Thank you fort the video! I came across your video because I'm creating an itinerary with 2 seniors and 2 middle aged adults with joint problems in mind. I knew there'd be a lot of steps involved so I was trying to check out which sites would be easiest for seniors but after watching this, I realized that we'll probably miss a lot of places 😅
Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm happy to hear it was helpful. There may be some places where you can at least see part of the destination and avoid steps. You may want to do a little more research before you write off a destination that you were looking forward to seeing. But, yes, I put in way too many steps in Tokyo and am still recovering!!
What a detailed and informative video! I appreciate your transparency in addressing what worked and what didn't, as well as your personal interest rating for so many experiences.
As an older, solo traveler I went last year and would suggest viewing several of the do's and don'ts cultural videos on youtube while trip planning. Japan is a place truly driven by its culture. Don't underestimate how large Tokyo is but for a one to two week trip try to visit a couple of other places. There is much to choose from. Try to learn at least 3 or 4 phrases in Japanese and find a translation app you like for your phone as English is not widely spoken. Trash cans are few so I'd suggest having a small plastic bag for minor trash items and dispose at your hotel. Restaurants are everywhere and in addition to Japanese food there are places with pasta, Indian, Chinese, burgers, and Middle Eastern.
I have watched all of your Japan videos and am watching them again. I feel you have the top three video series, so informative. Are you a former teacher? I get such teacher vibes form your videos. My plan is for a February-March visit for Japan. I followed your advice for a little off season. My original plan was March-April, however I found Feb-March cheaper for both flights and hotels and the weather isn't much colder. I think I just jinxed it, lol. Many thanks for the great videos!
Oh, thanks so much for the kind words! And yes, I have an education background! Guilty! I am retired now, but do love sharing my experience and knowledge with others...so I guess I'm still a teacher:) I just launched a new website, seniorsolotravel.net, which I hope provides a good resource for fellow travelers. I think your plan to take advantage of the less expensive flights and hotels is a good one. I think you'll be able to avoid the overcrowding at some of the sights. I hope the weather cooperates!
So glad I came across your video, was planning on doing the hop-on-off tour, don't think I'll do it now. Out of curiosity, how did you book the private tour guide? website? Do you have any recommendations for one?
Oh great, I'm glad you found it helpful. For the private tour, I got on Viator.com and they had choices between group tours and private tours. I had planned to join a group tour but noticed the private tour wasn't much more expensive, so decided to do it instead. I literally booked it the night before. The guide's name was Celeste and she was fabulous! Maybe you can track her down. Regarding the Hop On buses, the reason I don't think it works is that Tokyo is so spread out, there is heavy traffic, and they don't have enough buses operating. It's not a great way to maximize your time. There were other buses that were escorted group tours. I can't comment on them, but I think they would be better than the Hop On buses since they at least have a set itinerary. Have a fabulous trip!
Sorry to hear that you had such a horrible time getting around. I was in Tokyo in October for about 5 days. Now I used the metro all the time and used the IC card suica and pasmos card tap on and off the metro. Now went in doubt ask the station representatives they are helpful. Also used it when I went to Kyoto and Osaka. I was going to do the hop on hop off bus now I'm glad it didn't. Prior to my trip I did a lot of viewing using the metro in Tokyo. Also if I go any trip I uses public trans as much as possible. My favorite trip was taking a day trip to Kamakura and not for the Great Buddha but for the shopping street, shrines and a temple with a bamboo forest. This trip was a solo trip. I love my own schedule.
Sounds like a fabulous trip. I've heard from others who said they had no problem either, so I probably should have made more effort. Did you use Google Maps-? It seemed to be the culprit for me.
@@seniorsolotravel on this trip I rented a portable yfi for my tablet. I was always connected to the internet and google map. I use my mini tablet for camera, pc, since I don't have a I phone. This way I have connection with my sister in law in Australia via FaceTime and I can post my pics on Facebook or email easier. Also even though Im Japanese ancestry I don't speak Japanese except for a few phases. I uses Sumimasen (excuse me) a lot lol to get directions.
We just got back from tokyo last friday and had the same issues with the op on hop off bus! There were no markings for stops. The driver drove right by us. When we arrived to the starting point he was so rude to us. They wouldn't listen. They were so unorganized we went to complain then all of them didn't know english. So we asked for our money and took the subways and walked. It was brutal walking. DO NOT TAKE THE HOP ON OFF BUS. I believe there is another tour bus that is much better.
