Non Stop Family

We arrived in Tokyo through Haneda Airport, (Haneda Kūkō, HND), also known as Tokyo International Airport. Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, Haneda Airport is preferably used for domestic flights but, after the construction of the new international terminal, the number of international flights has increased greatly.

In our family trip, we came from Bangkok and, arriving through this airport turned out to be very convenient for our family, as it is relatively close to the city center, less than 25 km and easily accessible.

Our main concern was that due to our flight arriving in the evening (10.30pm), we were afraid we might miss out on using the Monorail to get out of the airport as the latter train part at 00.10am and we feared that due to some delay in the flight, or due to a longer delay to pass through customs, we could miss this alternative of travel.

However, everything went well for our family. The plain was exactly on time and, the customs were fast, has so many things in Tokyo. After our travel experience, we would like to leave our analysis and tips of the different possibilities to get to the city center from Haneda airport and, of course, our choice and the reasons for it, with the hope that our tips may help you to plan your trip to Tokyo.

Tokyo Monorail

This was our family's choice and, fortunately, everything went according to our plans like we said previously. We managed to get through the customs and get Monorail before the last departure, which is at 00h10 (the first is at 05:12).

We can not talk about the Monorail without mentioning a very important issue for those arriving in Tokyo, which is the JR Yamanote Line. And the importance of that reason is related to the fact that Tokyo is not a city with a Center, unlike many that we can meet, but rather have several centers. And the JR Yamanote Line is a circular line that runs through the different centers so that its route delimits the great center of Tokyo.

So, although the monorail does not take you to the city center, it takes you to Hamamatsucho station, which belongs to the JR Yamanote Line, and then you can pick up the train to your final destination, just like we did.

The journey to Hamamatsucho Station takes about 15 minutes and then we take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda station near our hotel. In our case, we got in the opposite direction of the clock, because it was the one that most quickly led to our destination.

How to get Monorail?

Finding the right path for Monorail is easy, just follow the arrow that points to the left after going through customs, which is conveniently written in English.

How to buy the ticket

We advise you to carry out a previous search of the station closest to your destination. It is also possible to check the price of the trips (in our case up to Kanda, cost 650 yen per adult and 330 per child). Next to the ticket machines, you will see the main stations of destination and the respective costs for both children and adults (children from 6 to 12, less than 6 do not pay). Since all the stations we pass had wifi, we use google maps to help us to buy the tickets, it says the exact amount you should pay, and the exit you should use. Take a look at our post about the best free apps to use in your trip to Tokyo, for sure they will be of great help to you.

If you do not take yens with you when you land, we advise you, when going through customs, to use one of the companies that exchange money or to pick up at one of the several ATMs available. The reason you will need the money is that when you buy the tickets, you must do it with money because the Ticket Machines do not accept credit card. As mentioned, you can buy the tickets in the various Ticket Machines that exist in the various terminals.

Let us explain how you can buy your tickets: In the right upper corner of the screen of the Ticket Machines, you will see the option English, click there, then the whole process is easy and intuitive. In our case, we chose the JR Yamanote option, because our destination obliged to use these two means of transport.

The ticket is combined, so only one ticket allows you the use both means of transport.

If you have the Japan Rail Pass, JR Tokyo Wide Pass, JR East Nagano Niigata Area Pass, JR East Tohoku Area Pass and JR East South Hokkaido Pass, you can use it to make your trip. You can see here the detailed description of how to buy your ticket in the ticket machines.

Keikyu Line

This is also a great option for those who want to get out of the airport and head for the city center. Although our choice was to use Monorail, the decision was only to think that it is the fastest way to get to our hotel and, in making its decision, should be the main criterion to take into account, your final destination, since both modes of transport work very well and direct you to the JR Yamanote line, only at different stations.

Also, the tickets machines have a very convenient English mode and, next to them you find the different destinations and prices, there is nothing to cheat. Do not forget that you will not be able to use your credit card and you will need money to buy your tickets.

To get to Keikyu Line, simply follow the signs in English and, unlike the Monorail that will be to your left, the Keiku Line exit is to your right.

Keikyu Railways takes you to Tokyo's Shinagawa Station (JR Yamanote) on a journey of about 15 minutes, but also to the Asakusa Metro Line in Yokohama and Kanagawa Prefecture, and can also connect you to Narita Airport.

In relation to this line, the first train departs at 5:29, and the last at 0:01. And, do not worry if you lose your train, as like in the monorail, if you lose one train, after a few minutes you can catch the following. And, they are safe, clean and fast.

We only went on monorail but, from many opinions, the ride is more pretty using the monorail, so that may be a factor to consider when making your choice. But both options are, for sure, great.

