Travel information: overview

Getting to Tokyo by air

Two airports serve Tokyo. Most overseas flights arrive at Narita International Airport, which is nearly 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Tokyo and well served by rail and bus links to the city. It's less likely that you’ll arrive at Haneda International Airport, closer to the city and to the south, which handles mainly internal flights.

Narita International Airport

Flight information 0476 34 5000

Website: www.narita-airport.jp/en/

Haneda International Airport

Flight information 03 5757 8111

Website: www.tokyo-airport-bldg.co.jp/

Getting from the airports

Narita

The Narita Express train (050 2016 1603, www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex), run by Japan Railways (JR), is the fastest way to get into Tokyo from Narita, but it’s also the most expensive. All Narita Express trains go to Tokyo station (2,940), with some also serving Shinjuku (3,110), Ikebukuro (3,110), Omiya (3,740) and Yokohama (4,180). Trains depart every 30 to 40 minutes, and seats can be reserved up to a month in advance.

The Keisei Skyliner (Narita 0476 32 8505, Ueno 3831 0989, www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/keisei_us/top.html), operated by a private rail company, is a cheaper option. Trains on this line will take you into Ueno or Nippori station (¥1,920) in around an hour. Cheaper still is a Keisei limited express (tokkyu), a regular train that makes a few stops on its 75-minute route to Ueno station (¥1,000).

Limousine buses (3665 7220, www.limousinebus.co.jp) also run regularly to various key points and certain hotels in the city. There are ticket counters inside the arrivals halls near the exits of both terminals 1 and 2; the buses depart from just outside. Fares are ¥3,000.

Taxis are recommended only for those with bottomless wallets: they cost from ¥30,000 and are often slower than the train.

Haneda

Haneda is served by the Tokyo Monorail (http://www.tokyo-monorail. co.jp), which leaves every five to ten minutes from 5.01am to 11.50pm, linking up to Hamamatsucho station (¥470) on the Yamanote line in a little over 20 minutes. The Keikyu line (5789 8686, www.keikyu.co.jp) can take you to Shinagawa, also on the Yamanote line, in 19 minutes (¥400). From here you can link up with major JR lines.

Limousine buses to central Tokyo cost in the region of ¥1,000, depending on which part of the city you want to go to. A taxi will cost a minimum of ¥6,000.

Getting to Tokyo by train

Most of Japan’s vast and efficient rail network is run by Japan Railways (JR). One of the fastest but most expensive ways to travel Japan’s elongated countryside is by shinkansen (bullet train), which travels at speeds up to 270 kilometres (168 miles) per hour. Tickets can be purchased at JR reservation ‘Green Window’ areas or travel agents, or online at www.world.eki-net.com/. Call the JR East Infoline for information in English.

Trains depart from different stations depending on destination; most leave from Tokyo or Ueno stations. Slower, cheaper trains go to many destinations. Marks on the train platforms show where the numbered carriages will stop. Most carriages have reserved seats only (reservations cost extra), but some carriages are set aside for unreserved seating on each train. Arrive early if you want to sit down.

Getting to Tokyo by coach

Long-distance buses provide one of the cheapest ways to travel through Japan, although anyone over 5ft 6in (168cm) may find the seats cramped and lacking in legroom. Most of these buses leave at midnight and arrive early the next morning; all are air-conditioned and have ample space for luggage. Seats can be reserved through a travel agent. Long-distance buses are run by the railway companies; JR trains and Private train lines.

Public transport

Tokyo has one of the most efficient train and subway systems in the world: in the rare event of delays in the morning rush, staff give out apology slips for workers to show their bosses. Services are fast, clean, safe, reliable and – with a little thought and the right map – remarkably easy to use. Almost all stations have signs in English, and signs telling you which exit to take. Subways and train lines are colour-coded.

Subways and trains operate from 5am to around midnight (JR lines slightly later). Rush hours are 7.30-9.30am and 5-7pm, and the last train of the day can be extremely uncomfortable.

Tokyo’s rail network is run by several different companies, and changing trains between competing systems can mean paying for two tickets. Transfer tickets are usually available to take you from one line to another, but cost the same as buying two separate tickets and can be tricky to figure out. To simplify things, it’s a good idea to get a pair of prepaid travel passes. Armed with a Suica and a Passnet (see below Tickets & passes), you can ride on any regular train in Tokyo.

The user-friendly www.jorudan.co.jp is in English and allows you to type in your starting point and destination to learn routes, times and prices. For a map showing the (huge) rail and subway network across Greater Tokyo.

