Flights to Tokyo are cheap in autumn
There are obviously two major elements to the costs of any particular trip. The first is the cost of the round-trip airfare to get there, and the second is the cost of things on the ground once you arrive. If you can get a really cheap flight to a relatively expensive place then things can balance out nicely, and starting in September, Tokyo is such a place.
The tragic earthquake earlier this year in the northern part of Japan has devastated the tourism business for the entire country, including Tokyo and the south, which were in no way affected. Thank the pragmatic tourism people there for the fact that they are actively discounting flights and hotels trying to bring in international visitors again, so the timing could be perfect for the bold.
Destination: Tokyo
First off, Tokyo has never been nearly as expensive as it was usually made out to be. People would talk about the US$20 hamburger they saw on a menu, without mentioning the US$5 beef and noodles restaurants on every block. Right now the Japanese Yen is quite strong so this is not a cheap city really, but hotels are now on sale and cheaper food items are always nearby. The key, as it is just about everywhere else, is to eat like the locals do rather than at your hotel’s overpriced restaurant.
The best part right now is the airfares from the United States are very cheap starting in September. For example, during July and August a RT flight between New York and Tokyo starts at around US$1,300, but then in September it suddenly drops below US$1,000. This may not sound cheap, but consider that it’s about a 13-hour flight, as opposed to the 6-hour flights to London or Paris that are about the same price.
From Los Angeles the RT fare to Tokyo starts at around US$900 in September, and prices are similar from San Francisco and Seattle as well. Regardless of the city you are starting in, and that includes Canada as well, these fares are bargains and quite a bit lower than normal.
Fall is the best time in Tokyo
Not only do the fares come way down starting in September, but the weather is much nicer then as well. You don’t often hear about it, but Tokyo tends to be sweltering and humid during July and August. There are very few parks and open areas as well, so the heat feels worse than it would in more of an open area.
Autumn, on the other hand, brings in pleasantly warm days that are never steamy hot, and it’s still warm enough in the evening that a light jacket or sweater will be enough. This is a bit of a rare case that the best time to visit is also the cheapest time, for flights anyway, thanks to the current promotional deals going on.