Hi everyone, my family has booked a trip to Japan alongside our family friends (first time to Japan for all of us) and our family friend who took care of the hotel has booked a hotel in Odaiba for 16 nights for all of us.
After a some searching on Google it’s pretty apparent that Odaiba isn’t the best place to stay in Japan for a extended period of time due to the fact that it’s not really central to anything however there are currently no other hotels available and I just want to know is this going to ruin our trip ?
My main concern is transport and getting around Japan in general it seems like it’s going to take a while to get anywhere from there via train. Am I overthinking this or would it be best to re-think where we are going to stay ?
9 comments
Not ideal no, but I don’t think it’ll necessarily be a deal breaker. As long as you are within a few min walking distance from the station you’ll be fine.
It’s definitely out of the way but I can’t see it ruining your trip lol. It’s only like a 40 minute transit to Shinjuku Station.
That said when’s your trip? Is your hotel not refundable? There are hundreds of hotels in Tokyo lol it’s hard for me to believe that there’s nothing available in Shinjuku/ Shibuya area, or even around Tokyo Station/ Ochanomizu/ Akiba/ Ueno.
Yeah it’s not ideal but not unmanageable. You’ll probably be adding about 20 mins or so to get to the Yamanote line using the Yurikamome train.
On the plus side, there are some nice attractions nearby like teamLabs Planets, the Miraikan museum and the DiverCity mall where you can shop or eat at the food court.
odaiba aside. spending 16 nights in Tokyo is unusual for the first trip. and you’d have more hotel choices if you break 16 nights down into few different hotels in different locations.
odaiba is within 1 hour from most of the Tokyo sightseeing places. ask yourself if you’re comfortable with at most 1 hour commuting one way every day
I found the train journey to get there to be a good experience. It is slow and will get tiring really fast if you do it twice a day though. Not ideal situation but if it’s what your stuck with…..
It will not ruin your trip. There are at least two train lines connecting Odaiba with the rest of Tokyo, and they will bring you there in a matter of minutes, depending where in Odaiba you are.
Yes, it is not the best place to stay, since Odaiba is kind of desolate, but otherwise it is fine. Perhaps make sure you are next to Rinkai line and not Yurikamome, because the latter is slow and expensive.
Not an issue at all, as long as you’re comfortable with taking the train to all other parts of the city and not being centrally located. The Yurikamome monorail runs from Odaiba to Shimbashi Station, though, which is super handy. You can transfer to other trains from Shimbashi, so getting to Tokyo Station, Akihabara, etc. is not going to be an issue.
I’ll be in Tokyo for 2.5 weeks of a 6-week stay in April-May 2023, and I’m staying in Sumida City at an airbnb along the riverbank. Odaiba seems more distant but not unmanageable. Couldn’t beat the price with my place in Sumida and it’s just a short walk to Asakusa Station, so I’m comfortable with that even as a first-timer.
If you’re able to switch hotels, try the Super Hotel Premier in Akihabara. Easy access to Akihabara Station and Asakusa, a short walk to Tokyo Station and Ueno, and awesome pricing on Expedia for rooms. I’d have booked it if not for preferring a private kitchen space during my stay, which is where airbnb can be handy.
Enjoy your trip!
Would be better if you can plan some “rest sites” or “break sites” along the way in your itinerary because if some would want to go back to hotel and rest or leave stuff that would be pretty challenging. However since it’s the family whom you’re going with, I guess it’s okay if they are flexible?
But if not everyone are flexible (like the group has to stay together all the time) then my suggestion should come in handy
It’s a good place to relax, but if you want to explore the city, it would be pretty bad since it’s so far away from other major attraction. Still doable, it’s close to Ginza, Tokyo Disney Resort, and there is even a cool ferry to Asakusa, however it would be quite tedious to go from one place to another. Especially the late night activity and you will have less food option if you get hungry at night.