JR trains

Overland trains in Tokyo are operated by Japan Railways East(www.jreast.co.jp/e), part of the main JR group. It’s impossible to stay in Tokyo for more than a few hours without using JR’s Yamanote line, the loop that defines the city centre – and with which all Tokyo’s subway and rail lines link at some point (for connections at each station on the loop). The main stations on theYamanote line (colour-coded green) are Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Shinagawa. It’s very foreigner-friendly, with an info line in English and information centres at major stations (look for the question mark symbol) that offer help in English.

JR’s other major lines in Tokyo are: Chuo (orange), Sobu (yellow), Saikyo (turquoise) and Keihin Tohoku (blue). Because of its notoriety for gropers (chikan), the insanely crowded Saikyo line offers women-only cars during peak hours.

JR East Infoline

050 2016 1603

Open 10am-6pm daily

Subways

There are 12 subway lines in Tokyo. Most are run by Tokyo Metro (3941 2004 9am-9pm daily, (http://www.tokyometro.jp/e), formerly the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (Eidan). Its eight colour-coded lines are: Chiyoda (dark green), Ginza (orange), Hanzomon (purple), Hibiya (grey), Marunouchi (red), Nanboku (light green), Tozai (turquoise) and Yurakucho (yellow), which includes New Yurakucho (brown), called Shin-Sen in Japanese. Four – slightly pricier – subway lines are run by the metropolitan government, Toei (3816 5700 9am-7pm daily, www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/). They are: Asakusa (pale pink), Mita (blue), Oedo (bright pink) and Shinjuku (green). If transferring from Tokyo Metro to Toei trains, buying a transfer ticket is ¥70 cheaper than buying separate tickets. Subway maps posted in stations are in Japanese. For a subway map in English check out the Tokyo Metro website; you can also get one at tourist offices.

Private train lines

Tokyo’s private railway lines mainly ferry commuters to the outlying districts of the city. Because most were founded by companies that also run department stores, they usually terminate inside, or next to, one of their branches. The major private lines are run by Keio (http://www.keio.co.jp/), Odakyu (http://www.odakyu.jp/), Seibu (http://www.seibu-group.co.jp/railways/), Tobu (http://www.tobuland.com/), Tokyu (http://www.tokyu.co.jp/), Keisei (http://www.keisei.co.jp/) and Keikyu (www.keikyu.co.jp/). You can pick up a full map showing all lines and subways from the airport information counter on arrival. Keio lines offer women-only cars during peak hours: look for the pink window stickers (or the hundreds of grinning faces in the train if you’ve if you’re a man and have entered by mistake).

Tickets & passes

Standard tickets

Standard single tickets for adults (under-12s pay half-price, under-sixes travel free) can be bought at automatic ticket machines at any station. Many machines feature a symbol saying which notes they accept. Touch-screen ticket machines can display information in English, but should you be unsure of your destination (or unable to read it from the Japanese map), buy a ticket for the minimum fare (¥160) and settle up in a fare adjustment machine (or window) at your destination. These machines, usually bright yellow, are found just before the exit barriers of all stations. Travellers with incorrect tickets do not have to pay punitive fines.

Transferring from one line to another, provided it is run by the same operator, will be covered by the price of your ticket. If your journey involves transferring from one network to another, you will have to buy a transfer ticket (if available) or buy another ticket at the transfer point.

If you’re in town for any length of time you’re better off buying a travel pass.

Suica

Suica is a prepaid travel pass issued by JR, distinctive for its bright green colour and penguin logo. It can be used on all JR lines. It contains an integrated circuit detected at ticket gates when the pass is swiped over the right point. The minimum fare is automatically deducted from your balance on entry to the station, with the balance being picked up on exit at your destination. Suica cards can be purchased at JR ‘Green Window’ areas or at JR ticket machines. A card costs ¥2,000, including a ¥500 returnable deposit. Credit on the card can be topped up at ticket machines (up to ¥10,000).

With a Suica card you don’t have to queue, nor do you have to try to find your destination station on a map in order to work out the required fare – you just walk up to the gates and go through. You can also use it for purchases at most station kiosks, some vending machines and the occasional shop.

Frequent travel tickets

There’s a huge variety of frequent travel tickets available, from prepaid cards to 11-for-the-price-of-ten trip tickets. There are also combination tickets and one-day passes for one, two or three networks. For more details in English, call the JR East Infoline.

PASMO

The pink and silver PASMO card is similar to the Suica card, and can be topped up at most stations. PASMO can be used on subways and buses.

