J'aimerais aller au Japon une dizaine de jours en avril 2010, or je ne connais pas du tout ce pays.
Quelqu'un peut me donner des idées d'itinéraires pour dix jours exactement, sachant que j'arriverais à Tokyo?
Est-il intéressant selon vous de louer une voiture? La vie est-elle chère là-bas? Pour se loger que me conseillez vous pour un prix réduit? Connaissez vous des auberges de jeunesse ou hôtels pas chers?
Merci de vos tuyaux, vu que je suis novice au niveau de ce pays, je suis preneur pour toute info ou tout conseil de route!
Voyagement votre!
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
En avril c'est la période des cerisiers donc déjà tu as bien choisi tes dates
Concernant les choses à faire en priorité selon moi (j'y suis allée 3 semaines en avril cette année) :
Tokyo - 1 journée
Kyoto - 3 journées
Nara - 1 journée
Hiroshima - Miyajima (surtout Miyajima) - 2 journées
Mont Fuji - 1 journée
Tokyo - 2 journées
les incontournables sont Tokyo et Kyoto et faut compter 3 jours chacunes minimum.
Miyajima est une île magnifique, une des plus belles choses à voir au Japon (en face d'Hiroshima, faut prendre un ferry)
Ensuite y'a le Mont Fuji, il est juste incroyable mais par contre c'est un peu compliqué pour s'y rendre donc peut être que ça sera un peu juste par rapport aux 10 jours...
Toutes ces villes se font avec le JR pass que tu dois acheter en France, ça coute un peu cher mais ça te permet de prendre les trains JR en illimité
Voilà j'espère que ça t'aide un peu, sinon faut chercher à fond sur internet + les guides, c'est comme ça que je procède et tu trouves des tonnes d'infos...mais c'est vrai que des fois c'est pas évident...
En tout cas pour un premier voyage, cet itinéraire te donnera un bon aperçu du pays
On y retourne en novembre (3 semaines). On est juste tombés amoureux de ce pays...donc là on va se faire plutôt le sud du pays (Okinawa - Shikoku....)
Voilà, bonne préparation et n'hésite pas si tu as d'autres questions
Ciao
Bonsoir
La vitesse est (très) limitée au Japon et les distances sont longues alors pour 10 jours, mieux vaut prendre le train, très rapide et super confortable; tu peux faire un itinéraire en allant sur hyperdia.com. Si tu séjourne assez longtemps dans ces deux villes, le JR PASS ne sera pas intéressant. S'il fait beau, essaie d'aller à HAKONE pour voir la vallée volcanique et le Mont Fuji.
Je suis d'accord, TOKYO et KYOTO valent la peine d'y passer du temps. Attention, si tu es encore là-bas fin avril-début mai, c'est la golden week, la seule semaine de vacances des japonais ou presque et il est quasi impossible de se loger.
Pour se loger pas cher à Kyoto, je recommande vivement Gojo Guest House.
Merci pour tes infos! Tu me conseilles d'acheter le billet de train combien de temps avant? C'est fiable via internet?
Au niveau de la langue, est-ce que l'anglais est pratiqué ou ça reste dur à se faire comprendre?
En tout cas je suis vraiment excité quant à l'idée de découvrir ce pays!!!
Peux tu me donner des tuyaux sur la vie locale... Merci beaucoup en tout cas!!!
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
Je n'y serai pas fin avril, j'y serai logiquement début avril donc ce n'est pas la cohue non?
Si tu as aussi des tuyaux sur la vie locale, n'hésite pas je suis preneur de tout conseil!!!
Merci beaucoup en tout cas!!
Sais-tu s'il faut un visa pour y aller? ou si le simple passeport est suffisant?
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
Voici le lien pour le JR Pass avec toutes les infos : http://www.japanrailpass.net/fr/fr001.html
Tu dois acheter ton pass en France avant ton départ. Je l'avais pris dans une agence de voyage mais je sais pas si dans ta région c'est possible. Mais je pense que via internet c'est sécurisé... ensuite tu échanges le voucher contre le vrai pass dans une agence sur place ou à l'aéroport. Il s'active à la date que tu souhaites et est valable 7, 14 ou 21 jours suivant la formule que tu as choisi...
Pour ce qui est de l'anglais, là c'est un peu plus compliqué, pas grand monde parle l'anglais là bas....🤪 même dans les lieux touristique ou les hôtels mais ne panique absolument pas parce que tu arrives tjs à te débrouiller... les gens sont tellement aidant que la barrière de la langue n'est pas un problème... sur les guides genre Lonely... y'a tjs les 2 langues donc au pire tu montres ton guide si tu cherches un endroit...
