Most long-haul routes have a night bus option. You can book seats on Willer and other reputable operators through the company's Japan Bus Lines service. Japan Railways (JR) operates the largest network of highway buses in Japan it tends to be a little pricier than other operators but is reliable and buses tend to depart and arrive at train stations rather than bus stops elsewhere in the city.Ĭheaper operators with large networks include Willer Express. Buses also travel routes that trains don't. They're nowhere near as fast as the shinkansen, but they're significantly cheaper. Japan has a comprehensive network of long-distance buses, connecting the islands of Honshū, Shikoku and Kyūshū. You can find out info about most passes from the relevant JR Railways website ( JR Central, JR East, JR West), though there are passes outside the JR network too.īuses might be slow, but they are great on the purse © bee32 / Getty Images Bus travel is the best budget option There are also passes for specific regions of Japan (Tōhoku Area Pass, Tokyo Wide Pass, etc), for travelers focusing their itinerary on a specific area of the country. The seven-day pass costs around ¥33,700 (approx US$300). The Japan Rail Pass is a popular option, which offers unlimited rides on all JR services over seven, 14, or 21 days. Many visitors to Japan take the option of buying rail passes, which can make train travel in the country cheaper if you are looking to undertake numerous rail trips during your visit. Otherwise, tickets are unreserved, meaning no allocated seat these tickets won’t sell out, but you might find yourself standing if all seats are occupied. Reserved-seat tickets can be bought any time from a month in advance to the day of departure. Seat reservations can only be made for shinkansen (bullet train) services and certain tokkyū (limited express) lines (in which case they are required). Ticket prices are comparable with train fares in Western Europe, with faster services costing more than slow trains. Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) has branches everywhere. Tickets can be purchased from either touch-screen vending machines in major train stations (most have an English function and those for shinkansen journeys accept credit cards), from midori-no-madoguchi, which functions as JR’s in-house travel agency and can be found at major JR stations, or from travel agencies in Japan, which can also often be found within train stations.
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Give yourself plenty of time! How to buy train tickets in Japan The most challenging aspect of riding trains in Japan is navigating the sometimes enormous stations with their multiple routes. Major stations are sign-posted in English, and stops on long-haul trains are announced in English.
There are a couple of sleeper train services still in operation.
In addition to JR services, there is a huge network of private railways, with each large city usually having at least one private train line that services it and the surrounding area. JR runs the famous shinkansen (bullet train) routes, which reach speeds of nearly 320km/h (200mph) as they whizz between Japan’s major cities. The predominant operator is Japan Railways, commonly known as "JR", which is actually a number of distinct rail systems providing one linked service throughout the country. They are fast, efficient, and extremely reliable, and though they are not the cheapest form of transport available, they can get you just about anywhere in the country with minimal stress. Trains are the most popular way for travelers to explore Japan, and arguably the best. Here’s our guide to getting around Japan. But look a little closer and you’ll find this Asian powerhouse is a delight to travel around, whether by train, ferry or using a hired set of wheels. Spread across 7000 islands and dotted with megacities, mountain ranges, and mighty national parks, Japan can appear a little intimidating to explore at first glance.
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