Narita Airport→Tokyo Station
Narita Express (N'EX)
Most direct to the city centre · fully covered by JR Pass
JAPAN TRANSPORT
Getting around Japan
The routes visitors use most, with times, fares and a clear answer on whether the JR Pass covers them — data checked on 2026-08-08
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Read first: Fares and times are approximate as of the check date
and may change with the season, seat class and operator price changes.
Before you travel, please use the Live timetable button on each route to confirm again.
A note on Hyperdia: Hyperdia closed its timetable search on 1 Apr 2022 we now recommend Google Maps, Jorudan or NAVITIME instead.
A note on Hyperdia: Hyperdia closed its timetable search on 1 Apr 2022 we now recommend Google Maps, Jorudan or NAVITIME instead.
✈️ Airport → city
The first route everyone takes — know it before you land
Narita Airport→Shinjuku
Narita Express (N'EX)
Same train as to Tokyo Station, but runs ~30 min further
Narita Airport→Ueno / Nippori
Keisei Skyliner
Faster and cheaper than the N’EX, but drops you northeast — transfer to the Yamanote
Haneda Airport→Hamamatsucho
Tokyo Monorail
Cheap and very fast — transfer to the Yamanote right at Hamamatsucho
Haneda Airport→Shinjuku
Monorail + JR
Nearly 3 times cheaper than the limousine bus (bus ~1,400 yen, 40–60 min)
Kansai Airport→Kyoto
JR Haruka
Direct to Kyoto, no transfers
Kansai Airport→Shin-Osaka
JR Haruka
Transfer here to the Shinkansen for other cities
Kansai Airport→Tennoji
JR Haruka
Cheapest of the Haruka stops, close to Shinsekai
🚄 Between major cities
Shinkansen and limited express — where the JR Pass does or does not pay off
Tokyo→Kyoto
Shinkansen Nozomi
Fastest · JR Pass holders pay ~4,960 yen extra
Tokyo→Kyoto
Shinkansen Hikari
~27 min slower than the Nozomi, but the JR Pass covers it with no extra fee
Shin-Osaka→Hiroshima
Shinkansen Sakura
Sakura is covered by the JR Pass at no extra cost (Nozomi/Mizuho are 5 min faster but cost extra)
Osaka→Kanazawa
Thunderbird + Hokuriku Shinkansen
One transfer at Tsuruga
Kyoto→Osaka
JR Special Rapid
Cheap and very frequent — no Shinkansen needed
⛰️ Day trips out of town (round trip in a day)
Leave the big city in the morning, back by evening with time to spare
Shinjuku→Kawaguchiko (Fuji)
Fuji Excursion (direct)
Direct train, no transfer · JR Pass covers only the JR leg (to Otsuki); the Fujikyu leg costs extra
Shinjuku→Hakone (Odawara)
Odakyu Romancecar
E-tickets are slightly cheaper (~2,420) · JR Pass not valid — use the Hakone Free Pass instead
Tokyo→Nikko
JR (transfer at Utsunomiya)
Or take the Tobu from Asakusa — cheaper, but no JR Pass
Kyoto→Nara
JR Miyakoji Rapid
Kintetsu is faster (35 min, 1,280 yen) but the JR Pass is not valid
Hiroshima→Miyajima
JR Sanyo + ferry
JR Pass covers both the train and the JR ferry (island visitor tax not included)
🚇 City trains
Fares are distance-based, so there is no single price — look at a day pass instead
Tokyo
Tokyo Subway Ticket
24 hrs / 48 hrs / 72 hrs
Unlimited rides on Tokyo Metro + Toei
Buy at the airport or participating shops; passport required · JR lines (Yamanote) not covered
Tokyo
Yamanote Line
Distance-based fare / JR Pass valid
A loop around the city centre, 30 stations
The line tourists use most — through Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno, Tokyo and Akihabara · View details →
Osaka
Osaka Amazing Pass
1 day / 2 days
Subway + buses + free entry to over 40 attractions
Great value if you see several spots in one day
Osaka
Osaka Loop Line
Distance-based fare / JR Pass valid
A loop around Osaka, like the Yamanote
Through Osaka, Tennoji and Tsuruhashi · change at Nishikujo for USJ
Kyoto
Kyoto Subway & Bus Pass
1 day
Kyoto subway + city buses
Kyoto runs mainly on buses — many sights have no train access