Tokyo, Japan is undoubtedly one of the most popular travel destination. As you explore this bustling capital city of Japan, you would need to plan out how to get around in Tokyo. In most destinations, the use of public transportation is not quite favoured by tourists because they tend to cause delays, but this should not be something you need to worry about in Tokyo. The Tokyo public transportation is well known for its very efficient and fast service. Here’s a guide to the Tokyo city's transportation to help you understand the easy and quick ways to get around in Tokyo during your stay.
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Shinkansen
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In this extremely fast-paced city, trains are the most efficient and fastest ways of getting around Tokyo. With several competing operators, newcomers to the city might find this transport system a bit complicated. This comes to no surprise as it has been recorded that over 40 million passengers travel via this way on a daily basis.
If you plan to use trains as your main method of traveling across the city during your holiday in Tokyo, you should get an
unlimited-travel day ticket, which is quite affordable and is available at the station counters. But if you're having a long holiday in Tokyo, using
prepaid IC cards would be the most practical method as you don't have to constantly queue to get tickets. Also, you can use them to pay for your snacks at convenience stores when you run out of cash.
It is best to avoid the weekday rush hour between 8-9 am. As most of the stations have several exits, look out for yellow signboards which would indicate which exit you should take to reach popular landmarks or ask the staff at tickets gates for assistance.
Tokyo Metro (Subway)
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The subway system is by far one of the easiest and quick ways to get around in Tokyo. Shared between two main subway operators
Tokyo Metro and
Toei, these lines are efficient, state-of-the-art, clean, and quite easy to use. There are tourist information centres at the stations that can help you determine the fare to where you want to go, and tickets can be purchased from vending machines.
Pasmo and
Suica contact-less payment cards can be used as a form of payment for the Subway ride. Here too you might want to avoid the morning and evening rush hours where the wagons tend to get packed.
Bus
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The bus system is a good mode of getting around Tokyo especially to stops like
Roppongi to
Shimbashi that are hard to reach via subway. Fares are quite cheap and often cost around 200
yen. You can even get yourself a Pasmo or Suica contact-less payment cards and use them for your rides just like the Tokyo Metro. Since most of the buses don’t have signs in English, it would be best to plan your route out in advance. There is also the Tokyo Shitamachi Bus that takes a fixed route covering main sightseeing locations like
Nihombashi's Mitsukoshi Department Store,
Akihabara and
Ueno Park.
Tokyo Water Bus
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You can use public transport in Tokyo to reach almost all tourist destinations in the city by land, but there are a few sites in
Tokyo Bay and
Sumida River that are best to explore by
Tokyo's Water Bus. The Water Bus provides an exciting alternative mode of transportation between destinations that are closer to the waters. There is a total of 6 lines to explore and the duration of each trip differ. Ticket prices range from 250 to 1560 yen depending on the destination. The Water Bus is without a doubt, a relaxing way to witness the splendour of Tokyo from afar.
Taxi
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In an extremely busy city such as this, taxis have become an almost essential method of transport, especially during rush hours. The cost of the first 2 kilometres is about 600-700 yen and about 100 yen per kilometre after that. Since most of the taxis run with a meter you can expect to be fairly charged. Drivers are not very fluent in English but most taxis have GPS units that will help you navigate through the complex streets. Even though it is more expensive, traditional taxis are still preferred to private-hire cars that offer ride-sharing options through mobile applications.
Traditional means of transport
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In this technologically driven city, you might also want to try out some of the more traditional means of transport like the 'Jinrikisha’ or the Japanese rickshaw. You can catch one of these rides in the popular tourist stop
Asakusa.