JRPasses

The Japan Rail Pass (www.japanrailpass.net/) provides for virtually unlimited travel on the entire national JR network, including shinkansen and all JR lines in Tokyo, including the Yamanote line. It cannot, however, be used on the new ‘Nozomi’ super-express shinkansen. It costs from ¥28,300 for seven days, about the same price as a middle-distance shinkansen return ticket. It’s essential if you’re planning to travel much around Japan.

The JRPass is available only to visitors from abroad travelling under the entry status of ‘temporary visitor’, and must be purchased before coming to Japan. You buy an Exchange Order abroad, which is then changed into a pass on arrival in Japan at an exchange office (you’ll need to show your passport).

JR East, which runs trains in and around Tokyo, has its own version of the pass , which costs from ¥20,000 for five days. If you are not intending to travel beyond the JREast area (Tokyo and the area to the north and east), this makes a sensible choice. The same conditions apply.

Exchange Orders can be bought at overseas offices of the Japan Travel Bureau International, Nippon Travel Agency, Kinki Nippon Tourist, Tokyu Tourist Corporation and other associated local travel agents, or at an overseas Japan Airlines office if you’re travelling by Japan Airlines. Check the Japan Rail Pass website for overseas locations.

Buses

Like the trains, buses in Tokyo are run by several companies. Travelling by bus can be confusing if you’re new to Japan, as signs are rarely in English. Toei and Keio bus fares cost ¥200, other buses are ¥210 – no matter what the distance (half-price for kids). Get on the bus at the front and off at the back. Drop the exact fare into the slot in front of the driver. If you don’t have it, use the change machine, usually to the right, which will deduct your fare from the money. Fare machines accept ¥50, ¥100 and ¥500 coins and ¥1,000 notes. Stops are usually announced by a pre-recorded voice. A Toei bus route guide in English is available at Toei subway stations and hotels.

Tokyo Bus Association

5360 7111

Website: www.tokyobus.or.jp

The website and phone line provide information on all bus routes within and leaving Tokyo, in Japanese only.

Taxis

Taxi fares begin at ¥710 for the first two kilometres; then ¥100 for every 350 metres. Prices rise at weekends and between 11pm and 5am. Stands are located near stations, most hotels, department stores and major intersections. Tipping is not expected.

Hinomaru Limousine

Ark Hills Mori Bldg, 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku

3212 0505 24 hrs

Website: www.hinomaru.co.jp

Roppongi-Itchome station (Chiyoda line), exit 3.

Stretch limos and the like.

Cycling

The bicycle remains the most common form of local transport in Tokyo, but unattended bikes should always be locked as these, along with umbrellas, are the only things that get stolen in Japan. Areas in and around stations are usually no-parking zones for bikes, a rule that locals gleefully ignore, but which can result in your bike being impounded.

Some hotels will loan bicycles to guests.

Driving

Rental costs for garages are equivalent to those for small apartments in Tokyo, so if you rent a car you will have to pay astronomical parking fees (usually around ¥100 for 30 minutes, more in the centre). If you do decide to hire a car, you'll need an international driving licence backed up by at least six months' driving experience. English-speaking rental assistance is available at many of the large hotels as well as at the airport.

The Japan Automobile Federation (http://www.jaf.or.jp/) publishes a ‘Rules of the Road' guide (¥1,000) in English. Request one from their Shiba branch office: 2-2-17 Shiba, Minato-ku (6833 9100). A Metropolitan Expressway map in English is available from the Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation (www.shutoko.jp/).

If you want to drive outside the capital (which is definitely a much safer option than driving in the capital), JR offers rail and car rental packages. Call the JR East Infoline for details.

Toyota Rent-a-lease

Narita International Airport Terminals 1 & 2

0476 32 1020 / fax 0476 32 1088

Website: rent.toyota.co.jp

Open 7am-10pm daily.

Other locations: throughout the city.

Walking

Tokyo is great for walking. There are no no-go areas, and the whole place is 99.9 per cent safe 24 hours a day. Walking is the best way to discover the hidden nooks and crannies that exist in nearly every district. The Tokyo TIC offers information on free walking tours of parts of Tokyo.

The worst thing about walking in Tokyo is the crowds. Because it's so safe and so crowded, Japanese people have a different sense of personal space than inhabitants of many Western cities, and are often unaware of what's going on behind them. This results in colossal ‘people jams'. People also tend to walk at speeds associated with village fêtes rather than capital cities, sometimes while sending mail from their mobiles; be prepared to experience some frustration.

Time Out Tokyo Guide (5th edition published in 2007)