Getting around · Tokyo · Japan
Getting around Tokyo
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Tokyo's rail network — JR lines including the Yamanote loop, 13 subway lines run by Tokyo Metro and Toei, and private railways — reaches almost everywhere, with trains every few minutes. A rechargeable IC card such as Suica or PASMO works on all of them, as well as on buses and in convenience stores. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Train
- Airports
- HND, NRT
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Suica and PASMO
Ways to get around
Train
The JR Yamanote line loops around central Tokyo, linking Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Tokyo Station, Akihabara and Ueno in about an hour for the full circle, with trains every few minutes.
Check the exit number before you surface; at big stations the wrong exit can add 10 minutes on foot.
Metro
Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines are colour-coded and numbered, with station names and announcements in English. Last trains run around midnight.
Avoid the morning rush, roughly 7:30–9:30am, when carriages are packed; some carriages are women-only at that time.
Walking
Neighbourhoods such as Asakusa, Yanaka, Harajuku and Ginza are best explored on foot, with wide pavements and clear signage.
Taxi
Taxis are clean and metered, with automatic rear doors that open and close for you. Apps such as GO book licensed taxis.
Bus
Buses fill the gaps between rail lines; in central Tokyo most Toei buses charge a flat fare, paid with your IC card when boarding at the front.
Cycling
Red docomo bike-share bikes are available across many central wards via an app, useful for the flat districts along the Sumida River.
Boat
Water buses on the Sumida River link Asakusa with Hama-rikyu garden and Odaiba, a scenic alternative to the train.
Tickets and passes
Suica and PASMO
Rechargeable IC cards, also available in phone wallets, that work on trains, subways and buses and in convenience stores; visitors can buy a Welcome Suica valid for 28 days.
Tokyo Subway Ticket
A 24-, 48- or 72-hour pass for all Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines, sold to visitors; it does not cover JR lines such as the Yamanote.
Japan Rail Pass
The nationwide pass now mainly pays off on long multi-city trips with several shinkansen journeys; compare it with individual tickets before buying.
From the airport
From Haneda, the Keikyu line reaches Shinagawa in about 15 minutes and the Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho in about 15–20 minutes. From Narita, the Keisei Skyliner reaches Ueno in about 45 minutes and the Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station in about an hour. Limousine buses serve major hotels from both airports.
Do you need a car?
No. Trains and subways reach everywhere, traffic is heavy and parking is very expensive. A car only helps in rural areas such as around Mount Fuji's lakes or Nikko.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Kamakura | About 1 hour by train | JR Yokosuka line from Tokyo Station or Shinagawa |
| Hakone | About 1 hour 30 minutes by train | Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto |
| Nikko | About 2 hours by train | Tobu limited express from Asakusa, or shinkansen and JR via Utsunomiya |
| Lake Kawaguchiko and Mount Fuji | About 2 hours by bus or train | Express bus from Shinjuku, or train via Otsuki on the Fuji Kyuko line |
| Yokohama | About 30 minutes by train | JR lines from Tokyo Station, or the Tokyu Toyoko line from Shibuya |
| Kawagoe | About 30–60 minutes by train | Tobu Tojo line from Ikebukuro, or Seibu line from Seibu-Shinjuku |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | About 15 minutes by train from Tokyo Station | JR Keiyo line to Maihama |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Tokyo?
No. Trains and subways reach everywhere, traffic is heavy and parking is very expensive. A car only helps in rural areas such as around Mount Fuji's lakes or Nikko.
+How do you get from the airport to Tokyo?
From Haneda, the Keikyu line reaches Shinagawa in about 15 minutes and the Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho in about 15–20 minutes. From Narita, the Keisei Skyliner reaches Ueno in about 45 minutes and the Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station in about an hour. Limousine buses serve major hotels from both airports.
+What is the best way to get around Tokyo?
Train: The JR Yamanote line loops around central Tokyo, linking Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Tokyo Station, Akihabara and Ueno in about an hour for the full circle, with trains every few minutes.