Sinon aucun problème d'insécurité, je me suis baladé 3 semaines avec mon appareil photo autour du cou et jamais personne ne m'a embêté...(jamais je ferais ça en France 😛)
Les gens sont très propres... les toilettes tjs clean même dans les gares où passent des milliers de personnes par jour !!!! Les toilettes sont futuristes (enfin pour nous Français avec petit jet... bref je te laisse découvrir çà sur place...) Sinon pas de serviette ou papier pour s'essuyer les mains dans les toilettes, certainement pour l'hygiène donc ils ont tous une petite serviette mini format qu'ils gardent dans leur sacs... trop marrant... Pas de poubelles dans les rues (très bizarre) mais pas un papier au sol... tu gardes dans ton sac et tu jettes à l'hôtel 🙂
Observe les Japonais (dans la rue, dans les parcs, dans les transports). A eux seul c'est une magnifique découverte du pays...
Je n'ai pas eu de choc culturel en sortant de l'aéroport... le choc s'est fait au fur et à mesure du voyage (car si tu connais un peu les US, les grandes villes comme Tokyo sont moins impressionnantes...) mais c'est vraiment un autre monde pour des centaines de détails culturels.
Je suis tombée amoureuse de ce pays et j'y retourne 3 semaines en novembre pour faire d'autres régions... c'est juste merveilleux !!!
Bonjour,
Le passeport est suffisant. Question cohue, en fait elle est partout à Tokyo mais cela fait partie du charme. Sauf pour vivre l'expérience, mieux vaut éviter les heures de pointe dans le métro pour éviter d'être poussé de force dans la rame mais tout se passe toujours dans la plus parfaite courtoisie. Il y a toujours beaucoup de monde pour aider, tu ne peux pas rester 5 mn à avoir l'air perdu sans que quelqu'un ne vienne t'aider; à Tokyo et Kyoto, beaucoup de gens parlent anglais, dans les endroits qui reçoivent du public : metro, gares, restaurants et bien sûr lieux touristiques.
Vos commentaires à tous les deux me donnent vraiment hâte d'y être!!!!
Penses tu qu'un budget de 800 euros tout compris pour dix jours sur place hors avion est suffisant? J'ai regardé pour le billet de train de 7 jours c'est clair que ça a l'air vachement intéressant!
Au niveau bouffe, moi qui adore la cuisine nippone, les sushis, makis, sashimis sont-ils bon marché? Qu'y a t'il d'autre au niveau gastronomie locale?
Je me suis acheté le lonely planet via internet, est-il complet selon vous? car je l'utilise habituellement pour l'europe et l'amérique mais pour l'asie je ne connais pas du tout!
Merci de vos renseignements!
Par rapport à la carte bancaire, est-elle utilisable de partout au japon? Dois-je sinon prévoir énormément de liquide? Enfin est-ce que les puces de téléphone français sont compatibles là bas avec le réseau??
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
Pendant notre séjour à Tokyo, pour rendre le tout agréable, nous étions sortie au alentours de 8h30 9h00am le matin. Donc on évitait le gros de l'heure de pointe du matin. Le soir, nous étions de retour vers environ 18h 19h (ça peut parai^tre tot, mais nous étions mort de fatigue à force de marcher beaucoup :) )
Sauf si tu as un portable très sophistiqué, il ne fonctionnera pas au Japon; Tu as la possibilité d'en louer un (il y a des boutiques à l'aéroport), ce n'est pas très cher; Il y a plusieurs formules, selon qu'on veut pouvoir appeler à l'étranger ou pas et sinon, c'est au nombre de jours.
Question nourriture, oui, il y a plein d'autres choses, en fait on trouve assez peu de restaurants de sushis. J'en ai fait un qui préparait les assiettes au fur et à mesure et les mettait sur un tapis roulant; Tu prends ce qui t'inspire au passage et pour les plats plus sophistiqués, tu les commandes; le prix est en fonction de la couleur de l'assiette, tu paies à la fin en fonction de ta pile d'assiettes, tu peux calculer au fur et à mesure...
Les plats sont affichés en vitrine sous forme plastique mais ce n'est pas forcément parlant, je préfère la bonne vieille photo! On peut manger pour pas très cher mais les portions sont petites. Il y a des brochettes, des soupes, des ramen (nouilles chinoises), des tempuras (je te laisse regarder sur Internet) bref c'est très varié.
Je ne connais pas le Lonely Planet sur le Japon mais en général c'est toujours très complet.
Carte bancaire : je ne me souviens pas avoir eu de difficultés sauf pour retirer de l'argent. Tous les distributeurs n'acceptent pas nos cartes visas, il faut aller à ceux de la Poste ou dans les Seven Eleven (supermarchés ouverts de 7 à 11 h) et plutôt aux heures d'ouverture car je crois qu'à partir d'une certaine heure, ils ne fonctionnent plus.
Si tu achètes le JR PASS, tu le paieras en France et après oui je suppose qu'avec 800 €, tu dois pouvoir y arriver si tu loges dans les auberges de jeunesse ou équivalent.