Limousine Bus

Contrary to what the name might lead one to think, we are not talking about a limousine. It is a bus service that will take you to your destination on a journey that can take you to your destination in about 30 minutes to more than one hour (depending on destination, traffic). And the price varies from 620 to 2000 yen, also depending on your destination and time you do the trip, at night is more expensive.

Buying the ticket is easy. Once you reach the arrival lobby, you will find the ticket counter on your left. You do not need to make any reservation in advance. In addition to the possibility of buying your ticket, you will see in the various screens the bus schedules and the different destinations, so you only have to buy the ticket to the destination that suits you and you have the added advantage of not having to make any transfer, in case the bus passes near its final destination.

You can buy the ticket at ticket machines, but also in the ticket office, which may be the best option if you are not sure of the best option to take to reach your destination. The workers talk English and for sure they will be of great help.

To reach the terminal of the Limousine Bus is a short walk of fewer than 5 minutes, always following the indications present along the entire route. The great of the advantage of the Limousine Bus over the train and that was one of the reasons why we studied this option, which is that of their extended hours when compared to the train. They operate from around 4:30 am until 2:00 p.m., and it may be the best option to arrive at your final destination if you miss the last train shortly after 00:00.

Taxi and Uber

These are two of the best-known ways to get to the city center. They have the advantage of being extremely comfortable and take more than one passenger. It will leave you at the door of your destination, which is great but, they are also an expensive option, a very expensive option.

In relation to Taxi costs, and depending on your destination, it may be around 9500 JPI to travel to the city center (2018 prices), with the possibility of a night surcharge (usually between 10pm and 5am) of about 20% of the value of the trip. Taxis in Tokyo are reputed to be safe, and there is no big risk of being tricked into paying more, as in other destinations.

The trip in Uber is slightly cheaper, and you can save around 1000 JPI on your trip. Both alternatives are comfortable, safe but with the inconvenience of the price being much higher than the alternatives.

Final decision

Our final decision, as we mentioned at the start of our post, fell on the monorail trip. The reasons ware financial but also for being fast access to our destination. Of course, the decision taken by each traveler will have to take into account several factors, but we assure that it is an airport with good access to downtown, all of them safe and efficient.

We always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and its with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals in the city of Tokyo clicking here, it won't cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.

We would also like to invite you to leave your opinion and questions and, in the case you want to discover more about Tokyo, we invite you to check our Itinerary for 4 days in the great city. Come back often to our Non Stop family Travel Blog and, if you enjoyed this article, don't forget to share it with your friends.

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On our way through Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Mlaysia, one of our main goals was to visit the Baku Caves. These caves are, along with the Petronas Towers, the main image that pops up in our head when we think of Malaysia and is a must see for anyone visiting Malaysia.

When you arrive, the first image that jumps in sight is the impressive golden statue of God Murugan, about 42 meters high. To reach the largest and main grotto and visit its religious temples, get ready to climb a staircase of 272 which, with the characteristic heat and humidity, will surely look more like it.

We recommend that you drink plenty of water, it will very hot and, as you will be accompanied by many monkeys along the way, we also recommend that you do not eat or feed them, otherwise you will quickly find yourself surrounded by many who will not give up easily until they explore all possible sites were you can have food.

When you reach the staircase, you will easily find that there are specific paths to climb, and others to descend. If you have any questions, go after the crowd ...

The Batu Caves, located only 15 kms from the center of Kuala Lumpur, are easily accessible for those who want to visit from the city center, being a great destination for those who, like us, travel with children, who will certainly not leave. to be fascinated with the monkeys, among many other beauties of the place.

We also wanted to advise not to hold this visit during the Thaipusan Festival, which usually takes place at the end of January and attracts thousands of visitors, which makes the place very confusing.

How to get to Batu Caves from the city center

Train - KMUTER

The possibility that we have used and, more frequently, passes by train from the main train station of Kuala Lampur-KL Sentral to the station named Batu Caves.

To get to the KL Sentral train station is easy, as there are several lines that finish / start your journey here. Arriving at the station, in the central lobby you should look for the KTM Komuter Line line and, easily visible, you will find the ticket office, where you must purchase the ticket for the Batu Caves. The ticket price is less than RM 3, price 2018, less than 0.5 USD or Euros.

From KL Sentral to Batu Caves

After buying the ticket, simply follow the directions that lead you to KTM Komuter and head for the 3rd platform, Batu Caves, easy to find.

Then just wait for your train, on the right platform. During the busiest hours, the trains run every 15 minutes and, at the other times, every 30 minutes, starting the first KL Sentral train at 6H54M and the last departure from Batu Caves takes place at 11pm (please confirm the updated time schedule).

The train journey takes about 30 minutes and it is impossible to miss it, because you will have to leave at the last station, named after the caves: Batu Caves. When leaving the station, there is also no possibility of deceiving, because the caves are a few meters from the exit of the train.

