Be Excellent To Each Other

Right, so I've been feeling proper fucked off of late, so I need a holiday. I've always wanted to go to Japan, so I figured there's no time like the present. I'm thinking about a nice week long break, with half the time spent in Tokyo and the other half in Kyoto. I'm a little concerned that a week won't be enough, but I'm a little strapped for cash and I'd probably miss Zioette if I was gone for longer.

A cursory glance at lastminute.com suggests that the cheapest flights around the time I wish to go would be via the Russian airline, Aeroflot. Lufthansa and Air France also seem reasonably priced, and I'm told Finnair does some cheap flights to Tokyo.

I gather all these require short stop-offs, but I'm not too bothered about that.

Alternatively, for about £200 more I can get a direct flight on Virgin Atlantic.

Obviously all of these are economy class.

So, what I want to know is, does anyone here have any experience of any of these airlines? If you were in my shoes, which airline would you be thinking of booking your flights with? At present, I'm planning on going alone and this is the first time I've ever done such a thing, so I'm a little inexperienced in these matters. In fact, the only planes I've ever been on are shitty cheapo things going to the Canaries and back.

Also, does anyone here have much experience of Japan? I was thinking about getting accomidation in ryokans for the time I'll be there, because a) it's cheap, and b) it'd be really fucking cool.

Much thankness!

It's a hell of a slog to do in one go. I went with a stop each way in Bangkok with Thai Airways. Very good airline btw. A week would be pushing it for Tokyo and Kyoto if you ask me, we only managed half of what I wanted to see of Tokyo in a week. So much to see, but it's also a good reason to go back. If you go in April you'll hit cherry blossom season.

Suberb subway system that even filthy Gaijin can understand.

Can I go with you?

Without wishing to be rude, and I mean this in the nicest, possible way, are you aware that Japan is i) the other side of the fucking world ii) it's fucking mentally expensive iii) they are mentals iv)flying out for only a week means you'll only get a few days there, proper anyway v) I'd stick the money in a bank and move out of my parent's house, that'll get you more, in the long term than going to Japan, OR vA) head to somewhere cheap, european and shag the A level students or undergrads on holiday.

Yeah, my brother went for two weeks, of which the entire first week was spent in Tokyo with the rest flitting about between Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. He tells me the only thing he felt he got wrong time-wise was only spending two days in Kyoto, ideally he'd have been there longer. I'm still not entirely sure I could stretch to two weeks, especially if I do end up going on my todd, but I suppose a day or two over a week would be a possibilty. Plus I'm open for going once on the cheap and then going back for a more adventurous trip with pals in the future.

April was exactly when I was looking at going.

Yeah... it did help cost wise that I work for a travel company. You can still eat and sleep for cheap if you're not stupid over there. We stayed at the Mercure Hotel in Ginza, very helpful that it's a western chain so the receptionist and most staff knew wtf we were saying.

Whilst there is wisdom in your words, I've never left Europe, so am intrigued about going further afield. Fuck, I've never even been to Scotland and have only spent an afternoon in Wales (I felt that was enough though, to be fair).

Do it then.

Fly BA or Air France.

I flew there with Lufthansa, but it meant a stop over in Munich/Frankfurt (one there, the other on the way back, I can't remember which way round), so it doesn't really break up the journey much and you're looking at something like 12 hours from Germany to Tokyo and another 90 or so minutes on a bus from Narita to wherever you're staying in Tokyo. Don't expect much sleep on the plane either unless I'm just crap at that sort of thing, but we were flying through the night and I still got hardly any sleep.
Jetlag pretty much fucked me over for the first week I was there, but as long as you're happy with getting out of bed at about 3 in the afternoon then you'll be fine

It's been a few years since I went, but it is expensive, it is a long way to go just to get away from it all, and a week is nowhere near enough time to be out there.

How did you people deal with the language barrier?

Point at stuff.

