August: roadtrip in Japan

[nutmeg]

Hi guys,

my wife and I are planing a two week roadtrip in Japan on next August.

For now we only booked the plane ticket Germany-> Tokyo and Tokyo ->Germany.
We'll rent a car and travel through the country.

It seems to be so much to visit there.. Do you guys have some tips?

 

[valgard]

Bring a big suitcase, better yet, a big box with padded interior :whistling:.

 

[Seth]

Yeah, could you pick up a few things for me...and have fun.
s.

 

[ynot1985]

makes sure you get a car with GPS.. road can be confusing

did a road trip once.. tolls everywhere and parking can be hard in the city

 

[osakajoe]

makes sure you get a car with GPS.. road can be confusing

did a road trip once.. tolls everywhere and parking can be hard in the city

Yeah be prepared to pay a lot for tolls and parking. Make sure you read the parking lot signs. Some are a lot more expensive than others. And weekends or holidays in popular destinations can be hectic.

Cars are great if you’re planning on hitting remote country side areas. If you’re just hitting the main areas stick to public transportation and get the JR pass

 

[FoRdLaz]

Look up a restaurant called “Toyoda” in Ginza, Tokyo. Loved it there. It’s a bit on the pricey side but the food was out of this world.
Totally jealous! Japan is an amazing country. Can’t wait to go back.
Safe travels!

 

[BeepBeepImAJeep]

Sure you wanna do a roudtrip? Would prefer http://japanrailpass.net

 

[parbaked]

The Japan Rail Pass is great and you can also use it for some (not all) local subways and buses i.e. most Japan Railways lines but not private lines.
Plus you get to eat ekiben on the shinkansen!!!

 

[tgfencer]

If you're taking smart phones I would also HIGHLY suggest getting a portable, pocket WIFI device. They are very affordable and you can rent one online and pick it up in the airport upon arrival. My wife and I got one when we were in Japan and it was a godsend. Made we realize how much I would have liked to have one traveling in other countries. We drove around a fair bit and never had any trouble using the Wifi to enable GPS on our phones. Equally useful with walking around cities or navigating bus/subway/train lines. The power of the internet is a powerful thing when you don't speak the language!

PS- Morihei is easily found with Google Maps using one of these little devices.