Sorry, you suffered too! I agree that a tour bus would have been a better option, although I think you'd still have to deal with slow traffic. Because the exchange rate was so good, I defaulted to taxis. I've heard other people rave about the ease in the public transportation, but you are right...it still requires a lot of walking! I think anyone visiting Toyko should plan to get their steps in!
Hi! Thank you for your video, I am waiting for the Oska part of your trip.I will be traveling by myself the first week this july; would you mind commenting about the rates of the taxis fare to move around the city? Thank you.
Oh wonderful. Regarding taxis, of course it depends on how far you go. When I look at my taxi history, the trips averaged around $20, with some higher, some lower. It is definitely cheaper to use public transportation. If I went back again, I would spend more time trying to get a map app to work and guide me through the system. However, I do think I saved quite a bit of time and steps using the taxis. I'm working on the Kyoto video now, then planned to do Hiroshima and Osaka. Hopefully it will be posted before you leave. If you have any specific questions regarding Osaka, feel free to ask here...or take it to the Senior Solo Travel Facebook Page. Other people might have suggestions too! I hope you have a fabulous journey. Safe travels, Laurie
Good question. It is called the Cocoon Building and it is an educational building. It was next to my hotel, so it was a good landmark for me. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_Gakuen_Cocoon_Tower
Do you mind sharing which hotel you stayed at? I’m planning a trip for October. Is taxi expensive? I know expensive is relative but I’ve seen other blogs saying take trains instead but I’m not excited about walking to stations.
I stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku. I couldn't tell you how much it cost because it was wrapped up in my travel agent's bookings. I do know it was the fanciest hotel I stayed at in Japan and had a fabulous breakfast buffet. I stayed at four hotels in Japan and they all had the same kind of thin hard mattress for their beds. So, you could probably save money by going with a more modest hotel. Everything is so clean in Japan, I wouldn't worry about a cheaper, smaller hotel. I think the reason my travel agent booked this hotel was that Sunrise Tours has an office there. Two of the excursions I booked met at this hotel. It is also a few blocks from Shinjuku Train station. As for taxi's, I was able to travel most places within the city for about 1900-2700 yen, which is about $12-17 USD. I definitely saved time and effort by taking taxis, but public transportation is definitely the cheaper route. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions. Happy to answer...
There are many hotels in Tokyo (and other cities in Japan) that are directly on top of or connected to subway stations. If you're worried about walking, you can look for hotels right by a station.
I did try a few times, but Google Maps kept going out when I got near the train stations. I'm sure if I would have put more effort into it, I could have figured it out. Taxis weren't very expensive, so I just defaulted to them, especially when I was tired. When I got to S Korea, I took a bit more time figuring things out, and was able to take the trains and buses with the Naver Map app, which worked much better than Google Maps. I wondered if I would have had better success in Japan, if I would have figured out a better navigation app.
Strange that Google Maps was giving you trouble. In my trip it worked even in the stations and told me the station, the line, the platform, and what the train would say on the front. For viewers, the platform signs and trains alternate information back and forth between Japanese and English. Regular city buses do not so its easier to use the trains. Remember that people are quiet on trains.
Yes, I had watched many UA-cam videos on train navigation and it looked so easy using Google Maps. However, I definitely kept losing service, sometimes just when walking outdoors. I thought maybe it was my settings and made sure I had roaming and wifi on. I even redownloaded the Map App, but still had problems. So, I'm not sure what the issue was. Thanks for sharing that it worked well for you and for sharing your other great advice. Cheers!
@@seniorsolotravel Thanks and thanks for your helpful video. I wonder if you needed the pocket wifi device that some people rent on arrival at the airport. I didn't. This is worth researching. My phone plan had me do an international service option for a fee for when I was there.
Thank you fort the video! I came across your video because I'm creating an itinerary with 2 seniors and 2 middle aged adults with joint problems in mind. I knew there'd be a lot of steps involved so I was trying to check out which sites would be easiest for seniors but after watching this, I realized that we'll probably miss a lot of places 😅
Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm happy to hear it was helpful. There may be some places where you can at least see part of the destination and avoid steps. You may want to do a little more research before you write off a destination that you were looking forward to seeing. But, yes, I put in way too many steps in Tokyo and am still recovering!!
