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Agreed, the cubicles are definitely better, but the 2-2-2 is usually a little cheaper.

Thank you! I'm glad you thought it was helpful!

Haha! But it was good!

I went in late December. It's hard for me to say which month would be better. Perhaps January because it is the warmest month? We saw plenty of whales, so I wouldn't worry about whether you will see them. I can guarantee that it will be fabulous whenever you go! Let me know if you have other questions. Happy to help if I can. Happy travels!

You're welcome! I'm glad the video was helpful. I use either Viator.com or TripAdvisor to find excursions. There are many other sites, such as Airbnb, that do the same, but those two are my go-to sites. Often you will find the same excursions on both sites. Let me know if you have other questions before your trip. Always happy to help if I can. October should be fabulous for fall colors!

@@seniorsolotravel Thank you so much for your reply!

Oh, I'm so glad it was helpful. Get ready for an amazing experience! After I returned from the trip, I updated the packing list in the description. My main problem was gloves and glasses, so hopefully you can figure that out. Let me know if you have other questions as you get closer to the date and actually start packing!

Glad it was helpful!

Good question. I worked with a travel agent that booked it and it was all wrapped up in the entire trip. I've asked for a price breakdown from her, but haven't seen it yet. I'm not sure if the price she would have received, after booking several tours through the same company, would be transferrable to a one-off, though. It was booked through Sunrise Tours, so you might be able to just look it up online. I would also compare it to the tourist train (not sure what it is called) that goes directly from Toyko Station to views of Mt Fuji. If I had a do-over, I would probably go that route.

Oh wonderful. Regarding taxis, of course it depends on how far you go. When I look at my taxi history, the trips averaged around $20, with some higher, some lower. It is definitely cheaper to use public transportation. If I went back again, I would spend more time trying to get a map app to work and guide me through the system. However, I do think I saved quite a bit of time and steps using the taxis. I'm working on the Kyoto video now, then planned to do Hiroshima and Osaka. Hopefully it will be posted before you leave. If you have any specific questions regarding Osaka, feel free to ask here...or take it to the Senior Solo Travel Facebook Page. Other people might have suggestions too! I hope you have a fabulous journey. Safe travels, Laurie

@@seniorsolotravel thank you so much, I will be waiting for those videos ;)

Oh great, I'm glad you found it helpful. For the private tour, I got on Viator.com and they had choices between group tours and private tours. I had planned to join a group tour but noticed the private tour wasn't much more expensive, so decided to do it instead. I literally booked it the night before. The guide's name was Celeste and she was fabulous! Maybe you can track her down. Regarding the Hop On buses, the reason I don't think it works is that Tokyo is so spread out, there is heavy traffic, and they don't have enough buses operating. It's not a great way to maximize your time. There were other buses that were escorted group tours. I can't comment on them, but I think they would be better than the Hop On buses since they at least have a set itinerary. Have a fabulous trip!

@@seniorsolotravel Perfect, thank you so much!

Sounds like a fabulous trip. I've heard from others who said they had no problem either, so I probably should have made more effort. Did you use Google Maps-? It seemed to be the culprit for me.

@@seniorsolotravel on this trip I rented a portable yfi for my tablet. I was always connected to the internet and google map. I use my mini tablet for camera, pc, since I don't have a I phone. This way I have connection with my sister in law in Australia via FaceTime and I can post my pics on Facebook or email easier. Also even though Im Japanese ancestry I don't speak Japanese except for a few phases. I uses Sumimasen (excuse me) a lot lol to get directions.

Actually, no. I flew six legs on them because I had a month-long trip to Japan and S Korea, including Jeju island, which required flights. It seemed like the best and least expensive choice at the time, and the mileage accrued to my Delta Airlines account. I've flown in better business class seats, so would require a good reason to choose them again.

Definitely more fun with family!

Good question. It is called the Cocoon Building and it is an educational building. It was next to my hotel, so it was a good landmark for me. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_Gakuen_Cocoon_Tower

Thanks.

Oh dear, thanks for letting me know. I just checked it and it seems to be working for me. Could you try it one more time and let me know?

I just realized that I had used Senior and Solo Travel but the FB group is just Senior Solo Travel, so perhaps if you searched with the "and" I misled you. I've since corrected it, so there is not confusion. Thank you.

Yay! Enjoy your trip. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous journey!

You're welcome! Coming soon!

Excellent suggestions! Thanks for sharing....

I did try a few times, but Google Maps kept going out when I got near the train stations. I'm sure if I would have put more effort into it, I could have figured it out. Taxis weren't very expensive, so I just defaulted to them, especially when I was tired. When I got to S Korea, I took a bit more time figuring things out, and was able to take the trains and buses with the Naver Map app, which worked much better than Google Maps. I wondered if I would have had better success in Japan, if I would have figured out a better navigation app.

