Best way from Tokyo to Yokohama with luggage

[Stacycee]

Are there any busses from Tokyo that go to Yokohama to join the ship?  We will have a bit of luggage so I would prefer no trains.  Something like the limousine bus from the airport to Tokyo would be perfect or a shuttle company?

 

Thanks so much!

[AKJonesy]

This was from my post when I returned from japan.  In short, my answer to your question and my entire post which may or may not be helpful to you.  We checked out late then took the Keikyu Bus which was the best option to get to Yokohama for us.  I had already known from watching YT vids that there was a manned bus ticketing counter at the airport, so we didn't have to fiddle figuring out how to buy the tickets.  The counter is right when you come out of arrivals after clearing customs.  We paid with cc and opted for the YEN price vs USD (better rate).  The cost was $6.60 each.  We took the elevator down one floor to #8 bus stand.  The bus stand attendant took our tickets and put our luggage under the bus.  We did not have to handle it as you would on the train.  (A downside to the train was having to transfer at the big station and we didn't want to do that, nor take a taxi from there to the pier as many did).  We were dropped about 100m from the pier and it was easy to roll the bag on the sidewalk.  We got on board all said and done around 2pm and left the ship to walk around Yokohama (much to do there) until dinner time.  Our ship departed at 8pm.  Keikyu Bus:  https://www.keikyu-bus.co.jp/en/airport/h-yamashita/ 

 

You can read my post here.  I AM THE ORIGINAL POSTER AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.  POST #1 ON THE FOLLOWING LINK.  

 

Edited August 31 by AKJonesy

[AKJonesy]

Also, keep in mind WHICH pier you need to go to.  We boarded at the SHINKO PIER and my post was based on that in post #2 above.  We got off the bus at the Intercontinental Pier 8 and as I said in my post, it was a short walk with luggage on a pretty flat sidewalk to the pier.  You can see the other stops on my link to the bus.  

[hxhbk]

On 8/31/2024 at 12:13 AM, Stacycee said:

Are there any busses from Tokyo that go to Yokohama to join the ship?  We will have a bit of luggage so I would prefer no trains.  Something like the limousine bus from the airport to Tokyo would be perfect or a shuttle company?

 

Thanks so much!

I I read your question correctly, I think you are asking about bus from your Tokyo area hotel to Yokohama to board your ship.

As far as I know there is no bus service similar to the bus companies that take passengers from Tokyo area airports (Haneda or Narita) to their hotels in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

I only know of 2 options: 1) metro/local train or 2) taxi.

Hope this helps. 

[rwmiller]

We took a taxi from the Minato City area of Tokyo to the cruise pier for $103. Made transporting our 3 large suitcases very easy. 
 

Bob

[thehowlingroad]

On 9/10/2024 at 7:35 PM, rwmiller said:

We took a taxi from the Minato City area of Tokyo to the cruise pier for $103. Made transporting our 3 large suitcases very easy. 
 

Bob

 

As did we; we stayed between Minato and Ginza and needed a taxi to our Yokohama hotel. $95 USD (metered fare) for 3 passengers + 2 large (28-inch) suitcases and 1 standard carry-on; it was a 45 min ride door-to-door. Well worth the expense to us!

 

Our Tokyo hotel arranged getting an appropriately-sized taxi for us when I emailed the concierge about a week in advance of our trip, but I believe you can also alert them about your plans and needs when you check in.

[loeb]

Several years ago we used Green Tomato.  They picked us up at the hotel and dropped us off at the pier in Yokohama (it's a share mini bus so we stopped at a few hotels on the way to Yokohama..  The following is their site

 

https://www.greentomato-j.com/eng/shuttle/yokohama_seaport.php

[CCJack]

On 9/18/2024 at 4:58 PM, thehowlingroad said:

As did we; we stayed between Minato and Ginza and needed a taxi to our Yokohama hotel. $95 USD (metered fare) for 3 passengers + 2 large (28-inch) suitcases and 1 standard carry-on; it was a 45 min ride door-to-door. Well worth the expense to us!

I think the added expense would be worth it to us as well.  Can I ask did you stay at the Tokyo hotel a few days pre cruise and then wanted to spend the last night in Yokohama?   I am thinking of staying in Tokyo then taxi to the cruise port day of cruise...

 

[thehowlingroad]

8 hours ago, CCJack said:

I think the added expense would be worth it to us as well.  Can I ask did you stay at the Tokyo hotel a few days pre cruise and then wanted to spend the last night in Yokohama?   I am thinking of staying in Tokyo then taxi to the cruise port day of cruise...

 

 

We did exactly that: 4 nights in Tokyo and left for Yokohama around 1 pm the day before the cruise. I highly recommend asking if your Tokyo hotel has a concierge service (or even if the front desk can do it!) to arrange taxi availability for you in advance; just ask them if the quoted amount is metered fare or a flat fare (so you won't be surprised later on; there's not much difference between the two rates). I had 2 main concerns about taking a cab to Yokohama, which was the availability of a large-enough car for 3 passengers and all our luggage, and also whether someone would be willing to take a 45-min fare out of the city, and asking the hotel concierge to handle it for me was the best decision I could've made.