Près de Tokyo il y a le Buddha de Kamakura et le sanctuaire Fushimi-inari qu'il ne faut manquer pour aucunes raisons. Sinon, je crois que les autres ont déjà tout dis. Pour un premier voyage, c'est bien.
Félicitations Raisthlin pour ton blog il est très bien fait et me donne encore plus envie de découvrir le pays du soleil levant :-)
J'ai une autre petite question, au niveau des yen, mieux vaut changer ici ou là bas? Je vais pas prendre le risque de la carte bleue, donc je l'utiliserai s'il me manque des sous sur place!
Merci en tout cas pour toutes vos infos, et si quelqu'un a des infos supplémentaires ou des tuyaux supplémentaires à me filer, qu'il n'hésite pas!
Merci à tous amis voyageurs!
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
Konochiwa!
Tiens, voila le voyage que l'on a préparé pour notre fabuleux périple au Jap, ca peut te donner des idées!
http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=2890525;
Jane!
10jrs c'est pas un compte rond pour le JR pass donc il faut composer le JR pass est délivré sur la période du visa 3mois max pour des durées de 7jrs 14jrs OU 21 jrs et soit pour une 1ére classe soit pour une seconde classe la seconde classe est largement suffissante
Pour des périodes a multiples de 7 il est plus utile de prendre plusieurs fois des JR pass de 7 jours que 1 de 14 jours
Le prix pour 3 semaine en seconde classe 418€ pour donner un ordre de prix.
après pour visiter il te faudra composer avec si tu restes sur ces 10 jrs
et revenir sur Tokyo les 3 derniers jours .
Si tu as les moyen de louer une voiture cela peut être intéressant pour les 3 derniers jours avec un bon GPS car les indications n'ont pas de traduction dans la langue de shakespeareLes conseils sur les guides pour l'hébergement peuvent t'aider à trouver ce que tu cherches et préparer ton voyage
Merci pour les infos!!
Alors ce que je ferai je prendrai le pass 7 jours et je finirai pas la visite de Tokyo sur trois jours. Au moins sur Tokyo je prendrai la carte de transports en commun illimitée et je n'aurai pas besoin du train. Je paierai seulement le retour à l'aéroport!
Par contre on peut récupérer le JR pass à l'aéroport?
Je me hate vraiment d'effectuer ce voyage!!!!
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
Salut, moi je pars dans 10 jours et je suis un peu comme toi, je n'y connais rien mais heureusement des amis qui s'y connaissent m'ont un peu aiguiller pour préparer mon voyage:
J'ai tout consigné ici:
http://geekipedia.over-blog.com/ (1er article)
J'espere que cela te sera utile, c'est le but parce que moi aussi j'ai galéré, mais bon, départ dans 10 jours donc tu pourra peut être suivre mon périple sur ce blog et j'espère que tout ira bien 😛
Bon voila mon itinéraire pour ce mois d'avril planifié:
6 avril: Arrivée à Tokyo à 18h00 nuit à Tokyo
7 avril: Tokyo et nuit à Tokyo
8 avril: Journée à Hakone, nuit à Tokyo
9 avril: Départ vers Kyoto, après midi et nuit à Kyoto
10 avril: Kyoto et nuit à Kyoto
11 avril: Départ vers Hiroshima et nuit à Hiroshima
12 avril: Hiroshima et nuit à Hiroshima
13 avril: Départ vers Nagasaki et nuit à Nagasaki
14 avril: Nagasaki et nuit à Nagasaki
15 avril: Retour vers Tokyo et nuit à Tokyo
16 avril: Tokyo et nuit à Narita
17 avril: Départ de Tokyo vers la France à 9h00 du matin
Merci à tous pour vos renseignements!!!
ALLEZ L´OM à jamais les premiers!!! Même avec ses millions le PDSG ne gagnera jamais la coupe aux grandes oreilles
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Bonjour à tous
Pour simplifier la logistique, j'envisage de louer une voiture pour passer 5/6 jours dans les alpes japonaises avant d'aller à Kyoto en solo.
La conduite est-elle compliquée voire risquée dans cette région.?
Merci pour vos retours
Tara
We’re arriving as a group of three in Tokyo on Saturday, October 17th, then heading straight to Kyoto by direct train.
On Sunday and Monday, we’ll explore Kyoto, and in the evening, we’ll take a train to Osaka to spend the night.
On Tuesday, we’ll pick up a rental car at Itami Airport for a 6-day/5-night road trip around Shikoku:
- 2 nights in the Iya Valley
- Thursday morning, we’ll head to Matsuyama for 2 nights.
- Saturday, we’ll visit Mima (town, a few temples + overnight stay) and return on Sunday to drop off the car in Osaka.
