Some Notes and Tips
from my Recent Travel Experience
Flights
- Claiming mileage awards from Northeast Airline (NWA) from
their web interface save 1,000 miles (http://www.nwa.com/hk).
See other promotion items there. I have claimed a ticket to Japan for
20,000 miles to Japan, but unfortunate before the launching of this service.
- KLM (http://www.klm.com.hk/)
offers convenient flights to Europe in general. You may enter and leave
Europe in over 100 cities of your choice (connection via Amsterdam,
<=$5700 during promotion).
- Cathay Pacific is too expensive in general - except those
under promotion (see: http://www.cathaypacific.com/)
Japan Hotels
- I booked some cheap hotels in Japan directly through their
home pages (in Japanese language only) and saved substantial $$$.
There are so far so good.
- Some Japanese portals are as follows:
- Some English portals are as follows:
- Hotels that I stayed:
Local Japan Transportation near Tokyo
- Japan Railway (Only few
free-seated fast trains to Yokohama/Tokyo, i.e., most need reservation fee)
- Keisie 京成 Railway
(from Narita Airport to Tokyo/Yokohama) - more fast trains at ordinary price
- No need to buy JR pass for staying near Tokyo/Yokohama/Hakone/Fuji
- Tokyo 営団 subway
day-pass ￥710(single journey ￥160/190)
- "Express" trains/bus from airport to Tokyo/Yokohama that
require extra booking fee is not worthwhile unless you have tremendous
amount of luggage - they are no so fast. (compare 1500 to 4000 yen from
airport to Yokohama...)
- Hakone(箱根):
2-day (weekday) /
3-day pass (from 小田原駅 ￥3410/4130, sold at
office beside bus station) covering bus, train, cable car via
大涌谷 geo-thermal area, 芦ノ湖 lake
boat tour in the region
- Maps
- Train Transit Guide
Local Web Sites (near Tokyo)