Hi,
This is my first time planning a free & easy trip to Japan and I'm overwhelmed by the numerous options. Need some advice from the pros. Appreciate your input!
We are a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids (aged 12 and 14). Travel dates are 1-15 Dec 2015, managed to score cheap tickets fr SQ, flying into Narita and leaving via Haneda.
Here's what I have for now:
1-7 Dec (6 nights): Tokyo area
7-13 Dec (6 nights): outside of Tokyo
13-16 Dec (3 nights): near Disney (visiting Disney Sea for 1 day)
My questions:
1. For Tokyo area, between Shinjuku and Ueno/Asakusa area, which should I stay that is more convenient to reach from Narita airport and to move around Tokyo sights? (I am thinking of renting airbnb apartment cos hotel would be expensive and we'll need 2 rooms.)
[both shinjuku and ueno are good. both have direct train to narita airport. keisei line for ueno, and narita express for shinjuku. both are on the yamanote line, so getting ard tokyo is easy too. accommodations in ueno are usually cheaper.]
2. For the 6 nights outside Tokyo, I am thinking of Hakone area (should we avoid Hakone totally cos of the volcanic activity or only the Owakudani area) and Fuji Five Lakes area. Where should we base ourselves for 6 nights? At one place or break up into 3+3 nights? Enough places to go for 6 days?
[better to monitor the situation in hakone.
most ppl just spend 1-2 days for hakone and lake kawaguchi. but i think there are enough places to visit to occupied all 6 days. since u are open to rental car, u can visit all 5 lakes and other less accessible places in the area.]
3. We are open to renting a car for the 6 nights outside Tokyo. Should be rent and drive out from Tokyo or should we take a train out to a town/city and then rent a car from there?
[if u have places to explore along the way, then maybe rent from tokyo. must also consider the coz of driving from tokyo vs. train]
4. Any not to expensive but nice hotel/ryokans in the Hakone/Fuji area to recommend?
5. For our 3 nights in Disney area, is staying in Edogawa far from Disney Sea? The airbnb owner said we can take a Shuttle Seven bus to Disney in 12 minutes....
That's all I have for now! Thanks in advance for your help!