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Tokyo: which area
| Area | Good for | From the airport | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku | First trip; trains in every direction; shopping and nightlife | N’EX from Narita about 85 min; Airport Limousine from Haneda ¥1,400 | Busy; the streets east of the station are loud at night |
| Shibuya | Shopping, cafés, a younger crowd | N’EX from Narita, about 67–85 min | Hilly side streets with luggage |
| Ueno and Asakusa | Lower prices, old Tokyo, Narita flights | Skyliner to Keisei Ueno 41 min | Quieter at night; further from Shibuya and Shinjuku |
| Tokyo Station and Ginza | Shinkansen day trips, shopping | Bus from Narita ¥1,500; N’EX about 55 min | Fewer budget hotels |
| Shinagawa | Haneda flights and the Shinkansen | Keikyu from Haneda from 14 min, ¥330 | Business district; little nightlife |
Choosing in Tokyo
Pick a hotel within a few minutes’ walk of a station on the line you will use most. The JR Yamanote Line loops through Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Ueno and Ikebukuro, so any hotel near one of these stations reaches the others without changing trains.
Flying into Narita with lots of luggage, Ueno (Skyliner) or Shinjuku (N’EX or the Airport Limousine to the big hotels) saves a transfer. Flying into Haneda, Shinagawa is the closest by train.
Compare prices: Tokyo hotels on Trip.com, Klook hotels.
Osaka: which area
| Area | Good for | From Kansai Airport | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namba, Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori | Food, shopping and nightlife; first trip | Nankai rapi:t 34 min, from ¥1,410 | Crowded and lively until late |
| Umeda and Osaka Station | Day trips to Kyoto, Kobe and Nara by JR | Limousine bus about 60 min, ¥1,800; HARUKA 45 min | Big, confusing stations |
| Tennoji | Lower prices, HARUKA from the airport | HARUKA 35 min | Fewer sights in the evening |
| Shin-Osaka | Shinkansen to Tokyo, Hiroshima and Fukuoka | HARUKA 50 min | Little to see nearby |
| Universal Studios Japan area | Families going to USJ | Bus about 70 min, ¥1,800 | Far from the city centre |
Useful before you fly
Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags
Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight
Choosing in Osaka
The Midosuji subway line runs through Shin-Osaka, Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba and Tennoji, so a hotel near any of its stations works well. Many visitors stay in Osaka and visit Kyoto by train for the day.
Compare prices: Osaka hotels on Trip.com, Kyoto hotels.
Hotel tax on top of the room price
Tokyo charges ¥100 per person per night for rooms of ¥10,000–14,999 and ¥200 from ¥15,000; from 1 April 2027 it becomes 3% for rooms from ¥13,000. Osaka Prefecture charges ¥200 from ¥5,000, ¥400 from ¥15,000 and ¥500 from ¥20,000. Kyoto charges from ¥200. Check whether your booking includes it; if not, the hotel collects it.