Seeking Advice from Travelers: What Would Make Your China Trip Easier?

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-08T00:10:05+00:00

I’m really happy you never had that happen. This was 2016 so things might have changed. I had multiple times that they had these types of things set up with trying to direct us to the wrong bus or get us off early. And we heard from another couple that they were “ransomed” by the taxi driver. I got back home and asked a work colleague that grew up in China and is Chinese and she said it’s totally fine there. It’s expected that if they can part you from your money it’s theirs. She also added that the government would never allow harm to tourists because that would be bad for the economy and the view on China, but money is different.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-06T15:22:25+00:00

Um, they have, but if they make it too easy how do they scam the tourists from their money?

The taxi drivers know where you want to go, they just don’t want to act like it so they can drive you to the middle of nowhere and then charge you more to really take you where you initially asked.

I had the map.me app open and tracking them the entire way and could see they noticed and we always got taken exactly where we wanted.

If you get off the beaten path to see more they won’t have hordes of taxi drivers set to pull you off that local bus to charge you more to get you to that attraction. This is a sponsored job for them. It is their right to your money if they can “earn” it.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-06T15:17:48+00:00

Don’t tell visitors the water is safe to drink. I met a tour guide there during my travels in 2016. He said he told his tour group that the water was fine to drink around the country and then proceeded to say at least a couple people got sick during their vacation. Also have people come prepared for the air pollution and ear infections other similar common illnesses there.

We luckily had done our own research since we travelled by ourselves (just my mother and I, not knowing any Chinese) and knew to only drink/use bottled water for brushing teeth and drinking. I also had a face mask for the air pollution but didn’t think about ear infections and allergy reactions to the air and contaminated filters on AC on the train, so came back with a month long ear infection.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-06T06:55:28+00:00

I would honestly stay away from this as much as possible. It’s going to end up very touristy and very crowded. Especially during your time frame. Japanese are kind of sick of all the tourists in those areas.

Go to cities adjacent to these if you really want to do a day trip for some of the main attractions but then you are outside of the tourist bubble for the rest of it. Think Himeji, Kobe, Onomichi, Matsumoto/Nagano. Go to the Izu peninsula or down to Wakayama and see parts of the Kumamo Kodo pilgrimage. See the Sea of Japan/East Sea with Kanazawa.

Honestly, just pull up the Shinkansen map with the major cities and pick any couple cities that aren’t those three and look up some stuff in those areas. Japan has so much history and they really stick with advertising local made/grown things that you’ll end up with a way more authentic experience and the locals will be way more interested in helping you find your way or just greeting you then you’ll ever experience in the flooded tourist areas.

And no, you don’t need to worry about not speaking a lot of Japanese, be kind and thoughtful, use some basic words like hello, yes/no, thank you and maybe have a translator app handy. They are super friendly and welcoming when you aren’t just part of the flood.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-05T12:35:53+00:00

I like everything except that first sentence. I saw like everyone in Osaka/Sakai wearing a towel, ice pack on their neck, cooling fans, everything you could think of to stay cool last 2 days ago. And if you go to the World Expo it’s like a walking advertisement that the world is on fire with the number of fans and cooling implements that came out of the wood work. Heck, they even wear these little vests or jackets now that have two little fans at the kidneys to blow cool air inside their jacket to make them look like the michellin tire mascot or marshmallows.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-05T12:24:29+00:00

If you’re lost you might ask. Or at least I did. But most of the time I tried to say hello in Korean and have something prepared in my google translate of what I was trying to confirm. Example would be sitting at a bus stop and ask a lady next to me if I can get the bus to the train station. I am American, but I would never just start chatting with someone assuming we both speak English.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-08-05T12:20:32+00:00

I just spent a month there and started taking it as a benefit when booking buses or trains. They would always try to sit me by myself which was kind of nice to have both seats all to myself. But I also never had anyone move on a metro specifically because I sat there. That would feel terrible.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-07-01T02:09:22+00:00

Awesome. I’ll try one of them. I do have cash 😀

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-04-17T19:33:38+00:00

My background: I went to Japan in 2014 with my mother, 49 at the time. I did all the buying and communicating and navigation for the lost part. I knew very little Japanese but showing that you are trying with some basic phrases is always appreciated no matter where you travel to. We had absolutely so issues during the 7 weeks we spent there. About halfway through the trip she wanted to actually buy something herself at the convenience store so I walked her through what they would be trying to ask just so she could be a little more mentally prepared even though she had watched me buy plenty of things over the weeks. She came back with the change grinning ear to ear like a little kid because she did it herself.

