Cheapest Flights to Tokyo?!??

guy_alcindor

Anyone here have experience tracking down cheapest flights to the far east? I did some preliminary searching, cheapest I found was $1500 taxes in, leaving from East Coast n America to Tokyo, round trip. Gotta be cheaper than that somewhere, no? Anyone have any tips? Oh, and if people know some MUST-SEE sites in and around Tokyo, don't be shy!

Big_Chan

Anyone here have experience tracking down cheapest flights to the far east? I did some preliminary searching, cheapest I found was $1500 taxes in, leaving from East Coast n America to Tokyo, round trip. Gotta be cheaper than that somewhere, no? Anyone have any tips? Oh, and if people know some MUST-SEE sites in and around Tokyo, don't be shy!

It all depends on the time of year you are flying to Japan. It is always a little cheaper flying from here in Seattle to Tokyo. Going in the summer is the most expensive time to fly to Japan because it is when most people travel. We usually pay around $1100.00 round trip from Seattle to Tokyo during the summer. Ticket prices usually go down around 30% in September and then drop around another 30% in November. A few years back, Wifey flew home to Tokyo for a friends wedding in January and the round trip ticket was about $439.00. Summer travel to Japan is expensive and that is all there is to it. I don't know how to get cheap tickets.
As for sites in and around Tokyo, I could write PAGES of stuff on that. Do you really like Japanese food? Do you eat everything? Do you like museums? Shrines and temples? Do you want to go record and shoes shopping? You like sumo wrestling? You like baseball? Let me know and I can give you a lot of info. I'm sure the hommie Sheep will chime in as well

djsheep

Oh, and if people know some MUST-SEE sites in and around Tokyo, don't be shy!

You have to go to Kyoto and see the following sights -- Kinkokuji and Kiyomizu temples / shrines. If you are around during climbing season, try to climb Mt. Fuji. If you like Hot Springs and nature, hit up Hakone. Also, if you go to Kyoto hit up Nara for a day. If you like amusement parks make sure you go to Universal Studios and Disneyland and Disneysea Tokyo...

Make sure you go to Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Make sure you eat Shabu Shabu, Yaki Niku and hit up some Tempura and Chicken Karage joints. Also try the fast food out there -- Matsuya, Yoshinoya, Freshness Burger, Mos Burger, etc.

Anything else you want to do, let me know.

NachoManCandySandwich

If yr in Tokyo I really recommend a trip down to Kamakura. Its an easy day-trip and works as a Nara/Kyoto substitute if you won't be travelling much out of the Kantou area. Check out the Dai-Butsu, big old out door buddha in Kamakura.

NachoManCandySandwich

Oh, and I thought I had replied to this a while back, but now I see my post isn't here.

I've never really paid more than $900 I don't think. Always check out the Japanese travel firms that operate out of SF, Chicago, NY. Maybe they have different fares than the typicall Orbitz & Travelocity websites. Forget the one I used to use, but H.I.S is a big one--maybe it's called No. 1 in the states? Great customer service, too.

SPlDEY

Try sites like this http://www.airfarewatchdog.com

Right now I can get a trip to Tokyo from Vegas for $631 4 nights minimum stay

Bam.

- spidey

mattB

Can't help you with the flights, but one bit of digging advice. If you can read a fair bit of Japanese or will be hooking up and digging with a Japanese friend (or at least someone who can read Japanese), then grab a copy of the Record Map for about 2000Yen. It's got listings for thousands of shops all over japan with maps around the closest train station.

If I recall correctly, past editions had at least the station names in romaji (using the English alphabet) but the latest edition doesnt even have that so you'll really need to have a bit of nihongo to be able to use it.

bboyparkz

This years Record Map as has less romaji than before, so its a little tricky.

mattB

This years Record Map as has less romaji than before, so its a little tricky.

um...yeah, like I said

bboyparkz

This years Record Map as has less romaji than before, so its a little tricky.

um...yeah, like I said

Sorry missed your comment about this years edition (I just woke up and haven???t had enough coffee yet).
Man I was initially gutted when I bought this years edition and found I couldn???t read as much of it as before but it became easy after cross referencing it with an older edition.

mattB

heh yeah, I know what you mean.
on the one hand it can be frustrating, but on the other it helps me remember more kanji (cause im too fucken lazy to sit down and study).
eg: "damn, I really wanna go to that store. hmmm, I know the "en" and I think the last one is "ji". What's the first one? it's not "taka"....aha "Koneji"!"

Big_Chan

If yr in Tokyo I really recommend a trip down to Kamakura. Its an easy day-trip and works as a Nara/Kyoto substitute if you won't be travelling much out of the Kantou area. Check out the Dai-Butsu, big old out door buddha in Kamakura.

Co-Sign. Kamakura is very nice! Go to Eno-shima after Kamakura and eat lunch right on the ocean. Kamakura has lots of historic temples and sights. You have to get some "hato" cookies near the train station. Famous bird shaped cookies.

Big_Chan

Some Kamakura info:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2166.html

sneakyp

Look into flying to Nagoya. I got a round trip direct from NY last september for $450. i think the airport had just opened for direct international flights so they were trying to promote it a little bit, but it's still probably cheaper than Tokyo.