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Good
morning. Welcome to this week's edition of 'The
Travel Programme' and welcome to Christine Oteng,
our travel expert!
Good morning, Lucy.
Well, Christine statistics from the lnternational
Tourist Office show that Japan is the 'in' destination
at the moment for holidays.
That doesn't surprise me. Japan's a fascinating
country!
Yes, I'm sure it is but tourists do worry about
high prices in Japan.
lt's true, Japan can be expensive but there
are ways to save money, visitors can save on
accommodation for example.
What do you have in mind?
Well, I'm thinking of capsule hotels.
There are lots of them in Tokyo and in other
Japanese cities.
What on earth is a capsule hotel?
lt's a low budget hotel.
lt doesn't have bedrooms, instead it has capsules!
You sleep in a capsule, this is a plastic box
two metres long, one metre wide and one metre
high.
lncredible! lt sounds like a coffin!
Yes, but they're more comfortable than a coffin!
There's everything you need: a bed, a control
panel for the light and heating, or air-conditioning,
a small TV near your feet, a radio and an alarm
clock.
Don't tell me, there's a shower too!
Yes, there is a shower, but not in the capsule
though!
You share showers and toilet facilities with
the other guests.
And how much does it cost?
About 25 euros a night.
Capsule hotels are really for office workers
who miss their trains home at night, but tourists
can sleep there too.
Amazing and only 25 euros!
Do you think that an idea like that could work
in Europe?
Absolutely! ln fact there's at least one capsule
hotel already in London.
Does it have capsules too?
No, it doesn't. There are traditional rooms,
but they're very small, they're about seven
square metres.
Many of them don't have a window and there isn't
a wardrobe, just two coat hangers!
You need to pay extra to watch TV and to have
your room cleaned.
But there is a double-bed, and an en-suite bathroom
with a shower, toilet and washbasin.
And how much does it cost in London?
A room costs about 40 euros a night, but if
there's a lot of demand the room can cost more.
You see, the hotel uses the concept of low cost
flights, and the earlier you book the cheaper
it is.
So... if you book at the last minute you pay
more.
That's it!
Well, there are some interesting travel ideas
there.
lf you're looking for a cheap place to stay
in central London, you could try a capsule hotel.
But remember to book early!
On the other hand, if you're visiting Tokyo,
why not spend a night in one of those capsules?
It'll certainly be an unusual experience and
you'll save some money too.
Thanks Christine!
lt's a pleasure, goodbye.
And goodbye to all our travellers!
See you next week.
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