We’ll leave very early on Monday the 26th by plane for Aomori in northern Honshu, where we’ll pick up another rental car at the airport for a 5-day/4-night trip:
- Day 1: Tsugaru Peninsula (Takayam Inari, Cape Tappi, Kanita); overnight in Kanita
- Day 2: Ferry transfer to the Mutsu Peninsula (cliffs, Lake Usori); overnight in Shimofuro
- Day 3: Head to the Hakkoda Mountains and onsens galore; overnight TBD
- Day 4: Return the car in Aomori by noon and explore the city before taking the train to Tokyo in the evening
We’ll spend Friday night in Tokyo, wander around on Saturday, and head home on Sunday.
Thoughts on the road feasibility of this trip? We’ll be there right in the middle of Koyo season, so it’ll be busy...
I know it’s a lot of driving, but there are two of us who can take turns. We’re not afraid of driving, even in the mountains and on the left side! Just wondering, are we going to be rushing, or is this manageable? AI says it’s all good, but it’s not the one driving...
Any tips for booking accommodations in the Iya Valley? Not many places have email addresses or websites (I know Booking.com exists, but not all listings are on there... and given the season, I think it’s better to book ahead!). Same question applies for northern Honshu.
For the rental car, I’m thinking of going with Alamo since at least it’s in French and straightforward, but are there any direct rental companies with user-friendly websites (Toyota Rentacar, ugh... 🏴☠️)?
Another question: With so many trains, is it even necessary to book them in advance? Can we just go to the ticket counter and grab seats on the spot?
For paying for the rental car, do we need a credit or debit card?
I saw there are several "authentic" villages about 90/100 km from Beijing.
Including: Lingshui, Liuliqu, Sangyu, Miaoying, and Cuandixia.
Has anyone visited any of them? I was thinking of choosing Cuandixia—what do you think?
Thanks in advance.
Hi everyone!
It seems there’s a flea market in Tianjin that’s way more interesting than the one in Beijing. I’ve been searching online but can’t find the right one… The one I’m looking for is called gu wan shi chang (my PC won’t display the Chinese characters…). Does anyone have the address and has anyone been there before? The one in Beijing has lost a lot of its charm over the past 10 years, so I wanted to find another. Thanks!
Hi,
My departure is coming up soon—two months backpacking in Taiwan, so much to discover! I’d love to hear about your travel experiences.
My main interests are meeting people, understanding how things work, hiking, and nature in general. I’ve also done a lot of reading about Taiwan’s complex situation.
I do stone sculpture.
I also want to visit Orchid Island for its history.
Marie
I’m looking for advice from seasoned travelers about a roughly one-month trip to Japan.
From late October to late November 2026.
We often travel in Southeast Asia but have never been to Japan.
Based on what I’ve read, I’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- Is traveling day-to-day, without booking hotels or trains in advance, possible in Japan?
(I’ve read many travel journals and blogs that say everything was booked way in advance… but that’s not how we usually travel.)
- Will the Japan Rail Pass be worth it for us?
(According to an old simulator, I’m looking at around 400 € for trains compared to 570 € for the JRP.)
Here’s our rough itinerary (which may change):
- Arrival Osaka: 3 nights with Nara
- Hiroshima and Miyajima Island: 3 nights
- Kurashiki or Naoshima: 2 nights
- Himeji: 1 night
- Kyoto: 4 nights
- Kanazawa: 2 nights
- Takayama and Shirakawa-go: 3 nights
- Around Mount Fuji: 3 nights
- Tokyo with Nikko: 6 nights (no theme parks)
Departure from Tokyo
Here are some tips from our 6-week trip (summer 2026) to China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We traveled as a family of four with two kids aged 15 and 12.
I hope these notes help other travelers!
CHINA
General
You’ll need to download and set up a few apps:
- Alipay and WeChat for payments (I didn’t withdraw a single bill the entire trip)
- Didi for taxis
- Amap = Chinese Maps (works great, especially for subways)
- A translation app (we used Papago, but it sometimes gave weird results)
- Google Lens for translating menus or signs—super handy.
- HelloRide for bikes
- Gemini and ChatGPT for everything: understanding daily life, enhancing visits, checking the weather, finding things.
- HomeExchange if you want to lower travel costs (few listings in Asia except in big cities, often expats)
- Trip.com is very useful, even essential, for trains, domestic flights, and hotels. Like Booking.com, the more you book with them, the more perks you get. So I’d even suggest checking flight tickets on this site, even if it’s a bit pricier. However, buying train tickets is complicated because (1) they only open 15 days in advance, and (2) they sell out fast. Trip.com just promises to buy them as soon as they’re available but doesn’t always succeed. It’s stressful and might force you to change your plans, especially if you’re aiming for a sleeper car and there are no seats left. Watch out for station names—many cities have multiple stations, including a high-speed rail one outside the city.
For internet, we got the Asia plan from Holafly. It worked but seemed much slower than Chinese internet. I regretted not buying a Chinese SIM card because without internet in China, everything is VERY complicated (money, transport, etc.).
