It’s official! After weeks of anticipation, I finally got a coveted charity spot for the Tokyo Marathon. 🎉 With the race secured, it was time to plan the ultimate Japan adventure! 🇯🇵
Finding the Perfect Flight
My biggest challenge was securing affordable flights. Direct flights from London were a whopping £1600 for two people – way too expensive for our budget! 💸 I scoured Skyscanner for deals, hoping to find something reasonable for our 1.5-week trip.
After tons of research, I landed on a less-direct flight with Air China, costing a much more manageable £1000 for two. 🎉 The only downside was the flight got into Tokyo at 8pm, meaning we’d lose a day of sightseeing. However, I was willing to shift our itinerary to take advantage of this fantastic price!
Booking our Journey
I finally booked our tickets – £1009 for two, including free meals, seat reservations, and other perks. We’re flying from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda, with a stopover in Beijing. ✈️
Our first flight will be on a Boeing 777-300ER – a pretty decent plane, with a 3-3-3 seating arrangement. Luckily, my partner doesn’t mind where he sits, so I snagged all the window seats! 💺 We’ll enjoy two meals and unlimited drinks on this journey.
The second leg of our journey will be on a smaller Airbus 321, but I managed to grab a window seat again! Another hot meal and unlimited drinks await us on this flight.
Our return journey will be on the 4th of March, with the same Airbus A321 taking us from Tokyo to Beijing. The Beijing to Heathrow leg is a different flight though – an Airbus A330-200, boasting a 2-4-2 seating arrangement, so no strangers sitting beside us. 🥂 I’m really looking forward to flying on this plane; it looks fantastic!
Hotel Haven
Now, let’s talk about our accommodations. We’ll be staying in a few hotels throughout the trip, ensuring we’re strategically positioned for each leg of our adventure.
Landing in Tokyo at 8pm on Sunday, we’ll check into Smile Hotel Nihombashi Mitsukoshimae – a simple, affordable option near the train station. It’s just for one night, as we need to catch the early train to Osaka. 😴
Osaka Adventures: Universal Studio and the Shinkansen
The next morning, we’re hopping on the incredible Shinkansen Nozomi (bullet train) – the fastest train imaginable! It will whisk us from Tokyo to Osaka in just 155 minutes, a distance of 515km. These trains reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph)! 🚄
Osaka is where the magic truly begins – it’s home to Universal Studio! I’ve read the books, watched the movies, even visited the Harry Potter Studio in London, but this will be a whole new experience! We’re staying at Hotel Keihan Universal Tower – located directly beside the studio, making it incredibly convenient.
Back to Tokyo: The Marathon and More
On Wednesday, we’ll hop back on the Shinkansen Nozomi and head back to Tokyo. We’ll stay at the APA Hotel Kanda Jimbōchō Station East – not as fancy as the Universal hotel, but it has a free breakfast and is near the marathon route! My partner can watch me run right from the hotel! 🏃♀️
Our Tokyo adventures will include the marathon, of course, but also a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort. We haven’t decided on the exact number of days we’ll spend there, but it will definitely be a full day at least! Disneyland and DisneySea, here we come! 🎠
And because life is meant to be lived to the fullest, we’re considering taking a spin on a MariCar, racing through Tokyo dressed as Super Mario or Bowser! 🏎 Maybe not the best idea before a marathon, but hey, you only live once! 😂
Stay tuned for more adventures, including my sightseeing tour around Berlin! As always, feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments below. 😊
