Tip # 6. The Shinjuku option. You've done it! You've landed at Narita International Airport near Tokyo and are eager to get to your hotel.
If you elect to stay in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, here are the Google Map directions from Narita International Airport to APA Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower.
This is an excellent hotel in our price bracket, but our room was tiny. Not a concern since we're out all day. By the way, there's a beautiful hot bath for your relaxation.
this method can be used with a bigger wallet. Just go to Booking.com although there are many other reservation sites.
When you pick up your Pocket Wifi on the 3rd floor of Narita Airport, ask if they might walk you through the wifi start up process.
Once your wifi is up, open Google Maps and enter APA Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower [or your
hotel].
Tip #7. Before departing the airport, look for the Currency Exchange signs by the escalator. Patricia and I usually exchange $500 U.S. dollars each for Japanese yen. At the counter outside the exchange window, fill out an currency exchange slip, and along with your passport, hand it to the teller behind the glass. That's it!
Now, carefully examine the route below [one of many possibilities, but we like it because it has only one train change]. Ask for directions to the Keisei Narita Skyaccess ticket counter.
By the way... The Narita Express is an easier way to get from Narita to Shinjuku. Ask for the Narita Express ticket counter and before leaving the counter ask for directions to the proper track.
By now, you've run 10 to 11 hours flying across the Pacific, moved through the amazingly efficient Japanese Customs operation, found your way to and boarded the train for the last leg of your journey, 1 hour 25 minutes to the hotel. By this point we are reaching a state of exhaustion, where it's easy to make way-finding mistakes. So if you're too tired when you arrive at the Shin Okubo Station, ask for directions to the taxi stand instead of pressing on to the 10 minute walk from Shin Okubo Station to the APA Kabuki cho Tower Hotel. You've smartly exchanged currency and have yen at the ready for the taxi driver.
Click here for photos and booking details--> APA Hotel Kabuki cho Shinjuku and read the reviews. Patricia and I liked our tiny room in this immaculately clean hotel for sentimental reasons, it was our first stay as a couple in Japan and we were at the beginning of getting to know one the other. Be it known here... tiny is not an exaggeration. A gentleman riding up the elevator with us eyeballed our highly efficient roll aboard carry-on luggage and commented: "You know, the two of you and your luggage won't fit into your room." We were shocked to find he wasn't far off. We had to jockey our suitcases into tight fitting spaces. Still we continue to return and use Kabuki cho Tower as our Tokyo base of operations.
