Japan With Kids: Bullet Trains, Luggage Forwarding & Gluten-Free Travel (Part 2)

Our Japan with Kids update continues with Jo from The Tokyo Chapter, sharing practical advice on changes that could affect travelling families and answering the questions she and Sally hear most often.

How do you book the bullet train (Shinkansen)? Where should you sit, and how do you take luggage on board? Or better yet, how exactly does luggage forwarding work? Jo spells it all out, breaking down the little details that make travelling in Japan with kids so much easier.

In this episode:

· How to assess whether a JR Pass suits your itinerary.

· When Jo recommends booking bullet train seats ahead.

· Travelling on the Shinkansen with luggage.

· Hotel-to-hotel luggage forwarding and alternative services discussed by Jo.

· Mount Fuji views and the pressure to book the “right” seat.

· Family carriages and feeling comfortable travelling with babies.

· Credit-card train payments and transit cards such as Suica and Pasmo.

· Babysitting in Japan, including help during a Disneyland visit.

· Gluten-free travel, restaurant research and allergy communication.

· Why supermarkets and a kitchenette can be useful for families.

· Baby equipment Jo would reconsider packing.

· Jo’s Melbourne suggestions, Japanese snack pick and upcoming Okinawa episode.

Travel rules, attraction access, prices and booking systems can change. Check the relevant official information for your travel dates.

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Babysitting services

https://www.thetokyochapter.com/babysitters-in-tokyo/

Follow Jo on Instagram: @thetokyochapter

www.thetokyochapter.com

Follow Snacks and Suitcases on Instagram: @snacksandsuitcasespodcast

Follow Host, Sally Stanton on Instagram:

@sallynanamis

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Snacks and Suitcases is an independentAustralian family travel podcast packed with practical tips, destination inspiration and real-life stories to make travelling with kids easier and more fun.

AND

Don't forget your snacks!

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Planning a trip to Japan with kids? From upcoming visa changes and tourist taxes to credit card hiccups and fines for naughty tourist behaviour, there’s plenty to keep up with. But there’s also a whole lot of fun to discover! This episode covers the family travel updates you need to know now, plus new attractions and experiences to add to your Japan wish list.

Jo McGregor from The Tokyo Chapter returns to Snacks and Suitcases to help families prepare for all the above changes plus she shares new theme park advice, places to stay and explorebeyond the usual attractions.

In Part 1, Sally and Jo discuss Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea planning, Universal Studios Japan, PokePark, familyaccommodation and cultural experiences, including a sumo show where children can participate AND even the opportunity to share a meal with a Japanese family.

Whether it’s your first Japan family holiday or you’re heading back for more, this conversation offers practical ideas for building a trip around your children’s interests.

In this episode:
• Tokyo Disney planning: the app, connectivity, ride priorities and Jo’s arrival strategy
• Universal Studios Japan booking considerations and Halloween with children
• Pokémon attraction entry requirements discussed in the interview
• Why carrying cash can help families enjoy smaller shops, stalls and activities
• Family apartment hotels in Osaka and longer-stay apartments in Tokyo
• Exploring Toyosu, Odaiba and different Tokyo neighbourhoods
• Sharing a meal with a Japanese family
• An interactive sumo experience for children
• Japan travel updates, including tax-free shopping and accommodation taxes

Coming in Part 2:
The JR Pass, booking bullet trains, babysitting services in Japan and travelling with allergies.

Travel rules, attraction access, prices and booking systems can change. Check the relevant official information for your travel dates.

Follow Jo on Instagram: @thetokyochapter

www.thetokyochapter.com

Follow Snacks and Suitcases onInstagram: @snacksandsuitcasespodcast

Follow Host, Sally Stantonon Instagram:

@sallynanamis

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast and leave a rating or review to help other families discover Snacks and Suitcases.

Snacks and Suitcases is an independent Australian family travel podcast packed with practical tips, destinationinspiration and real-life stories to make travelling with kids easier and more fun.

AND

Don't forget your snacks!

snacksandsuitcasespodcast@gmail.com

What if, instead of spending parental leave at home navigating feeds, naps and explosive nappies, you packed up the baby, your partner AND the family dog and headed to Europe?

That’s exactly what Canadian travel writer Riana Ang-Canning from the travel blog, Teaspoon of Adventure, did.

Riana and her husband used parental leave to take their baby daughter and Chihuahua Ellie on an epic nine-month adventure, including an extended stay in London and France’s LoireValley.

In this episode, Sally and Riana talk about what long-term travel with a baby is really like, from flying long haul and maintaining sleep routines to slowing down, lowering expectations and learning that sometimes one activity a day is more than enough.

Riana shares why they chose to buy their baby her own plane seat, the disastrous day in Normandy that completely changed the way they travelled, her favourite family experiences inEurope and why travelling slowly made such a huge difference.

And they tackle that comment travelling parents hear all the time:

“But your baby won’t remember it, so why bother?” Riana has the perfect answer.

In this Episode:

• Taking parental leave to travel with a baby
• Long-term travel through Europe with a baby and dog
• Flying long haul with an infant
• Baby sleep and routines while travelling
• Why slow travel works so well with young children
• Managing expectations and travel FOMO
• Family-friendly experiences in France and London
• Why babies not remembering a holiday doesn’t mean it isn’t worth taking

As Riana says, his is your first trip with your baby, not your last.You don’t have to see everything, travel for nine months or go halfway around the world to make incredible family memories.

https://teaspoonofadventure.com/

Follow Riana on Instagram: @teaspoonofadventure

Follow Snacks and Suitcases onInstagram: @snacksandsuitcasespodcast

Follow Host, Sally Stanton oninstagram: @sallynanamis

If you enjoyed this episode andwould like to hear more, follow Snacks and Suitcases and leave a rating or review.

Snacks and Suitcases is an Australian family travel podcast packed with practical tips, destination inspiration and real-life stories to make travelling with kids easier and morefun.

AND

Don't forget your snacks!