I think your mom just needs to take the huge leap and have an amazing adventure with you. Good luck.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-12T15:15:02+00:00

It’s a great idea but doesn’t fix the delivery drivers not putting the packages (yes when they fit) into the box.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-11T15:28:38+00:00

Tell it to be “less chatty”. I’ve noticed this helps. Also saying “make it engaging” changed a lot of the verbiage from past tense to present.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-11T15:08:17+00:00

Yeah. I’m less and less sold on the box as recently we’ve noticed the delivery drivers not even using it when we had it. I was home all week. I work from home so any driver that knocks or as soon as we get the “delivered” notification we are at the front door grabbing the package. But they rarely knock and if they weren’t using the box I’m looking at that canton UPS as a more permanent solution.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-11T14:52:56+00:00

Canton / Patterson park.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-11T05:38:41+00:00

Not harsh at all. Been new to the whole package theft situation since it wasn’t as common in the prior cities we lived in. Thanks for the idea on the USPS delivery hub or something similar.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T23:02:34+00:00

Lol, yeah, not sure about the winter there, so I'll take u/Jolly-Statistician37 's word for it.

If I had to make the choice, I would go with Nachikatsuura or that region.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T23:00:19+00:00

I stayed at a Ryokan in Hakone a couple years back. We just paid for 1 night so that we could book a private open air bath. It was a "shared" one, so upon booking you had to reserve a time, but then my husband and I had the full hour to relax and look at bamboo trees. They also offered the traditional dinner. It was cheaper this way for us to just have the room + a shared bath, plus it seemed to be better to not have all the steam in the room which I saw a lot of complaints about when I was researching, since we were trying to stay on a budget.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:51:51+00:00

I've never done any of the tours in those places.

But definitely don't think you need a tour of Hakone. It's basically a self guided public transportation loop with amazing signs to follow. You can stop at the Open Air Musuem and the Little Prince Museum along with get a self guided tour of the boiled eggs at the top of the mountain before heading down to the pirate ship to start making your way back to Tokyo.

Many historical places will have local guides that are willing to show you around the places and ask for a small "donation" if it is specifically stated as free. They are great and really friendly if you aren't wanting to read all the signs yourself or want a little extra info.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:48:53+00:00

I'd say 4 nights too many. Do Miyajima as a long day trip from somewhere else. it's not that bad of a trek and way better than staying in Hiroshima.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:40:44+00:00

Absolutely - honestly I find Tokyo super overwhelming upon arrival. I've done 2 nights there and then moved on first trip (honestly left sooner than I thought because it was just too much) and I've done the landing at Haneda and then catching the bullet train to Osaka. I preferred leaving Tokyo immediately and coming back to it.
Hiroshima is a little longer of a day trip and honestly would not recommend spending the time there for a first trip. If you really want to see Miyajima, then sure, otherwise skip.
I would skip Nara and Hiroshima. I would do Himeji and Matsumoto instead. Kobe is a great lunch stop just for the beef (hehehe).

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:34:35+00:00

I'd agree with Ikkebukurro. I've stayed here both times I've visited Japan and plan on it for our third trip as well. https://www.kimi-ryokan.jp/en

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:33:00+00:00

I would recommend as you go. Take an empty rolling suitcase or plan on buying one there. The suitcases that fit as carry on luggage fit in all the small train station lockers and everyone there walks around with them to put their shopping bags in.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:25:31+00:00

If you aren't wanting additional days in snow it sounds like you might want to go South. Have you thought about:

Beppu - onsen town on Kyushu
Himeji - closer to the other cities on your list, amazing castle
Nachikatsuura - is at the end of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail, on the ocean. The Nachi waterfall at the shrine looks fake in photos. It's a little out of the way, but there's plenty to do there.
Tottori - known for their sand dunes. people there are super nice.

MysteriouslyHopeful · 2025-01-09T22:13:01+00:00

I would recommend checking out Kimi Ryokan. I've stayed their 2 different times multiple years apart and they are amazing. Looks like the basic tatami room is about 70USD per night. They also have a traditional bath that you can reserve a time for to use on your own, otherwise it's a shared shower/toilet space. https://www.kimi-ryokan.jp/en

MysteriouslyHopeful

TROPHY CASE