom time which was great,
We stayed in the Hilton which was pretty central. We had booked a family room but when we arrived they said the room was too small and upgraded us to a top floor room with great views and access to the business lounge which was amazing with views of Mount Fuji
We didn't speak Japanese although I had listened to ear worms so had a few phrases.not much English was spoken but I think that the people there were so polite and helpful that we did get by ok.
In restaurants people used their phones to translate for us.
You will have a fabulous time it's a great city.

Went a few years ago in August. The heat was unbearable but it was worth it. I would go back any time. I stayed at the Grand Prince hotel in Takanawa. It was closed to the train station and very easy to get everywhere. I found English was not really spoken but I got by with a phrase book and lots of goodwill from the Japanese people. They really go out of their way to help you out

We are going to Tokyo next May.....We are flying into Haneda Airport and out of Narita.

QUESTION

Would you do disneyland at the begining of the week or at the end ?

I'd go there in the middle and visit each park over two days. Disney Sea is the unique one with some attractions not seen at any of their other parks.

If you can arrive there for opening (the nearest station is Maihama and Disney is well signposted from there). Its basically opposite the parks (then you will need to board the Disney monorail).

(BTW Haneda airport is a lot closer to Tokyo than Narita is. If you are flying back from Narita I would look at the Friendly Airport Limousine Bus to take you there or the N'EX train. Taxis to that airport from Tokyo will be prohibitively expensive).

Friendly Airport Limousine Bus is highly recommended.

100 Stay, a couple of stops down from Shinjuku is good. A lively, non-posh area close to Koreatown, with lots of good, cheap eats, excellent transport.

If you're not fussed about cherry blossom or maple leaves, late September, early October are good.

All transport is announced in both Englsh and Japanese, and is flashed up ditto on screens.

DH and I are in Japan on our second visit, have little to no Japanese, but managed perfectly well, with konnichi-wa, arigato and bowing. Bowing is good, seriously, as is enthusiasm for the food, eating with chopsticks, and adoring the Shinkansen.

OP, if you're travelling about, investigate the Japan Rail pass, which can only be bought outside Japan, but will save you a fortune.

Do get the JR pass - it means you can easily get all round Tokyo and to Kyoto and Nara etc. Note JR is pronounced 'jay-air-ru'and saying that will get you pointed to the nearest station.
We found everyone incredibly helpful while speaking no English - even a 4-star business hotel had no English speakers outside 9-5 but for example asking. where to buy 'washi' - Japanese paper - in a tourist information place got a chap taking my wrist and pulling me along a 10-min walk to a wonderful shop. We ended up in a lot of restaurants conveying the fact that we would like food, pointing to a scribbled price, and food turned up.

Don't go in July as its around 40 degrees. People asked why I didn't go to Mount Fuji. Mt Fuji is not air-conditioned!

Mount Fuji can be covered in mist and fog in the summertime, it can certainly feel cold on the fifth station (which is the starting point for many summit climbers).

My Ds is going in December - will it be really cold by then? Wondering what I need to kit him out with....