@@seniorsolotravel Thanks very helpful to know.

Strange that Google Maps was giving you trouble. In my trip it worked even in the stations and told me the station, the line, the platform, and what the train would say on the front. For viewers, the platform signs and trains alternate information back and forth between Japanese and English. Regular city buses do not so its easier to use the trains. Remember that people are quiet on trains.

Yes, I had watched many CZcams videos on train navigation and it looked so easy using Google Maps. However, I definitely kept losing service, sometimes just when walking outdoors. I thought maybe it was my settings and made sure I had roaming and wifi on. I even redownloaded the Map App, but still had problems. So, I'm not sure what the issue was. Thanks for sharing that it worked well for you and for sharing your other great advice. Cheers!

@@seniorsolotravel Thanks and thanks for your helpful video. I wonder if you needed the pocket wifi device that some people rent on arrival at the airport. I didn't. This is worth researching. My phone plan had me do an international service option for a fee for when I was there.

Thanks for sharing. Good information. I will definitely be looking into other airlines if I make the trip again. Happy Travels!

Good question. It somewhat depended on where I was. At train stations, I could usually ask the personnel at the gate entrance a question, sometimes by showing them my ticket, and they would point me in the right direction. At restaurant counters, it was spotty, so I would usually just point to what I wanted. At hotel desks, no problem--they always spoke English. In the tourist areas, it is generally easier to communicate because they know minimal English, but in the more remote areas it was harder to find an English speaker. People were very helpful and, if we weren't connecting, one of us would generally pull out Google translator to communicate. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't use the translator app, so make sure you have it. I also used the app to read signs when there wasn't a translation, especially on menus, which didn't always have an English version. The bottom line: I didn't have a problem getting by and getting what I needed, but sometimes it took a little work! Enjoy your time there. I hope you have some time to enjoy what the country has to offer.

@@seniorsolotravel Thank you!

I stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku. I couldn't tell you how much it cost because it was wrapped up in my travel agent's bookings. I do know it was the fanciest hotel I stayed at in Japan and had a fabulous breakfast buffet. I stayed at four hotels in Japan and they all had the same kind of thin hard mattress for their beds. So, you could probably save money by going with a more modest hotel. Everything is so clean in Japan, I wouldn't worry about a cheaper, smaller hotel. I think the reason my travel agent booked this hotel was that Sunrise Tours has an office there. Two of the excursions I booked met at this hotel. It is also a few blocks from Shinjuku Train station. As for taxi's, I was able to travel most places within the city for about 1900-2700 yen, which is about $12-17 USD. I definitely saved time and effort by taking taxis, but public transportation is definitely the cheaper route. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions. Happy to answer...

There are many hotels in Tokyo (and other cities in Japan) that are directly on top of or connected to subway stations. If you're worried about walking, you can look for hotels right by a station.

Thanks for sharing the good info!

@@AgaliaX JR Mets Hotels are often located at or very near the JR stations. I stayed at the one in Sapporo and it was a very good experience.

Thank so much. I'm glad it was helpful!

Thank you!

Sounds like you've had some frustrations there. I had a cabin for a couple years and my main problem was finding the trades to do repair work. I thought it was a lovely community, so I'm sorry to hear there are problems. Sounds horrible.

Thanks for watching and for the encouragement! Cheers!

You're welcome. I hope you have a fabulous day...and if you make it to Maverick's, let me know how you managed!

Good question. I started out bringing a backpack with water, camera accessories and a few other items. After my first excursion, I eliminated everything but my camera, Iphone and prescription glasses, which I stuck in the large pockets of my jacket. You are only gone for 1 to 2 hours, so you generally don't feel the need to hydrate. The only other suggestion might be to purchase a small stick of roller type sunscreen that you can roll onto your nose without having to take your gloves off. If you are someone that burns easily, I would suggest carrying that on a sunny day. There were many people whose noses were pretty blistered by the end of the trip. And just make sure you have gloves that work for taking pictures. I think the ideal is to have a warm spandex type glove for taking pictures that slips into a thermal mitten. If you can attach the mittens by a carabiner to your jacket, you can slip your hands in and out of them without worrying they will fall in or out of the zodiac. So, the bottom line: try to limit what you carry, and carry it all on your body in a way that is easily accessible. It's too cold to fuss with getting things out of a backpack and you can't set anything on the ground. Have a fabulous journey!

Yes, I only wish I could have visited the park too!

I posted this video and then subsequently flew three short legs on Korean Air economy. I totally agree with you that their economy is a step above most, with better leg space and service. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for watching!

You are welcome.