What a detailed and informative video! I appreciate your transparency in addressing what worked and what didn't, as well as your personal interest rating for so many experiences.
Thank so much. I'm glad it was helpful!
As an older, solo traveler I went last year and would suggest viewing several of the do's and don'ts cultural videos on youtube while trip planning. Japan is a place truly driven by its culture. Don't underestimate how large Tokyo is but for a one to two week trip try to visit a couple of other places. There is much to choose from. Try to learn at least 3 or 4 phrases in Japanese and find a translation app you like for your phone as English is not widely spoken. Trash cans are few so I'd suggest having a small plastic bag for minor trash items and dispose at your hotel. Restaurants are everywhere and in addition to Japanese food there are places with pasta, Indian, Chinese, burgers, and Middle Eastern.
Excellent suggestions! Thanks for sharing....
Thanks for the video. I'm looking forward to your kyoto video
You're welcome! Coming soon!
I have watched all of your Japan videos and am watching them again. I feel you have the top three video series, so informative. Are you a former teacher? I get such teacher vibes form your videos. My plan is for a February-March visit for Japan. I followed your advice for a little off season. My original plan was March-April, however I found Feb-March cheaper for both flights and hotels and the weather isn't much colder. I think I just jinxed it, lol. Many thanks for the great videos!
Oh, thanks so much for the kind words! And yes, I have an education background! Guilty! I am retired now, but do love sharing my experience and knowledge with others...so I guess I'm still a teacher:) I just launched a new website, seniorsolotravel.net, which I hope provides a good resource for fellow travelers. I think your plan to take advantage of the less expensive flights and hotels is a good one. I think you'll be able to avoid the overcrowding at some of the sights. I hope the weather cooperates!
@@seniorsolotravel I appreciate you sharing your vast insights.
Thank you, very informative
Glad it was helpful!
I also am a solo traveler. Going to Tokyo and Kyoto in October!
Yay! Enjoy your trip. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous journey!
you uploaded great picture, 💯
Thank you!
So glad I came across your video, was planning on doing the hop-on-off tour, don't think I'll do it now. Out of curiosity, how did you book the private tour guide? website? Do you have any recommendations for one?
Oh great, I'm glad you found it helpful. For the private tour, I got on Viator.com and they had choices between group tours and private tours. I had planned to join a group tour but noticed the private tour wasn't much more expensive, so decided to do it instead. I literally booked it the night before. The guide's name was Celeste and she was fabulous! Maybe you can track her down. Regarding the Hop On buses, the reason I don't think it works is that Tokyo is so spread out, there is heavy traffic, and they don't have enough buses operating. It's not a great way to maximize your time. There were other buses that were escorted group tours. I can't comment on them, but I think they would be better than the Hop On buses since they at least have a set itinerary. Have a fabulous trip!
@@seniorsolotravel Perfect, thank you so much!
Sorry to hear that you had such a horrible time getting around. I was in Tokyo in October for about 5 days. Now I used the metro all the time and used the IC card suica and pasmos card tap on and off the metro. Now went in doubt ask the station representatives they are helpful. Also used it when I went to Kyoto and Osaka. I was going to do the hop on hop off bus now I'm glad it didn't. Prior to my trip I did a lot of viewing using the metro in Tokyo. Also if I go any trip I uses public trans as much as possible. My favorite trip was taking a day trip to Kamakura and not for the Great Buddha but for the shopping street, shrines and a temple with a bamboo forest. This trip was a solo trip. I love my own schedule.
Sounds like a fabulous trip. I've heard from others who said they had no problem either, so I probably should have made more effort. Did you use Google Maps-? It seemed to be the culprit for me.
@@seniorsolotravel on this trip I rented a portable yfi for my tablet. I was always connected to the internet and google map. I use my mini tablet for camera, pc, since I don't have a I phone. This way I have connection with my sister in law in Australia via FaceTime and I can post my pics on Facebook or email easier. Also even though Im Japanese ancestry I don't speak Japanese except for a few phases. I uses Sumimasen (excuse me) a lot lol to get directions.
We just got back from tokyo last friday and had the same issues with the op on hop off bus! There were no markings for stops. The driver drove right by us. When we arrived to the starting point he was so rude to us. They wouldn't listen. They were so unorganized we went to complain then all of them didn't know english. So we asked for our money and took the subways and walked. It was brutal walking. DO NOT TAKE THE HOP ON OFF BUS. I believe there is another tour bus that is much better.
