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A case of good advice 2015/4/21 05:42
Hi people,

Sorry for the bad pun.... Hopefully you can help on my question re best luggage to take or my trip !

My itinerary is as follows: Tokyo, Hakone, Fujikawaguchiko, Kyoto, Koyasan, Kanazawa then back to Tokyo.

It's 2 weeks in total. Taking a small case ie. hand luggage size is not an option for me as I need more stuff, and want room to bring back fabulous presents.

Do you think I should take a medium case with wheels? Or is it better to go backpacker style with a big rucksack? What is easiest to travel around with on Shinkansen, underground, bus?

Thanks

Katie
by Katiej (guest)  

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/21 11:56
I took a suitcase with wheels, and had no trouble. The majority of the stations have lifts (only one didn't - that was a hard climb up stairs...), and the shinkansen have space behind the last row of seats in each car where you can store your suitcase. On local trains to transfer to my hotel, I just held onto it - I was never going more than a few stops (same with the bus). The streets are well-kept so dragging the case places was never too hard and the wheels didn't get damaged (although I didn't go anywhere off the beaten track, really).
by sq (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/21 14:22
Medium case on wheels will fit in the racks above the seats in Shinkansens, so long as you can lift them: I have a husband for that! lol. Ifd avoid a back pack, as they do get in the way in a crowd: at least with suitcases you arenft knocking into people.
We always take a small to medium case each, and a wheeled carry-on, and put both up into the racks, OR as said before, in the space behind the last row of seats. All our travel clothes are the moisture wicking easy dry type, so we travel pretty light, but I still take one set of gsmallsh for each day.
If we are only staying a night or 2 in one place we sometimes send our cases on by Takhaiubin service, and live out of the carry-on for 2 days.
by AusTF rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/21 15:57
Thanks for your advice, very helpful.
by Katieofj (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/21 16:55
What i did was carry two bags. You fold A bag and place it into B bag. Then after shopping, place all goodies into B bag and store it in the hotel or locker of a train station. Keep it there till time for collection.

Traveling with one bag is simpler.
by joshua hugh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/21 22:33
I don't like wrestling a large suitcase - instead I take the smaller roller-bag and spend some time half way through doing laundry. Visiting a Laundromat is a great cross-cultural experience. I've also taken clothes that are almost too old and worn to wear, then after wearing thrown them away to make room for souvenirs. Don't forget compression bags - once you squeeze all the air out you can pack more clothes or a spare pair of shoes (note: squeezing out the air does not make the bag weigh less, in fact adding extra clothes makes it weigh more).
by SkipperL rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/22 00:25
I take two or three changes of underwear, one spare jumper, one spare pair of trousers and only the shoes I get on the plane with. If I'm feeling really posh, I'll take a shirt.

Underwear takes 30 seconds to wash, and generally dries overnight.

Every few days we tend to end up staying in somewhere like a Dormy Inn or an APA where you have free washing machines (and driers that you pay for) on the floor where the hot spring baths are. Pop washing in m/c, go for a bath, 40 mins later you're clean and so are your clothes. Add on 20 mins for the drying, and you're good to go for another week or so.

It allows all three of us (two adults and a 5 yr old) to travel with a combined luggage weight of just under 20kgs in one backpack and a small/medium wheely case (which is great, because I 'm often carrying it all), including what must be 5kgs of toys and colouring things for the little one.
by Winter Visitor rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/22 09:55
Do note that not all APA or Dormy Inns have hot spring baths on the first or any other floors.
by joshua hugh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/22 13:57
Unless you are a backpacker, take a wheeled case (up to 25 x 50 x 75 cm). Cases that size fit on the overhead luggage racks in the trains. If it has an expansion section - that will hold a lot of your goodies.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/22 14:34
When I travel around Japan, I normally consider where I am travelling.

If I'm going to major cities with not too much walking (less than 10 mins to hotel) then I'll use a suitcase with wheels. Do note that the thicker it is, the harder it will be for it to fit on the Shinkansen.

When I am moving around quite a lot, I use a large hiking backpack as it holds a lot and allows me to walk with my luggage in places where it's hard to take a suitcase. These backpacks also fit more easily into the luggage rack on the Shinkansen, but are expensive.

As such, luggage with wheels meets most peoples needs. You will at some time need to lift your luggage up stairs though. There are lots of elevators and escalators, but not always.

by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: A case of good advice 2015/4/22 17:15
I take two or three changes of underwear, one spare jumper, one spare pair of trousers and only the shoes I get on the plane with. If I'm feeling really posh, I'll take a shirt.

Underwear takes 30 seconds to wash, and generally dries overnight.

Every few days we tend to end up staying in somewhere like a Dormy Inn or an APA where you have free washing machines (and driers that you pay for) on the floor where the hot spring baths are. Pop washing in m/c, go for a bath, 40 mins later you're clean and so are your clothes. Add on 20 mins for the drying, and you're good to go for another week or so.

It allows all three of us (two adults and a 5 yr old) to travel with a combined luggage weight of just under 20kgs in one backpack and a small/medium wheely case (which is great, because I 'm often carrying it all), including what must be 5kgs of toys and colouring things for the little one.
by Winter Visitor rate this post as useful

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