For the firewall, we used ExpressVPN, but it wasn’t always reliable. A bit disappointing. Ask ChatGPT for tips with screenshots to improve the settings.
Since we only had one SIM card with internet, we couldn’t rent shared bikes. If I were to do it again, I’d get a SIM for each person, even the kids, because distances in cities are huge. We walked *a lot*. Same goes for buses—it’s tricky with just one internet connection. Better to have a phone per person with internet.
Book your visits as far in advance as possible—they often sell out.
Watch out for power banks: if they don’t explicitly say "3C," they’ll confiscate it. Even if there’s a little airplane logo.
Shanghai
In the evening, the streets leading to the Bund from the metro were so crowded that police were out in force blocking roads. Arrive early. We went around the north side.
Suzhou
Be careful—there are two stations (common in China), and the high-speed rail one is 45–50 minutes from the old town.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden was *packed*—we don’t recommend it. It turned into a marathon day from Shanghai (almost 4 hours from our hotel to the garden).
Beijing
Forbidden City: Don’t go—I know it’s a shame, but it’s too crowded. I couldn’t buy tickets on the official site because of the kids’ passports. We ended up with a guided tour, the only way to get in (tickets sell out fast). The visit was disappointing—bad guide *and* massive crowds. You’ll queue a lot to enter and see certain areas. You’ll be checked often, so pack your bags carefully.
Great Wall at Mutianyu: Crowded. Two hours by bus, and even though we arrived early, people were already leaving! I really think the best option is to leave your big bags in Beijing and stay overnight near the Wall. That way, you’ll have it to yourself a bit more. For transport: get off at Tiananmen Square metro and look for buses with official guides in bright yellow-green vests. No need to buy tickets online—they made me cancel mine to rebook on the spot. Buses leave when full. Note: the cable car and chairlift are separate—if you want to go up one side and down the other, you’ll need different tickets. The endless queue for the toboggan ride put us off.
Quick tip: Incredible swimming spot in Beijing—on the north shore of Houhai Lake, you can swim by crossing the barrier. We did it twice with about ten other people. Bring a swimsuit!
Shapotou Desert
Amazing, but it gets *very* hot in the afternoon. We had a tent (not an air-conditioned bungalow), which was unbearable during the day. We hung out in the restaurant.
The paid activities are fun, except the camels—they look sad. The real highlight is the evening and sunset. The only downside: you can’t explore the desert alone or far—they don’t rent 4x4s, for example.
We stayed at "The Desert Camping Hotel of the Proprietress of Shapotou." They were lovely.
Zhongwei
Gaomiao Temple and its underground: Fun and short—you’ll see quirky Buddhist hell paintings.
Xi’an
Terracotta Army: We took a Didi because for four people, a car was almost the same price as four shuttle tickets. It was packed—chaotic to see properly.
We visited the halls in order: 3, 2, then 1—a good choice.
Hua Shan Mountains: Left before sunrise to arrive when the ticket office opened (7 AM, I think). We were shocked to see so many people already coming down.
45 minutes by bus to the west cable car, then 15 minutes up.
We did the west, south, east, central, then north peaks (in that order) before taking the other cable car down (you can buy the ticket at the top). A beautiful day.
In the city, check out...
Chengdu
Panda Research Center: Like Hua Shan, plan to arrive when the ticket office opens. Already *tons* of people, and it moves fast to see the big pandas before their nap. Have them drop you at the west entrance (not south), or you’ll have to walk uphill.
Leshan Giant Buddha: Interesting. The trip is a bit long (metro, then train, then city bus, then shuttle on-site). We didn’t take the boat option but walked. In the end, you only spend a few minutes at the Buddha’s feet, but it’s a nice day out.
Hotel tip: Panda Enjoy Home Hotel Apartments (Chengdu East Railway Station Dongda Road Branch). The view is insane, and the neighborhood is super convenient and nice. 646 CNY for 2 nights.
Swimming: The municipal pool is an interesting experience, but don’t expect to swim—no one does. Everyone just splashes around where they can stand. The hours are a bit odd, with a break in the late afternoon.
Kunming
The bike path along Dian Lake is pretty and often well-protected from cars. But like everywhere in China, it’s *packed*. Not much to say about visits—the flower market is a wholesale market, not very interesting. The ethnic minorities museum closed right in front of us.
All the big malls are good for shopping.
Dali
We thought we could bike around the lake in two days. Wrong on two counts: First, the lake’s edge is blocked to traffic and reserved for bikes (or tourist mini-buses). So you’re stuck on the main road, which never gives you a view of the lake, with all the trucks and cars. Doing 120 km like that wouldn’t make sense, in our opinion. The rice fields around are nice but not as impressive as elsewhere, so Dali isn’t worth it for that.
The old town, all restored, is pretty but *packed*—thousands of people, especially in the evening.