Sorry, you suffered too! I agree that a tour bus would have been a better option, although I think you'd still have to deal with slow traffic. Because the exchange rate was so good, I defaulted to taxis. I've heard other people rave about the ease in the public transportation, but you are right...it still requires a lot of walking! I think anyone visiting Toyko should plan to get their steps in!
Hi! Thank you for your video, I am waiting for the Oska part of your trip.I will be traveling by myself the first week this july; would you mind commenting about the rates of the taxis fare to move around the city? Thank you.
Oh wonderful. Regarding taxis, of course it depends on how far you go. When I look at my taxi history, the trips averaged around $20, with some higher, some lower. It is definitely cheaper to use public transportation. If I went back again, I would spend more time trying to get a map app to work and guide me through the system. However, I do think I saved quite a bit of time and steps using the taxis. I'm working on the Kyoto video now, then planned to do Hiroshima and Osaka. Hopefully it will be posted before you leave. If you have any specific questions regarding Osaka, feel free to ask here...or take it to the Senior Solo Travel Facebook Page. Other people might have suggestions too! I hope you have a fabulous journey. Safe travels, Laurie
@@seniorsolotravel thank you so much, I will be waiting for those videos ;)
❤❤❤❤❤❤ what is the oval building at 00:35. Thanks
Good question. It is called the Cocoon Building and it is an educational building. It was next to my hotel, so it was a good landmark for me. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_Gakuen_Cocoon_Tower
Thanks.
Do you mind sharing which hotel you stayed at? I’m planning a trip for October. Is taxi expensive? I know expensive is relative but I’ve seen other blogs saying take trains instead but I’m not excited about walking to stations.
I stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku. I couldn't tell you how much it cost because it was wrapped up in my travel agent's bookings. I do know it was the fanciest hotel I stayed at in Japan and had a fabulous breakfast buffet. I stayed at four hotels in Japan and they all had the same kind of thin hard mattress for their beds. So, you could probably save money by going with a more modest hotel. Everything is so clean in Japan, I wouldn't worry about a cheaper, smaller hotel. I think the reason my travel agent booked this hotel was that Sunrise Tours has an office there. Two of the excursions I booked met at this hotel. It is also a few blocks from Shinjuku Train station. As for taxi's, I was able to travel most places within the city for about 1900-2700 yen, which is about $12-17 USD. I definitely saved time and effort by taking taxis, but public transportation is definitely the cheaper route. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions. Happy to answer...
There are many hotels in Tokyo (and other cities in Japan) that are directly on top of or connected to subway stations. If you're worried about walking, you can look for hotels right by a station.
Thanks for sharing the good info!
@@AgaliaX JR Mets Hotels are often located at or very near the JR stations. I stayed at the one in Sapporo and it was a very good experience.
Were you afraid to use Tokyo's extensive subway system?
I did try a few times, but Google Maps kept going out when I got near the train stations. I'm sure if I would have put more effort into it, I could have figured it out. Taxis weren't very expensive, so I just defaulted to them, especially when I was tired. When I got to S Korea, I took a bit more time figuring things out, and was able to take the trains and buses with the Naver Map app, which worked much better than Google Maps. I wondered if I would have had better success in Japan, if I would have figured out a better navigation app.
@@seniorsolotravel Thanks very helpful to know.
Strange that Google Maps was giving you trouble. In my trip it worked even in the stations and told me the station, the line, the platform, and what the train would say on the front. For viewers, the platform signs and trains alternate information back and forth between Japanese and English. Regular city buses do not so its easier to use the trains. Remember that people are quiet on trains.
Yes, I had watched many UA-cam videos on train navigation and it looked so easy using Google Maps. However, I definitely kept losing service, sometimes just when walking outdoors. I thought maybe it was my settings and made sure I had roaming and wifi on. I even redownloaded the Map App, but still had problems. So, I'm not sure what the issue was. Thanks for sharing that it worked well for you and for sharing your other great advice. Cheers!
@@seniorsolotravel Thanks and thanks for your helpful video. I wonder if you needed the pocket wifi device that some people rent on arrival at the airport. I didn't. This is worth researching. My phone plan had me do an international service option for a fee for when I was there.