Oh wow. That's so wrong. And yes, an insult. Hopefully the new regulations will help in some ways. However, even if they give a refund, it won't always solve a problem if you are stranded somewhere. Thanks for sharing and sorry you had to go through that.

No, it's the U.S. Department of Transportation's new regulations, so only to U.S flights. However, Europe already has similar regulations in place.

Thanks for the grammar check. I'll try to make fewer mistakes:)

Thanks, will do!

Ha! Lot's of good points. One time an airline canceled a flight of my party of ten and it took us three flights and about 20 hours to get from CA to Detroit. Their compensation? A $25 gift card. It certainly seems like these regulations will force them to compensate, but I won't be surprised if they find their way around it. Thanks for sharing and happy travels!

Thanks for the positive feedback!

Thank you, but I'm not sure what you mean by "charge your video"

Yes, it was a great deal...so great that there were over 50 solo travelers that took them up on it! It was on Regent Seven Seas and I have been diligently watching them for a similar deal and I've never seen another. It was coming off the pandemic, so perhaps they were trying something new. Their website has a section you can click on for reduced single supplement, so that is where to stay tuned. I just did a quick search and all I see is 25-50% off, not the steal I got!

Welcome and thanks for subscribing! I appreciate the positive feedback! Happy Travels!

Yes, sadly it is. My daughter lives there and rent is a constant negative in her life. However, Burlingame is a beautiful community.

@@seniorsolotravel My father and my husband grew up there.

Welcome to the senior solo traveling club! It sounds like you really committed yourself! I'm heading to Iceland too...at the end of the summer. I like your term slow traveling. I'm currently in the last stretch of a month-long trip to Japan and S Korea and have been going to 3-4 destinations per day. I could use some slower traveling right now and have been thinking I need to plan more down time on my trips. Hopefully I'll see some of your vlogs. Safe travels!

Thanks for the encouragement! I'll keep at it as long as I'm able!

Thank you.

I agree. Thank you.

The trip also included 13 days in S Korea, where I am now. So I'd have to do quite a bit of calculations to figure the cost of just Japan. I used a travel agent to help me book this trip, which I think was a good idea, since she was very knowledgeable about Japan. I used Maria at Goway Travel, if you are interested. It wasn't a bargain, but less expensive than if I would have booked a cruise...and I had much more freedom. I'm staying in 3-4 star hotels in the heart of town, but you could save dramatically by booking less expensive ones. If I return, that is one place I would cut back. Everything is so clean here, I don't think you could go wrong with a more modest hotel. I hope you have a great trip to Germany. Don't forget Prague, which is a gorgeous city close to Germany! Happy Travels!

This is a very good video. Japan is definitely on my list. Isn’t it so very satisfying when you travel without a group? I love it. I love all kinds of different ways to travel. Sometimes it’s all about the journey and testing your travel chops. I am going to Southeast Asia this summer for two months with my grandson and wanted to include Japan but it would have cost too much money for all of that because I am paying for the both of us. I look forward to more of your videos. Peace and love ☮️🩷

Thanks for sharing. I love what you said about testing your travel chops. I definitely did in Japan and by the time I got to S Korea, I feel like I have the travel apps and google translator down! Every time I travel, I learn more about myself and my capabilities. This time I learned I need to build in more down time if I'm going to be gone for an entire month! Enjoy your trip with your grandson. Sounds fabulous!

I had the same quandary before I left, but I'm glad I went with one medium bag. However, I did pack a change of warm clothes in a small duffle I carried on board, along with some essentials. I think it is okay to pack the two small bags for your peace of mind, but I think you will eventually want to hand both of them over to Lindblad when traveling. We were on buses and the charter flight, and I recall people having some difficulty with carrying their small suitcases and finding space for them in the overhead. Particularly on buses. So, if you do go with the two, just make sure to have something to carry a few items, and then let Lindblad handle the luggage. I hope that helps. Sounds like a great trip!

@@seniorsolotravel Yes, the buses and charter flights! I have a 7 hour layover in Miami so I’m sure I’ll be ready to hand them my luggage 😅 Thanks for your response and advice. I appreciate it.

Safe Travels!

Awesome! It's such a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing!

I find that I meet so many people on the road, both solo and with others, that are so friendly and engaging. And, I'm constantly surprised at how many solo travelers are out there! Congrats on your upcoming retirement. You can start making your bucket list now! Cheers!

I think Sedona is a great place for a solo traveler--lots to see and do in a safe environment. There are a plethora of tours by Jeep, Trolley, Bike, Segway...you name it! I didn't stay long on my last trip and want to go back for an extended stay. It's just so beautiful!

Sounds fabulous! I've heard of cruise trackers before, but never used them. I completed an Adriatic cruise last October with Regent Seven Seas. It was fabulous. I'm sure she's having an amazing time! Happy Travels!