Hekou (Vietnam border)
Comfortable train from Kunming. In the parking lot, a bus (not well-marked, but Didi is an option) takes you to the border in 15–20 minutes. Short wait at both border posts. Fun to see the two lampposts near the border line: the Chinese one is new, modern, with a surveillance camera (of course), while the Vietnamese one is old and a bit rusty.
VIETNAM
General:
- You’ll need the Grab app for taxis
- Very disappointed with 12Go—it doesn’t show all buses, never connects you with the company, and refuses refunds. Try booking directly with companies like FUTA Bus instead.
- Credit cards are often accepted (supermarkets and modern stores), otherwise, you’ll need cash
Lao Cai
2 km between the border and the train station.
The sleeper bus to Hanoi with Sao Viet is well-organized—it works.
Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes early (10:30 AM, I think).
Women’s Museum: Very good, not too long
Temple of Literature: Beautiful, fairly quick
This is where you should buy souvenirs, clothes, and knockoffs—the prices are reasonable, and the sellers are nicer than elsewhere. We recommend Cho Dong Xuan.
Tu Long Bay
We did 2 days, 1 night (so really 24 hours on the boat) with Parfum d’Automne (French-speaking agency), which put us on a Cycad Cruise boat. Cost: 300 € per person—expensive, but it was amazing, super luxurious, and the buffet meals were delicious. We don’t regret the splurge. The only downside: no swimming in the bay (but there’s a pool on the boat). To swim, you’d need a 3-day, 2-night trip to an area not protected by the maritime park.
Phong Nha
If you didn’t do the northern mountains due to time or weather (like us), Phong Nha is a great stop for a motorbike ride. It’s beautiful, especially the mountains west of the city toward the caves.
There are two (small) swimming spots at the Botanic Garden—a pleasant 45-minute walk without stops.
Hotel tip: Sunbeam Village (very friendly, pool, breakfast by the river, motorbike rentals)
Da Nang
Hotel tip: Meridians by Hsuite—you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. You’ll still need to walk 15–20 minutes to the hyper-touristy area if you want to rent surfboards (150–200k VND per hour).
The beach is beautiful, and the water is 30°C—great for a break on a long trip, especially since all transport goes through Da Nang.
Hoi An
45 minutes from Da Nang, so it’s easy to visit in a day, especially since the city isn’t that big and it’s *very* hot.
Cooking class: MS Hanh cooking class—great (the market tour is a bit useless). We don’t recommend the "basket boat" tour—it’s a bit sad on a big brown pond with elderly guides.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ben Thanh Market is a nightmare: starting prices are exorbitant, and the vendors are aggressive. Don’t go.
The War Remnants Museum can be really tough for kids.
Can Tho
Avoid this city. We made the mistake of going to see the floating market—don’t.
Chau Doc
No Grab in the city, but regular taxis.
One day is enough if you go early to the forest and the mountain in the late afternoon.
250k VND per person for the forest and its canals (45 minutes by motorbike)
The sunset at Victoria Nui Sam can be magnificent if the clouds cooperate.
Cheap and good restaurant: Quan Nem Nuong Sau Hiep
Hotel tip: Homestay Khoa (2,250,000 VND for 3 nights)—adorable hostess, full of tips, clean rooms.
The speedboat to Cambodia is more comfortable than a bus. Book with Hangchau a few days in advance—payment in cash on the day (1,640,000 đ).
CAMBODIA
General:
- Issues with the "Bakong Tourists" app—we had to go to a big bank to load money onto it. We barely used it afterward.
Phnom Penh
For us, a day and a half is enough if you want to spend more time elsewhere.
Markets close early (around 6 PM) and are less interesting than in Hanoi, for example.
The Royal Palace has a break from 11 AM to 2 PM, but there aren’t many people in the afternoon.
Siem Reap
Trip with Capitol company—the bus is basic but cheap. Departs at 10:15 AM, 7-hour ride.
Angkor entrance fee: 62 USD per person for a 3-day pass. Tickets are picked up at Angkor Enterprise.
Renting two 125cc motorbikes: 10 USD each, plus 7 USD for gas.
By bike, it took me 25 minutes to reach Angkor Wat’s pools. A basic city bike rental was 1 USD per hour.
Short circuit by motorbike (in reverse): 7 hours with stops everywhere.
Grand tour by tuk-tuk: Only 5 temples, 4.5 hours.
If you want to see lots of monkeys, they’re grouped west of Bayon.
For the temples, we asked Gemini (AI) at each stop to point out details that might interest kids (who can get bored with the repetition). It gave fun facts and things to look for—great for the little ones.
Hotel tip: The Five Senses, run by a Frenchman, Bruno, who knows Cambodia inside out and organizes tours.
Restaurant tip: Wild (only spring rolls, but *so* many varieties—delicious and cheap)
Watch out: 1 hour to the airport, 50 km from the city.
