Getting Around Tokyo: Transport Tips and Advice
- Tokyo Information
- Eating & drinking in Tokyo
- Night life in Tokyo
- Getting around in Tokyo
- Things to do in Tokyo
- Where to stay in Tokyo
- Tokyo street map
For travelers just arrived in Japan, the fastest way of getting to the city from Tokyo Narita Airport is by the Narita Express, with Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Yokohama all under an hour away.
Within the city itself, Tokyo has an efficient bus network which picks up at most train stations. Destinations are printed on the front (helpfully in Roman characters!) and a flat fare is paid upon boarding. Alternatively, a one-day Tokyo Combination ticket can be used on the subway and JR railway lines, as well as TOEI buses.
Unfortunately, there are no night buses, so visitors staying out late may have to take a taxi. And taxis in Japan, while obscenely expensive during the day, then proceed to get even more so at night!
The iconic Bullet Train is undoubtedly the best option for getting in and out of the city: it’s fast, efficient and, despite initially seeming complicated, fairly simple to navigate the eight main colored lines.
Several different companies own the train lines, so take care to identify the correct one when purchasing tickets from the vending machines inside the stations. Day passes offering unlimited travel are fairly cheap and services run from 5am until midnight.