To travel in Japan can be expensive. Very expensive. Too expensive ? If you take into account the price of transportation, of meals, of hostels and of visits, your purse can soon be scared. Kyoto, even though less expensive than Tokyo, obeys the same rules. However, as it is the former Imperial Capital of Japan, with all the treasures that it implies, it is complicated to think of going to Japan without spending some days there. So, how to enjoy your trip without make a hole in your budget ? If I do not say that I have the recipe to make a trip which does not cost anything, I can give you the adress of a hostel which could help you to limit your expenses... Convinient and not so expensive if you compare it with the services it offers, the Econo Inn is quite interesting. On top of offering affordable prices, this little familial hostel is located close to Kyoto Station and is really easy to find, while being very quiet.
For about 3 000 yens a night (30€) per personne, twenty-one Western-style rooms for one, two or three people, and one Japanese-style tatami room for four to eight people, are available. I did not enter the Japanese-style room but I can assert that the Western-style one for three people was clean. Television, yukatas, shampoings or even a hair-dryer (that you have to ask to the reception) were at our disposal... some interesting services for 3 000 yens a night, above all when you know that the price can be reduced: room rates decrease with lenght of stay, more informations on that matter being available for consultation on the website1.
On this latter, you will be able to find an access map. The hostel is located on the road Kawaramachi, at fifteen minutes from Kyoto Station and at around the same time from the famous Gion's district, which is really convinient. Even though adresses and road's names are not always written in Japan, which can sometimes be a problem when you have to find a place, this does not have any effect here as it is really super easy to lay your hands on it: Kawaramachi's road is one of the main streets of Kyoto and the neon sign of the hostel, blue and bright, can be seen from very far. Moreover, check-in time (from 3 p.m.) and check-out time (until 11 a.m.) are wide and so really convinient... while there is not any curfew when you are in possession of the keys: the entrance is open 24 hours on 24.
According to the asked price, it is not served any dinner or breakfast, but coffee and tea are available in the hall. This room, divided between the reception and some tables, allows you to settle there to eat, discuss, watch the television, which is almost always on, or also surf on the internet. A computer connected on the web is freely available 24 hours on 24. It is finally interesting to notice that it is also possible to access internet from the rooms on your own laptop: there is the Wifi in the hostel and you only have to ask for the code at the reception to be able to access the network.
The available services are quite numerous and always delivered with a smile. This is an old couple of Japanese people who holds this hostel, sometimes assisted by some students. This must be their part-time job as it is the norm in Japan for most of the students. Always ready to do service, you can ask either a pen, an information, an umbrella or even the possibility of letting your bagages before the check-in time or after the check-out time without disturbing them: smiles are always there. And this is even better if you can speak some words of Japanese... even if it is also possible to talk to them in an easy English. Their English is quite weak but enough to obtain basical informations. Besides, the website is either in Japanese and in English and my friends, from France, did not encounter any difficulty while reserving through it.2
To conclude, this little hostel is highly recommended to those who, despite of a small budget, want to enjoy an agreable stay in Kyoto and a welcome as warm.
POULAT Marièke
*****
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