Taxi, Grabcar (NOT Uber)

Another possibility to visit the Batu Caves is using Taxi, Grabcar. These services work very well and are very affordable. Sometimes it is possible to negotiate the price under certain circumstances, and even arrange to be expected to bring it back to its destination. They are more expensive than the train option but nevertheless not overly expensive and the trip is comfortable and it takes less than 30 minutes. In the case of taxis, we recommend that you negotiate the price before starting the trip, as there may be a tendency to abuse the fact that you are a tourist.

Please, be aware that since 2018 Uber has ceased to carry out its service in Malaysia, so your app will not serve you when you arrive.

Tours

And finally, there is always the possibility of visiting the Batu Caves with your family through a tour. Although not very expensive, it is much more expensive than the possibilities mentioned above and we do not think it deserves the money. In addition to being more expensive, it also has the drawback of not being able to make your own hours and in some cases still take you to other places after the visit which only serve to try to sell you something. In our opinion, this is not the best option, but if you wish, a quick search on the internet will help you evaluate the different possibilities and compare prices.

Other informations

Price:

Main batu Cave: Entrance is free, but you can leave a donation in the boxes designed for this purpose;

Cave Villa: RM15;

Ramayana Cave: RM5.

(2018 prices)

Schedule:

Open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Dress Code:

Do not wear short skirts or shorts, the knees on display are not allowed.

Where to eat?

Fortunately, there are several options in the surrounding area, so do not worry you will have several possibilities to dine nearby, as well as buy water and coconut water. Just prepare yourself that prices are generally higher than in the city center.

We hope that our information helps you plan your trip, especially if it is a family trip, we are sure your children will love the experience. For us, it was an unforgettable visit. If you need to know how to ger from Klia2 (International Airport ok Kuala Lumpur) to the ciry center, see it here.

Dont forget to give us your comment and share our posts. Tanks.

Changi International Airport is one of the busiest on the planet and has also been voted the best in the world. With connections to cities around the world, it is one of the main gateways for those who want to go to Asia and Australia.

Many passengers pass through Singapore only as a place of passage to their final destination but we, in our family travel through Asia, have organized ourselves to be able to meet Singapore city-state for 2 days.

After a nearly 13-hour flight from London, what any adult traveling with children wants is to get to their destination as fast as possible, so we tried to gather some information that allows us to feel less lost on arrival at the airport.

Changi Airport has 4 terminals, easily accessible via the Skytrain. This is a beautifully organized airport and we can guarantee you will not feel lost or disorganized.

How to exit the airport?

After landing, you should look for the Arrival indications in English, its impossible to not see it. You should follow this route to the Immigration and Passport Control area. There, you have to queue for control, and only after that, you can lift your bags, which should be done following the easily visible indications of Baggage Claim.

Once you have your suitcases, follow the signs for Customs, you will also easily see the signs all the way, and after that, follow the signs for Arrival Hall.

When arriving at Arrival Hall, you will have indications of 3 possible means of transport to the city center, which is located about 17 Kms from the airport: Train, Bus and Taxi. There is a fourth possibility, the City Shuttle, of which we shall speak later.

Train - MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)

Time: 1 hour

Cost: About S $ 2 (2018 prices)

Schedule: from 05:31 to 23:18 from Monday to Saturday and from 05:59 to 00:06 on Sundays and holidays (please confirm here).

This was our choice. From what we have investigated, it is the option that best combines efficiency, price, and speed. If this is also your option, what you should do is follow the visible indications along the route to indicate the way to the Train and, going down the escalators that will take you there. The MRT station is located between Terminal 2 and 3 and is easy and fast to access.

When you get to the floor of the train station, you have two options to get your ticket. In our case, we used a vending ticket machine, where we purchased a standard ticket for our trip to our destination. When you arrive at the vending ticket machine, you must choose the standard ticket, and then you will be asked for your destination station, which you can select by pressing on the screen of the machine.

If you do not wish to use the vending ticket machines, or if you wish to purchase another type of ticket, such as rechargeable cards or Tourist Pass, go to the Ticket Office, which is easily visible next to the vending ticket machines.

In our case, since we were staying in a central hotel, we opted for the standard ticket option, which cost less than 2 SGD (2018 price). Payment can be made with cash (coins or banknotes in the upper right corner of the machine) or credit card.

We always advise you to carry out before traveling an online consultation at the MRT station near your hotel, so that you can calculate the route and the price of your ticket. For more information about prices and different transport tickets, see here.

Our final destination was the Chinatown DT19 station, so we had to make a train change. First, we caught the MRT at Changi station, East-West Line, and we went to one station to the MRT Station Expo. Subsequently, we took the Downtown Line and it was 16 stations up to Chinatown DT19. The total course lasted less than an hour.

