Kyoto travel tips needed - baby in tow

[therock]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:36 PM, Mkl22 said:

Have not taken the haruka. But this and the airport limo bus is probably your only options. The rest of the trains you will need to change lines. And seems like you are the only guy on the trip. You will be the donkey to carry everything. I just want to say quite impossible for you to manage it all. 
the airport limo is almost doorstep. Yes it makes some stops but it’s a very comfy ride and you have guaranteed seats. 

Yep... an elderly MIL, a wife and a little 'un... and lao pek... if it was up to me, I'll go very light... 

[therock]

  kyoto station itself is worth exploring

[therock]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:36 PM, Mkl22 said:

Have not taken the haruka. But this and the airport limo bus is probably your only options. The rest of the trains you will need to change lines. And seems like you are the only guy on the trip. You will be the donkey to carry everything. I just want to say quite impossible for you to manage it all. 
the airport limo is almost doorstep. Yes it makes some stops but it’s a very comfy ride and you have guaranteed seats. 

 

 

I wonder if the train ever gets full and run out of seats...

[teomingern]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:46 PM, therock said:

It's interesting that nursing or even asking for hot water for milk is not always accepted

Bring a stroller is not easy apparently due to the small size of restaurants.. 

Your stroller must be able to fold flat lor... or else leave it outside will do... that's what I do even in Singapore... I think Japan is quite safe?

[teomingern]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:48 PM, therock said:

Thanks bro, I'll bring a sound machine..

My wife wants to bring a portable COT... phew, it weights more than 10kg... I hope she changes her mind.. it's like carrying a GPMG... haha 

 

Seriously? A cot? Don't need lar... sleep on the bed with you both should be pretty comfortable especially if you have a king bed? I can sleep with my wife and 2 kids one on each side of my wife on a king bed pretty comfortably... kids are 2 & 4 years old... probably cos they also sleep with my wife on the bed so they're trained to sleep with us... squeeze a bit, quite cozy lor...

[teomingern]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:46 PM, therock said:

It's interesting that nursing or even asking for hot water for milk is not always accepted

Bring a stroller is not easy apparently due to the small size of restaurants.. 

Oh? Really? But if got nursing rooms then usually should have hot water source right? Anyway my wife breast feeds wherever we went (which is mainly in Singapore due to COVID) including Perth & Malaysia & Cambodia... guess that makes it that much easier... don't need to make up formula milk...

[teomingern]

On 4/28/2023 at 9:01 PM, therock said:

Bros are the station hotels noisy ? Got a baby

Why don't stay one block away? Not that far away (less than 300 m usually) and should get decent insulation from the trains?

[therock]

On 4/30/2023 at 11:52 AM, teomingern said:

Why don't stay one block away? Not that far away (less than 300 m usually) and should get decent insulation from the trains?

I’ve got this hotel within the station courtesy of bro David

free breakfast 

I wanted that onsen ryokan that was recommended previously but this is cheaper and access is good 

well regarded 

 

 

[therock]

I agree it's no joke carrying a little meatball around, especially when the meatball is ever growing..

So I have begun training, and I went to NTUC to get the labor day deal and got two packs of rice and other stuff..

It was not a long walk home, but it's no joke with 10kg of rice and 2kg of apples and other stuff... phew

 

[Mkl22]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:46 PM, therock said:

It's interesting that nursing or even asking for hot water for milk is not always accepted

Bring a stroller is not easy apparently due to the small size of restaurants.. 

you can leave the stroller outside the restaurant. Or fold it and bring inside. To put the baby sleeping in the stroller is not really possible. Unless you are in a big restaurant with plenty of room and seats .else avoid lunch hours and go off peak. 
 

look for those large department stores like taka, isetan, daimaru. They will have a nice baby room to change and likely have hot water. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Mkl22

[Mkl22]

On 4/30/2023 at 8:45 PM, therock said:

I agree it's no joke carrying a little meatball around, especially when the meatball is ever growing..

So I have begun training, and I went to NTUC to get the labor day deal and got two packs of rice and other stuff..

It was not a long walk home, but it's no joke with 10kg of rice and 2kg of apples and other stuff... phew

 

By year end maybe another 1-2kg more. 
bring a light umbrella stroller. 
easy to sling and carry when kid doesn’t want to sit in it but yet handy enough to deploy and have her sleep when she is tired. Worked well for me. When kid was 3-4. 
but maybe your wife will not approve cause not stable and “unsafe” 🤣
 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Mkl22

[therock]

Thanks I have a Britax foldable stroller... 5.1 kg

Even then, I feel like I'm going on a long mission way back when I was in NS / reservist.. 10kg packs on top of the standard full pack, plus extra 5kg of specific gear to my area, and the M16 and your own food for a 4-5 day mission.. 

And that was when I was fit... 

 

In any case, I handed my pack to my wife when I reached home to let her try.. hopefully she comes to her senses and we forego the cot... 

Edited April 30, 2023 by therock

[therock]

 

[teomingern]

On 4/30/2023 at 9:18 PM, therock said:

Thanks I have a Britax foldable stroller... 5.1 kg

Even then, I feel like I'm going on a long mission way back when I was in NS / reservist.. 10kg packs on top of the standard full pack, plus extra 5kg of specific gear to my area, and the M16 and your own food for a 4-5 day mission.. 

And that was when I was fit... 

 

In any case, I handed my pack to my wife when I reached home to let her try.. hopefully she comes to her senses and we forego the cot... 

Ha ha... full battle order... I never had the chance to have a full infantry load... thankfully... always in support arms...

But yeah, I think a large backpack - those like 35 L plus a foldable travel stroller (I use Joie Pact Lite - 5.5 kg) which has a carrying strap and a travel bag, would be more than enough for you. My travel stroller can easily fold/unfold with 1 hand and sling on shoulder or strap around my suitcase handlebar and wheel around... your Britax should be similar to mine and also small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane... and therefore easy to slip under your table or chair in a small restaurant...

[therock]

I have every size of packs.. from a Osprey Daylite plus (18 plus litres) to my training pack Aura 65l to my NS pack the Camelbak BFM which I use for missions.. my CO doesn't mind whatever I use... adding that stroller is tough, unless I jam it into my pack.. 

I might use my wheeled duffel instead of a hardcase, and I need to bring some meds in case, and also eyeball my MIL. Should be a fun mission haha

But Japan is as good a place to start I guess... if NZ wasn't so far away, I'll rather do a driving trip, pick up my car from the airport and go on a road trip.

 Good luck on yours... somehow it seems to be pretty complicated and I like simple. That's why I'm grateful for the suggestions to use Kyoto Station as a base. Worse case we just walk around the mall, plus a little bit of sight-seeing.. 

[therock]

 A friend suggested I attach a GoPro to my kid's jacket and film... any suggestions for a simple model? Haha

[therock]

Britax 👍 

[therock]

FYI tempura makino at great world is nice

their set lunch is good albeit a bit small 

do not eat the Luke’s lobster.. tiny cold and service is worse than macs

skip