[noodle]

Originally Posted by Housetek

okay lets seed some of the truths and myths out of these posts.

Yes, it IS possible to find a place to stay for 30-50 dollars a night.

No, it will not be comfortable and very small limited space where you can barley put your luggage.

Yes, you will most likely have to share a room with a stranger who is traveling around.

No, a DECENT one room hotel will not be under 100 dollars a night.

Your looking at 100 min to 175 a night for a one room, one bathroom 1 desk hotel room.

You CAN lower your costs of living and what not.. but dont expect to be comfortable by any means.

Remember, you get what you pay for.

I personally do not like youth hostels.

1 there usually full of other travlers
2 your usually sharing
3 i dont trust my items being around other travelers
4 facilities arent that great or clean
5 your sharing the bathrooms and showers with many other people
6 your also sharing the kitchen with other people

HERES the main point i want to get through.

if your planning on staying a week or two at a hostel

most Hostels have a 7 day maximum stay limit.

ALSO you are not guaranteed you keep you room for 7 days
they can move you around from room to rooms.

example of this is

say you have a 4 person room for 25 dollars a night, and you share with another person and a couple.

if a group of 4 comes in and is lookin for a room, all 4 of you will be moved and split into another rooms to accommodate the 4 that just came in so they can be 2gether..

this means you have to move all your stuff to another room.

this can happen a lot.

some youth hostels also have a 3-4 max stay.

also some have weird rules that i won get into but ill say it again, you get what you pay for.

if your gona plan a trip to japan, just make sure you have the funds to do so.

and as for the person talking about those 20 dollar a night places with comics and computers.

those are basically like lil lan centers, you dont get a room, you get a cubical.

there are shower facilities which is shared by every one, and you cannot be loud what so ever...

very strict rule about noise.

also they will not let you stay there all night with luggage and stuff.

also some places now charge by the hour. around 500 yen per hour

if your goin for a week just get a hotel for 100 a night, if your goin for any thing longer then 2 weeks, go with a apartment you can rent from sakura house.

My apartment in takanawa was awesome, 2 bedroom down stairs livin room and kitchen and shower. around 600 a month splitting with a roommate.

it ends up to be 20 dollars a day with a roomy or 40 if you want a pimp apartment to your self. and have room for guest.

what i did was registered the room for one person and then had my friend come stay with me any ways.

ended up bein super cheap

I'm sorry Housetek, but I think you've exaggerated a bit there! 100 - 175 for a decent room? For that price my friends have stayed in a 4 star hotels in tokyo! And by 4 star, that means luxurious room, not decent!

As for Youth hostels and sharing. Yeah, sometimes they can be a hassle if you want to be alone, but sometimes, it can be a great experience! There are also plenty of youth hostels that can give you single rooms with a shower and tv in your room.
Most places i've travelled i've stayed in hostels. HK, Edinburgh, Rome, Milan, Barca, Beijing etc. and i've never had a problem. For example in HK. I stayed at a youth hostel for $15 per night. They gave me a compacked room with a high bed and shower and tv. This was during a busy period where EVERY hotel seemed to be filled. Yet, this was really great. There was a small internet and cafe room to chat with other travellers. Yeah, it was tight and we weren't allowed to make a lot of noise, but that was one of the best things about it. I think when you're travelling and exploring a lot, you'd like some peace and quiete when you finally get to sleep!

Anyway, the point i'm trying to make. Of course going for the expensive stuff might be nice, but it definately isn't a necessity! Heck, i'd prefer to sleep at a camp sight for $5 rather than spend 175 on a hotel room that i will spend 6 hours in!