Something we advise is to do at home this study of the stations that will go through, check the possible train changes, and where you should perform them. This is important in the sense of not wasting precious time because you have to study the route at the time or, even worse, miss your station during your trip. That's not a good thing after an intercontinental flight.

See here the MRT map so you can study your route in advance:

For those who, like us, travel with children, there is the possibility of not paying the child's ticket, if he is less than 0.9 meters in height and accompanied by fee-paying commuter travel. This rule applies to both the train and the bus.

Do not forget that you must keep your ticket throughout the trip, as you will need to use it to leave the destination station.

We also suggest you download the Singapore MRT and LRT Free application, for IOS and Android, where you can access the transport map and the best way to organize your trip.

Go-Head Bus 36 / 36A

Time: 1h10

Cost: About S $ 2, can increase depending on your destination (prices 2018)

Schedule: During the week bus 36 runs from 06:08 to 22:52, Saturdays from 06:07 to 22:52 and Sundays and holidays from 06:06 to 22:53 (please confirm here).

The Bus option is not much more expensive than the MRT, but because we consider it more complicated and less fast, we do not choose it. If it is your choice, when arriving at Arrivals Hall you should go to the bus area, easily reachable following the various Bus indications. Each terminal (1, 2, 3 and 4) has its bus station, which is located downstairs from the airport.

Bus 36 is the only bus line that connects directly to the airport and makes a return route between the airport and Tomlinson Road. There are a few important streets in Singapore such as Marina Parade Rd, Suntec City, Somerset Rd, Orchard, but if your hotel is not on your route you may need to make the connection with another mode of transportation to its destination, which makes this possibility probably the most time consuming (see here all the itinerary).

It is possible to use the EZ-Link Card to pay for your trip (see here how to purchase and use) or, If you want to use money, when you arrive at the bus you must have the exact amount to pay the ticket (in 2018, to our destination, was S$2.10), because no change will be given. And, this may not be an easy operation for those who have just arrived in the country usually have no coins to pay the exact amount of the ticket.

Taxi

Time: 25 minutes

Cost: About S$23 (2018 prices)

Schedule: 24 hours

This is probably the most comfortable and quickest way to reach your destination. It has the inconvenience of being the most expensive.

Catching the taxi at Changi Airport is easy. To do this, simply follow the arrows to say TAXI that is at the exit of the different terminals and all have a place to queue, extremely well organized, even queue for priority passengers. Usually, the waiting time is very low or zero, and this is a service that runs 24 hours a day.

There is a visible price estimate before you pick up your taxi which, at 2018 prices, range from $ 23 to $ 40, depending on the brand of the car. However, taxis operate by a meter and are, in a general way, honest.

Note:

You will have to pay an extra for the transport of the bags, so check it before you catch the Taxi. You can check this site for an approximate cost of your taxi ride.

The City Shuttle

Time: from 30 minutes to 1h30

Cost: S$9 adults and S$6 children under 12 years of age (2018 prices)

Schedule: 24 hours, every 15 minutes during peak hours and up to 30 minutes during non-peak hours (please confirm cost and schedule here).

This is an option that can be very useful for those arriving after 11pm at the airport. As the last train from Changui is around 11.15 p.m. (confirm always) and the first one after 5:30 p.m., Bus 36 is even shorter. So, for those who arrive late at the airport, it is possible to take the taxi (more expensive) or to use the services of City Shuttle.

This is a service that distributes travelers through various hotels in downtown Singapore, so if your hotel is located in that area, this may be a good choice to consider, especially if you arrive late night when you only have a taxi as an alternative.

The big problem with this option is that the distribution of passengers by different hotels can make the arrival at your destination very time consuming and also not the best way to travel for those who land with a lot of luggage.

It is possible to make an advance reservation online for your transportation to the hotel here. If you don't make your reservation online, at the airport you should go to the Ground Transport Concierge at the Arrival Halls or make your reservation using the electronic kiosks available at the different terminals. You can pay with major credit cards and then just wait in the waiting area at your terminal.

You can access more information on how to use this service here.

Final note

We make reference to the duration of the trips but we always ask that you have this information as a possibility, since it can always vary depending on several factors, such as traffic, time of the trip, number of stops, etc. Also in relation to the amounts payable and the hours of operation of the different means of transportation, we always ask you to confirm on the companies websites, as there may be changes and our blog is not updated. If you discover any data that may not be up to date, we ask you to inform us through the comments box and we will try to update the information as soon as possible.

We hope that our article will help you plan your trip to Singapore and if you still do not have a place to stay, we always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and it's with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals in your destiny by clicking here, it will not cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.

Any question, leave your comment that we will be happy to help. You can also leave suggestions, comments, and do not forget to share on your social networks and see other Non Stop Family - Travel Blog articles.

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