Edit - I went with a few friends and we'd planned to do a basic course before going to help us get by, but we didn't bother in the end. I printed out loads of crap from the internet, but didn't bother reading most of it.
By the time I got there I was comfortable that I could pronounce most things correctly and knew a couple of basic words phrases. Then when I stepped off the plane I was completely overwhelmed by all the bizarre characters staring back at me, I didn't have much luck pronouncing stuff if I didn't recognise the letters.

Certainly in Tokyo though, most people (or at least people you'd have to talk to) spoke enough English to know what we were talking about. Having a phrase book and knowing a few words definitely helps. Going on Japanese-speaking only tours around Kyoto is probably not a good idea

I don't know how true this is, but an English teacher over there said that most people can speak pretty good English, they're just too embarrassed to try in case they get it wrong.

For what its's worth I've always found Virgin to be very good - this has been on US flights though, not to Japan. In my experience they were much better than the BA equivalent that i used for work, and the in flight idiot box entertainment was better, also when i flew economy the legroom seemed slightly better.

When MrsA arrives home, I'll get her to check into her "plans to go to Japan" file and send you some highlights.

There was a programme on BBC4 last night about Japanese girls as well.

Steady on, chap.

Avoid Aeroflot and Air France like the plague.

Virgin are very good - they are regularly voted in the top 5 airlines and having experienced their flights from Manchester to Orlando (aka the Skytrain to Mickey) they can make being cooped up for 9 hours with a 747 fully of tourists most pleasant.

Heard good things about Lufthansa as well.

12 hour flights are fine if you get the right plane. Some (most?) 747-400s have at seat entertainment menus. So when we did the RTW on Air New Zealand, there was over 40 films to choose from, plus TV shows, games, all on demand. Sitting and watching a film because you want to is a wonderful luxury.

Go to Nagasaki, it's a blast.

My brother and his missus went to Japan for two weeks last year, after winning the star prize holiday on the National Lottery's TV programme "This Time Tomorrow".

Bastard was supposed to take me, as his missus wasn't available. But at the last minute, she was. Gnnngh.

Anyway, he said that he had a great time but not even two weeks was enough time to see everything the place has to offer. The language barrier wasn't too bad, and the culture over there is incredible. Of course, his enjoyment of the holiday was helped by him not having to spend a penny over there except when he went to the bathroom.

Airline-wise I couldn't fault Virgin when we flew with them. I've flown with them to Johannesberg, Los Angeles and home from New York. The cabin crew are always amazing, the food's decent and having your own little television with a vast array of channels is priceless.

Also, speaking as someone who has recently done the multistop holiday thing, I'd recommend getting direct flight if you possibly can. Legging it from one terminal of an airport to another, getting stuck in a queue at customs and praying your luggage has made it onto the flight are all stresses you can do without.

What language barrier?

The one that results from the country you travel to hasn't got English as a native language, so you stand in the hotel loudly and slowly demanding egg and chips for dinner.

Loads of them speak English, but for some reason they thought I was called Harry Gateau.

Crazy bastards.

I'd feel... uncomfortable travelling to a foreign country without at least trying to learn the language.

I did take a phrase book, learnt my hello, please and thankyous and fluffed along with pointing, smiling and nodding. Everyone we talked to did their very best to help us or pointed us in the direction of someone who could. It was still very alien and most of the time we felt like a walking exhibit taking in the beautiful madness.

I can say "Ohayo gozaimasu!" and "Sayonara!". I have 'International English' for everything else.

Have you tried to learn japanish?

If you want to be understood in Japan and get around, the single worse thing you can do is try and use pidgin japanese. It would be rude for them to correct you or speak back to you in English, as that would mean you lose face.

Sure learn some greetings etc... but stick to english, if you start talking to them in English they will return the favour and not worry about you losing face too much, as they expect you to be an ignorant gai-jin

p.s. I've flown to Germany on Lufthansa lots and lots and lots. They are perfectly fine, they are the national airline of Germany and bigger than BA and Virgin combined!