 

If you want to go directly to the cruise port on your embarkation morning, I think you'd be okay to get a cab in the 11 am hour (assuming you have a normal 4 pm ship departure). It was a 45-min ride for us, and I think the only thing you'd have to be prepared for is the traffic going into the cruise terminal once you get into Yokohama. It's very busy on turnaround day, but still shouldn't add more than 20 mins to your trip.

[eddieg07410]

On 10/13/2024 at 3:30 AM, thehowlingroad said:

 

We did exactly that: 4 nights in Tokyo and left for Yokohama around 1 pm the day before the cruise. I highly recommend asking if your Tokyo hotel has a concierge service (or even if the front desk can do it!) to arrange taxi availability for you in advance; just ask them if the quoted amount is metered fare or a flat fare (so you won't be surprised later on; there's not much difference between the two rates). I had 2 main concerns about taking a cab to Yokohama, which was the availability of a large-enough car for 3 passengers and all our luggage, and also whether someone would be willing to take a 45-min fare out of the city, and asking the hotel concierge to handle it for me was the best decision I could've made.

 

If you want to go directly to the cruise port on your embarkation morning, I think you'd be okay to get a cab in the 11 am hour (assuming you have a normal 4 pm ship departure). It was a 45-min ride for us, and I think the only thing you'd have to be prepared for is the traffic going into the cruise terminal once you get into Yokohama. It's very busy on turnaround day, but still shouldn't add more than 20 mins to your trip.

Can you tell me what attractions you would recommend for two 70 + individuals in Tokyo. We will also be staying for four days prior to cruising. Also, would greatly appreciate recommendations for reasonably price hotels. Thanks.

[thehowlingroad]

2 hours ago, eddieg07410 said:

Can you tell me what attractions you would recommend for two 70 + individuals in Tokyo. We will also be staying for four days prior to cruising. Also, would greatly appreciate recommendations for reasonably price hotels. Thanks.

 

We stayed at Dai-ichi Hotel Tokyo right outside Ginza; relatively quiet area, 5-min walk to Shimbashi station which is a major transit hub, reasonably-sized rooms compared to other Tokyo hotels if you don't mind the dated decor, lots of konbini and restaurant options in the area: https://www.hankyu-hotel.com/en/hotel/dh/dhtokyo. My parents were 69 and 68 at the time of our trip and enjoyed the stay there.

 

Before recommending particular attractions, I think mobility needs are the most important thing to consider because Japan is not particularly accessible to folks with mobility issues. Invest in some comfortable, lightweight city walking shoes (not hiking boots!) because you're going to want them and need them. Even my mother, who walks with a cane, was averaging 10k+ steps a day, even with us using taxis instead of public transit when we needed to.

 

If you have no concerns about mobility, then your next thought would be to narrow down what you're interested in. Historical or religious sites/shrines, vs shopping, "modern" Tokyo, nightlife, vs cultural experiences (tea ceremonies, seafood markets, etc). And don't forget that on your cruise, you'll be able to have a lot of similar experiences at other shrines, seafood markets, etc, especially if you're DIYing each port like we did. Honestly, 4 days in Tokyo isn't even enough; we could've happily spent a full week there before boarding our cruise.

[eddieg07410]

15 hours ago, thehowlingroad said:

 

We stayed at Dai-ichi Hotel Tokyo right outside Ginza; relatively quiet area, 5-min walk to Shimbashi station which is a major transit hub, reasonably-sized rooms compared to other Tokyo hotels if you don't mind the dated decor, lots of konbini and restaurant options in the area: https://www.hankyu-hotel.com/en/hotel/dh/dhtokyo. My parents were 69 and 68 at the time of our trip and enjoyed the stay there.

 

Before recommending particular attractions, I think mobility needs are the most important thing to consider because Japan is not particularly accessible to folks with mobility issues. Invest in some comfortable, lightweight city walking shoes (not hiking boots!) because you're going to want them and need them. Even my mother, who walks with a cane, was averaging 10k+ steps a day, even with us using taxis instead of public transit when we needed to.

 

If you have no concerns about mobility, then your next thought would be to narrow down what you're interested in. Historical or religious sites/shrines, vs shopping, "modern" Tokyo, nightlife, vs cultural experiences (tea ceremonies, seafood markets, etc). And don't forget that on your cruise, you'll be able to have a lot of similar experiences at other shrines, seafood markets, etc, especially if you're DIYing each port like we did. Honestly, 4 days in Tokyo isn't even enough; we could've happily spent a full week there before boarding our cruise.

Very interesting and helpful comments. We are able to walk unsorted. We walk about a mile a day.