Expenses for a Trip to Japan?

[Jason Pitzer]

Sorry I havnt been on for a while everyone. Messed my computer up trying to put a cdburner in it. *Laughs* Anyways I finally made up my mind to go to Japan this year or next year. for either 2 weeks or a month havnt decided. I wanna travel the country Havnt decided what part yet but what would the expenses be for it well what I mean is like youth hostel's or hotels and food misc expenses so on. Thanks for you help!

 

[budd]

$27 a night cheapest i've seen in tokyo
food averages out to about $10 a day

 

[Mandylion]

Count on 50 bucks a night for a Motel 8 type hotel, some hostels come cheaper (some need membership for reduced rates). If you travel at peak times, things will be more exensive and fill up fast. It is already hard to get a hotel in Kyoto for this spring (end of April, first part of May) and they are charging peak rates...

I would count on more like 30 dollars a day for food. Depends on how much you eat, but going to a convenience store for breakfast (they do have things you can eat for breakfast in Japan), runs around 500 to 700 yen, lunch at a cheap joint can be again 700 (non-fancy, non-filling) to 1500 (decent lunch) and about the same for a good dinner. This will be one of the chances you have to eat real Japanese food, so let yourself live a little

I have found with travel it is always good to assume you will spend more than your initial guesses. Get a whole bunch of numbers from people and see where they average out. Good luck!

 

[budd]

http://www.itcj.or.jp/facility/3/facil/313122.html
HOTEL NEW KOYO|TOP
http://plaza3.mbn.or.jp/~tourclub/JHostel.html
http://www.budgetinnjp.com/photo.html

 

[budd]

maybe i was really excited (and glad to be there), but it was definitely like 10
one 500 plate
50 cent manju
1 dollar peach drink carton
then again, i always lose about 20 pounds (i call it the kankou diet)... hmm
i know one trip i spent about $430 total, before room rent, travel
came back with $40
did not have as good a time
but that was because i didn't buy as much manga as i wanted (was spent on souvenirs for japanese friends here)

 

[neptunemoon]

How much money do you think I would have to save up to take a plane there and back and stay there for two months. Is it way more expensive to live there?

 

[Iron Chef]

It's not as easy as throwing out a generic lump sum amount Neptune. You need to be more specific in your query because there are countless variables that must be accounted for first like the following:

1) What is the nature of your visit? Are you simply planning on a sight-seeing "touristy" two months or will you be going there on business, for school, etc.

2) Two months where? Are you planning on staying in one static location or traversing the countryside for the duration of your stay? Do you have any contacts in and around the area(s) you plan on traveling to that can make the proper living arrangements and or accomodations for you? The cost for staying in and around Tokyo for instance is considerably higher when compared with the likes of the rural Hokkaido countryside or a coastal fishing town in Kyushu .

3) What sort of lifestyle are you anticipating once you arrive? Are you planning on clubbing, sightseeing, buying lots of souvenirs to take back with you, etc. etc.? Someone who wants to do as much as possible and take in as much as they can while there, will spend considerably more than a homebody who just wants to go out occasionally.

And the list goes on....

 

[budd]

so true

 

[Jason Pitzer]

Ok would 4k do it for a month? clubbing about 2 days a week maybe 3 sight seeing and suvanior buying?

 

[budd]

$27 a night (like i said, cheapest afaik) x 30 = $810?
+ $35 x 6 clubbing nights (need flyer to get discount) = $210?
+ $15 x 30 eating = $450?
flight from la with no gateways and probably standby/coach = $799? (don't know about this -- no exp here)
$200 emergency money?
hm

 

[nikki_the_insane]

Okay, let me see if I can be specific.

If I stayed in Japan for about a 1 1/2 weeks and decided to stay mostly around the Tokyo area (Maybe farther north or south. Can't remember the name of the other city.) How much would it cost for:

Plane tickets for four people; round trip? Coming from western U.S.
A decent hotel for a faimly of four?
Food for the alloted time? Such as restaurants and basic groceries.
Souvenirs?
Transportation?
Muesuems and other tourist attractions?

And an overall expense if you could tell me. I know when my faimly went to Hawaii (which is kind of different, I know.) we brought along about $2000 dollars and that about covered it. That didn't include plane tickets because my dad used his frequent flyer miles from Delta and only had to pay $20 for them. Another question to that, does Delta do international flights? I highly doubt it though.

 

[budd]

i had a long well-thought-out reply typed out, but the forum barfed, so i'll just link these two
skyteam
itcj
the itcj link has pictures of the hotel rooms and rates
skyteam link has flights, dates, etc.
delta definitely does international flights -- its how i've always flown