Show tip: The Phare Circus
I booked my trip from May 5 to 26, 2027. I’m starting to plan my itinerary and look for hotels (I know it’s early!). While I’ve found some in Seoul and Busan, I’m noticing that elsewhere—like Yeosu—most hotels aren’t available (on Booking.com, for example, almost all are unavailable). AI tells me not to worry because hotels in South Korea only open bookings 6 months in advance, so it’s normal to see most of them unavailable on booking sites.
Could you confirm this for me and, of course, reassure me (!)? Thanks so much.
philippe
We’re back from a one-month trip to China and wanted to share our itinerary. Hopefully, this can give future travelers some ideas for exploring this beautiful country.
Beijing → Temple of Heaven / Forbidden City
Jinshanling → Great Wall
Zhangjiajie → Tianmen Mountain and Heaven’s Gate
Wulingyuan → Avatar Mountains / sandstone pillars
Fenghuang → riverside houses
Ping’an → terraced rice fields
Tiantouzhai → village / rice terraces
Yangshuo → Li River / karst mountains
Shanghai → skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower
Our travel journal is available on our travel journal, written day by day. You’ll find lots of photos and some travel tips there.
I’m starting to look at neighborhoods in Seoul, and I’m leaning toward staying in a hotel in Insa-Dong—I’ve spotted one really close to Unhyeongung.
Is this a good area—nice and convenient for exploring the city?
Otherwise, I’ve also found another hotel in Yongsan-Gu, right near the station of the same name. Is that station useful for getting around Seoul?
Since I’ll be in South Korea for nearly two months, I plan to spend at least a week in Seoul to recover from jet lag (it takes me a while to adjust...). So, I’d love a neighborhood that’s pleasant and a hotel not too far from a subway station.
Hi there,
I’d like to do this cycling route over 2 or 3 days. I’m struggling to figure out and find a (good) bike rental that lets me start in Onomichi and drop off in Imabari. Can anyone help with great tips for rentals and accommodations along the route? How do I get back to Onomichi afterward?
Next year, we’re celebrating 20 years of marriage (and travel 🙂), and we’re looking for something new, pretty legendary, and something the teens will enjoy too.
The family council has settled on Japan for now. And it’d have to be a summer trip—no choice there.
The catch: I keep reading that August isn’t the right season for southern Japan. It’s hot, humid, and there’s a risk of typhoons… Okay, but what does that *actually* mean in practice? Are there any travelers who’ve been there during this time? Is it *that* unbearable?
We’re pretty familiar with Southeast Asia—last year, we dealt with scorching heat in Vietnam and insane humidity, plus a typhoon we experienced from a distance, and visiting Angkor in the blazing sun. Is it worse than that?
I’m back with my detailed itinerary for 20 days in South Korea—it’s my first trip to the country. Our idea is to experience a more rural and cultural Korea. Here’s the rough plan: Seoul for 4 nights at the start and 1 night at the end, Gurye for 4 nights, Suncheon for 4 nights, Namhae for 4 nights, and Gyeongju for 2 nights. The goal is to pick a base and explore the surrounding areas. What do you think of this itinerary? Anything you’d change?
thanks
hi everyone, we're heading out for a 12-day trek in the Japanese Alps. We're bringing freeze-dried meals like we always do. We just found out that importing meat is banned, even freeze-dried. Is that true? We already bought them. They're commercially made freeze-dried meals. Online, it's not specified that they have to be "commercially made" because you can make your own freeze-dried food. And since we've heard they're really strict in Japan, can anyone confirm this for us? thanks
I haven’t found what I’m looking for despite my searches!
For a 15-day trip next spring, I’d like to buy a card (preferably an eSIM, but a physical SIM is fine too) that also lets me make calls in the country (to contact a hotel, a tourist spot, etc.).
You can easily find options just for data, but I haven’t come across any that include calls, texts, or even MMS.
Could you recommend something?
hi there
I’m planning a trip in September—here’s my rough itinerary. What do you think? Is it easy to rent a car to get around between my stops? Thanks so much!
Philippe
StopNightsFull daysSeoul44Gurye (Jirisan)43Suncheon43Namhae43Gyeongju21Seoul1—
Hi,
July 2026: I’m writing to you from Dali.
First, I got scammed on Booking—AI-retouched photos. No tourists at this hotel (Yishanju Designer Hotel), and the reality was horrible: dirty, with a disgusting breakfast. It’s better to use Trip.com here.
Next, the old town was an infernal cacophony, packed with tourists who shoved past without a care. Some vendors harassed you to buy things. All the stalls sold the same cheap plastic junk or other uninteresting stuff. The beautiful scenery was ruined by vendors lining 100% of the alleys. Impossible to walk, crushing heat, nothing good to eat except fresh fruit. Horrible experience.
Day 2: We went to Cangshan Mountain by cable car—the ride was short and nothing spectacular. We were at 2,600 m.
