13-Day Renaissance Rider Logistics
This page is dedicated to where to meet, what flights to book, what to bring, and details about money on the 14-day Renaissance Rider.
1. Where to meet
There are two locations you can meet the group on your trip; in Tokyo's Narita Airport (NRT) or in downtown Tokyo.
Meeting at Tokyo's Narita Airport (NRT)
|
|
The meeting time at NRT is 5pm on day one of your tour. The meeting location is at the Terminal 1 South Wing "Meeting Point". The Meeting Point is located on the first floor and is denoted by a big orange sign that says "Meeting Point" in English (see pictures to the left). There are two international terminals at Narita. If you arrive in Terminal 2, you'll need to take the free shuttle over to the Terminal 1 meeting spot. Ask any airport information desk for details on how to get to Terminal 1 if your flight arrives in Terminal 2.
The pictures to the left show exactly what the meeting point looks like. NOTE: Tokyo has two international airports, the meeting point is at NRT airport, not HND. If meeting in Tokyo The meeting point in downtown Tokyo is 7pm in the lobby of the Gate Hotel in Asakusa. See directions to the hotel here. |
2. What flights to book
Coming to Japan:
You will need to book your international flights to/from Japan. You need to be at NRT in time to be at the meeting point by 5pm. If you can't make it to the meeting point by 5pm, you'll need to arrive before day 1 and arrange your own accommodation.
If arriving before day 1 of the trip, it might make sense for you to meet the group at the the Gate Hotel in Asakusa (downtown Tokyo) at 7pm, instead of NRT airport, since NRT is about 1.5 hours out of the city. Directions to the Gate Hotel here.
Leaving Japan:
You are responsible for your own transportation on the last day of the trip. This means you'll need to book your own flights leaving from Sapporo's Chitose Airport (CTS). You have a few options on the final day of your trip: 1) take your international flight back home from CTS on the final day, 2) stay in Sapporo for a few days to sight see or ski Sapporo Teine (sight of 1972 olympics), or 3) fly to somewhere else in Japan from CTS airport. Whatever you end up doing, your transportation to CTS airport, Sapporo Teine Ski Resort, or your Sapporo hotel is included in the trip. But your flights from CTS are not.
Extending your stay in Sapporo at the end of the trip
Rather than being dropped off at Sapporo Airport and flying straight back home, some people prefer to stay in Sapporo for a few days after the trip has ended. This opens up the popular option of skiing Sapporo Teine, sight of the 1972 winter olympics, before returning home. If you would like to extend your Japan stay, we can drop you off at Sapporo Teine or the hotel of your choosing in Sapporo at the end of the trip.
Breakdown of drop off options and times on the final day of the trip
Final day drop off schedule
- CTS airport drop off: we'll arrive at CTS by 11am on the final day of the trip. When considering your flight back, you should plan on getting a flight no earlier than 1pm in case there are any delays.
- Sapporo Teine Ski Resort drop off: If you want to get a half day of skiing in, you can opt to get dropped off at Sapporo Teine Ski Resort on the final day of your trip. We'll drop you off there, but note that you'll be on your own for transportation from Teine to your next destination. There are buses that run hourly from Sapporo Teine to Teine Station, a 10 minute train ride to Sapporo Station.
- Sapporo Hotel drop off: we can drop you off at any hotel in the Sapporo area. We will arrive at the hotel between 1 and 2pm.
3. What to bring
Ski Gear
|
General Gear
|
4. Money
The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen which is denoted by "JPY" or as "¥".
Credit Cards
First, you should know that Japan doesn't really like credit cards. While they are getting to be more accepted, you should only count on your credit card for 20% of your transactions. The rest of the time you'll be dependent on cash.
Getting Cash in Japan
As a tourist, there are two main ways of getting cash in Japan: 1) bring your home currency with you and exchange it at the currency exchange window, or 2) use ATM's within Japan to withdraw your funds.
Currency exchange window. You can exchange your home currency into JPY after arriving in Japan. This is a very simple option as there is no bank to get in the way and decline your currency conversion. The simplicity has a price though because the exchange window doesn't give you the most advantageous rate.
Withdraw funds from ATM's. You should be able to withdraw funds from any Seven Eleven ATM in Japan. The conversion rate is great but sometimes banks have issues with Japanese ATM's which can cause them to block your transactions. Be sure to check with your bank before coming to see if they have a ATM withdrawal fee or currency conversion fee. If they do, it may be cheaper to just convert cash at a currency exchange window.
The best idea is to show up in Japan with a few hundred dollars of your own currency, convert it in to JPY, then use ATM's after that. Be sure to call your bank and let them know you'll be making withdrawals from Japanese ATM's so they don't block your account!
Withdraw funds from ATM's. You should be able to withdraw funds from any Seven Eleven ATM in Japan. The conversion rate is great but sometimes banks have issues with Japanese ATM's which can cause them to block your transactions. Be sure to check with your bank before coming to see if they have a ATM withdrawal fee or currency conversion fee. If they do, it may be cheaper to just convert cash at a currency exchange window.
The best idea is to show up in Japan with a few hundred dollars of your own currency, convert it in to JPY, then use ATM's after that. Be sure to call your bank and let them know you'll be making withdrawals from Japanese ATM's so they don't block your account!
What you can expect to spend
Looking at the What's Included page is a good starting point to get an idea of what you'll need to spend money on. Other then that, the amount of money you spend in Japan largely depends on your preferences. Do you want to eat sushi every day? Are you going for the most expensive sake? Will you be buying lots of souvenirs or electronics?
Below is a cost estimate based on how much is spent daily on each item. Prices are in JPY. Over the 14-day trip, you can expect to spend ¥63,800 on the low end or ¥126,500 on the high end. Keep in mind that results will vary depending on your personal spending.
Below is a cost estimate based on how much is spent daily on each item. Prices are in JPY. Over the 14-day trip, you can expect to spend ¥63,800 on the low end or ¥126,500 on the high end. Keep in mind that results will vary depending on your personal spending.
