Best Of

It has been my experience that the agent at the ticket counter has always advised whether or not my luggage is checked through to my final destination.

The farewell cocktail reception and dinner were very nice and memorable, and I would not have wanted to miss that experience. We had a 6:50 a.m. flight on JAL to Haneda from KIX, which is further from Kyoto than ITM, so we had an early start. I slept well on the overseas flight.

Because both of your flights are on one airline, you should be able to check your luggage through to Dulles. I do recall that we had to take a shuttle bus to a different terminal at Haneda. A review of the airport website may be helpful.

I always ask this question when I check my bag on flight #1:
Will my bag be checked through to my destination?

(edited for typo)

For the Kyoto free afternoon, options are: 1. walk back from Gion which will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes unless you are fit and athletic. Significant cobblestone, uphill and downhill, opportunity of getting lost, crowded sidewalk and crossing busy streets.; 2. National Musuem, admission is separate, 5 minutes walk from the hotel; 3. drop off at downtown for shopping, need to take a taxi back.

Hello MM Walsh, I was just speaking to a Tauck agent this morning and suggested that they need to be much more specific and descriptive about their activity levels. I am recently back from a trip, a level 3, where half the group opted for the elevator where available for one long flight of stairs.
I suggest you offer Tauck your writing services! Excellent description, thanks.

I think everyone had the same type of room at the Onsen. No, we did not share bathrooms. Yes, everyone had futons.
I enjoyed the traditional dinner at the Onsen. I liked some dishes better than others.
Several people in our group had food restrictions, including no fish. And they were accommodated throughout the tour, including at the Onsen.

British - We have been on two previous tours where alcohol was included and never experienced anybody drinking "huge" amounts. Tauck tours are not exactly budget, so considering the cost they should include the option as they did on our previous two tours.