My plan was to see Erhai Lake. Unfortunately, I followed the advice of an AI chatbot: take the boat at Langkan Dock. The Didi dropped us off in the nearest area, which was full of charming little alleys but packed with Chinese tourists. The three-wheeled yellow cabs zoomed through the narrow streets, forcing you to hug the walls, on top of the scooters and other pedestrians to deal with. Crossing the neighborhood was hellish and suffocating. Once out, we hit the "corniche," which was also packed with Chinese tourists. The lake’s edge was all pebbles, and everyone was standing around taking photos. I was with my 5-year-old son. I would’ve liked to sit down and let him play with stones by the water, but it was clear we didn’t belong. They were even shoving each other for a shot! There were no boats in sight. In short, we’d had enough, and there was nothing interesting there either.
On the way back, we had to cross that maze again under the scorching sun. My son was braver than me—I even had a little dizzy spell from all the chaos. Add to that Dali’s altitude (2,200 m), so altitude insomnia, fatigue, and vulnerability during the day...
The restaurants weren’t inviting—the staff served sticky rice in a little bucket. The dishes were wrapped, and you had to figure it out yourself. After that, they ignored you completely, even if you were the only tourist.
On the 3rd day, it was time to leave for Shaxi. I hope to see beautiful villages. But honestly, I’m exhausted by this atmosphere where everything is complicated, communication is never smooth, noise is everywhere, and the behavior of some Chinese people is abusive...
Silver lining: not a drop of rain in 4 days and blue skies.
I couldn’t visit the villages in southern Yunnan because of rain and storms there...
But I was expecting to see a few more tourists.
We’re planning a 17-day trip to South Korea in October 2026 with my husband and our daughters, who’ll be 9 years old.
I’d love to get your thoughts on our draft itinerary.
First, some key details:
1/ Jeju Island is a must for us. I’ve personally dreamed of going there for years after reading a novel about it.
2/ Our girls are used to road-trip style travel since they were born, so this kind of trip won’t be an issue for them.
3/ We plan to travel by train, except on Jeju where we’ll rent a car (we already have an international driver’s permit).
Itinerary:
Seoul: 1 arrival day at 10 AM + 4 full days
Gyeongju: 2 days
Busan: 3 days
Jeju: 4 days
Seoul: 2 days
Hi there,
My girlfriend (23) and I (24) are heading to Japan for the first time from October 20th to November 6th. Here’s our itinerary:
6 nights in Tokyo
1 night in Hakone (ryokan already booked)
4 nights in Kyoto (hotel already booked)
2 nights in Osaka
4 nights back in Tokyo
I’d like to book hotels for Tokyo (both stays) and Osaka, but I’ve gotten so many different recommendations.
I’ve read that Shinjuku is the place to be for its huge hub, accessibility, and things to do, but I’ve also heard about Shibuya, Asakusa, and Ueno.
I’ve looked at hotels, and first off, I’m surprised by the prices compared to what I’ve seen on forums (I guess inflation’s hit here too… and maybe I’m late to the booking game?). I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the options.
For our first stay in Tokyo, I’d prefer a hotel (not a residence or Airbnb) since we’ll be arriving at night, and it’s our first time in Japan. It’d be great to have a place with a reception, staff who speak at least a little English, and can give us some guidance. For the second stay, we could consider other options if it’s better.
Budget-wise, we can go up to 150–180 € per night, but if we can save some money to spend elsewhere, that’d be amazing!
I’m open to all recommendations, hotel suggestions, or any other tips for Tokyo (first stay), Osaka, and Tokyo (second stay).
Hi there,
I’m getting ready for a classic tourist trip to China in May 2026.
The "Terres Lointaines" itinerary looks good to me, and the price is interesting.
Has anyone traveled with them before? Any feedback?
Is there a better option?
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences on this!
Michel
I just booked my hotel in Seoul—it’ll be near Unhyeongung, on Samil-Daero 30-Gil—and I’m wondering if there’s public transport from the airport to this address (bus or subway)? If not, what’s the taxi fare? I read it’s around 50 or 60 €.
I’m traveling to Japan with a young adult with autism (ASD) from July 28 to August 8, following a pretty classic route: Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo. I’m looking for a schedule of the most spectacular fireworks displays during that time. So far, the dates for the major *hanabi* events aren’t available online yet. If anyone has them, I’d really appreciate it if you could share!
We’ll be doing a self-drive trip using public transport in May 2026.
On Day 6, we’ll arrive in Hakone by train from Tokyo in late morning. We’ll spend the night in Hakone before heading to Kyoto.
The main goal of this stop is clearly the view (no hiking) of Mount Fuji, not so much exploring Hakone, where the sights seem limited.
I’ve read on the forum that the view is great from Gotemba, but it also takes a good hour by bus to get there. And, apart from that view, there’s nothing else to see in Gotemba!
So, I’m not sure what to choose. Any thoughts? Or alternatives to suggest?
Maybe some spots in Hakone or Gotemba for a great view?