Tokyo Travel Guide - Getting Around

Train: the train and subway system in Tokyo is busy and often confusing for the first-timer, but there are some basics that will help you along. The Yamanote Line is basically the key: a railroad that runs a ring around the outside of central Tokyo that stops at stations connecting farther out and beyond the capital.

Within this central district and connecting to the Yamanote line is the tangled subway network with a huge number of stations. Various smart cards are available for repeated travel on the train system including the PASMO and Suica cards where you can fill your card up with credit after paying an initial deposit – the cheapest way to travel in the city.

Bus: the Tokyo bus network is not as comprehensive or as fast as the more convenient train system. Still, buses are handy in certain areas if you know the route, which can be difficult – the language problem and lack of clear route maps usually causes Tokyo virgins major problems. Prices, however, are reasonable with fixed-price tickets on a one-way trip usually costing a couple of hundred yen.

Bicycle: cyclists are a common sight in Tokyo despite the traffic and lack of bicycle lanes. The fact is though that riding a bike around the city is much less expensive for students and young people in particular. Central Tokyo is relatively flat but once you get out, things can get hilly.