- ✓Tokyo is enormous but easy once a few basics click: get an IC card on arrival, learn to read your station's exit numbers, and let the apps do the route-finding.
- ✓The single most useful thing you can do is tap-to-ride with a Suica or PASMO IC card — it works across almost every train, subway and bus and saves you buying paper tickets.
- ✓Most days you will never touch a rail pass: Tokyo's network is run by several companies, so a pay-as-you-go IC card usually beats a pass unless you have a specific heavy-travel day.
- ✓From the airports, choose your transfer by where you are sleeping — Narita and Haneda each have several routes, and the best one depends on your neighbourhood and arrival time.
- ✓Carry some cash, expect quiet trains and clean streets, and know the last train (終電 shūden) cut-off — it shapes more Tokyo evenings than anything else.
- ✓Every topic below has its own deep guide; this page is the map of them, so start here and follow the link to whatever you are actually deciding.
How to use this page
Tokyo rewards a little preparation. It is one of the largest, most layered cities on earth — thousands of train stations, dozens of distinct districts, several rail companies sharing the same map — and yet, with a handful of basics in place, it is one of the easiest big cities in the world to move around. This hub gathers the practical decisions a first trip throws at you and points you to the guide that answers each one properly, so you can plan in the order your trip actually unfolds: arrive, get moving, pay for things, and find your way through the giant stations without stress.
Our advice throughout is evergreen and decision-focused. We do not quote hard fares, exact opening hours or prices, because those change and we would rather you trust the page — anything volatile is flagged 'verify before you go' or left to the facts card on the relevant guide. What stays true is the shape of the system and the smart way to use it, and that is what these guides are for.
Getting around: trains, subways, IC cards and passes
Transport is where most Tokyo questions live, and it is genuinely simple once two ideas land. First, the rail map is run by more than one company — the JR East lines (above all the Yamanote loop), the Tokyo Metro and Toei subways, and several private railways — but you do not need to understand the corporate map to ride; a single IC card and a routing app handle the seams for you. Second, you tap in and tap out with that card and the fare is calculated automatically, so you almost never buy a paper ticket.
That makes the pass question easy too: because the network is split between companies, no single pass covers everything, and for most visitors pay-as-you-go on an IC card is the simplest and often cheapest choice. Passes earn their keep only on specific heavy-travel days or trips. Start with the getting-around overview, then go deeper on the train and metro system, the IC card itself, and — only if you think you'll travel a lot in one day — the subway pass.
- Get a Suica or PASMO IC card on arrival and tap in/out — it works on almost all trains, subways and buses.
- The network is multi-company (JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei, private lines); apps stitch the routes together for you.
- Most visitors don't need a rail pass — pay-as-you-go usually wins unless you have a heavy-travel day.
- Mind the last train (終電 shūden): trains stop around midnight, so check your route home before a late night out.
Getting Around TokyoHow the whole system fits together without rail-map overwhelm.
Tokyo Trains & Metro GuideJR, Metro, Toei and private lines explained — transfers, rush hour, exits and the last-train cut-off.
Suica & PASMO in TokyoThe tap-to-ride IC card: physical vs mobile, where to buy and top up, and how it also pays at konbini.
Tokyo Subway Pass GuideWhen a 24/48/72-hour subway pass beats an IC card — and the JR lines it doesn't cover.
From the airport into the city
Tokyo has two airports, and the right transfer depends entirely on where you are staying and when you land. Narita (NRT) sits well east of the city and is served by fast trains — the Narita Express and the Keisei Skyliner — as well as buses and taxis. Haneda (HND) is much closer in, with the Tokyo Monorail, the Keikyu line, buses and taxis. There is no single 'best' route; there is the best route to your neighbourhood, which is why we compare them by destination, luggage and arrival time rather than naming a winner.
If you land late, this matters more: the last connections of the night and the trade-off with a taxi or an airport hotel are real decisions, and the airport guides walk through them. Sort your first ride before you fly so you step off the plane knowing exactly which platform or bus stop you want.
- Narita is far east of the city (Narita Express, Skyliner, buses, taxi); Haneda is close in (Monorail, Keikyu, buses, taxi).
- Choose by where you're sleeping and what time you land — not by a single 'fastest' headline.
- Late arrival? Weigh the last train against a taxi or a night at an airport hotel before you commit.
Narita Airport to TokyoNarita Express vs Skyliner vs bus vs taxi, by neighbourhood, luggage and late arrivals.
Haneda Airport to TokyoMonorail, Keikyu, bus and taxi from the close-in airport — including late-night options.
Narita vs Haneda TransfersA side-by-side decision guide when you're choosing flights or comparing both airports.
Money, internet and the everyday basics
Tokyo is increasingly card- and IC-friendly, but it is still a city where a little cash is wise — small restaurants, shrines, markets and some machines remain cash-first, and convenience-store (konbini) ATMs are the reliable way to withdraw yen. Your IC card doubles as a tap-to-pay wallet at konbini, vending machines and many shops, which is part of why getting one early is the best first move. Tipping is not customary anywhere, and tax-free shopping is available to visitors at many stores with your passport.
For staying online, decide before you arrive: an eSIM, a pocket WiFi rental, roaming or a local SIM each suit different travellers, and our guide sorts them by device and group size. Then read up on etiquette and a few survival phrases — Tokyo is forgiving of visitors, but knowing the quiet-train norm, how queues and escalators work, and a handful of Japanese words makes everything smoother.
- Carry some cash and use konbini ATMs for yen; tipping is not expected anywhere.
- Your IC card is also a tap-to-pay wallet at konbini, vending machines and many shops.
- Sort your data before you fly — eSIM, pocket WiFi, roaming or a local SIM, by device and group.
- Learn the quiet-train norm, queue/escalator etiquette and a few phrases; it goes a long way.
Money in TokyoCash, cards, IC, ATMs, tipping and tax-free shopping — how to pay for everything.
eSIM vs Pocket WiFiChoose how to stay online in Tokyo by device, group size and data needs.
Tokyo Etiquette GuideTrains, temples, restaurants, baths, queues and photos — the unspoken rules, made plain.
Tokyo Language BasicsThe handful of Japanese phrases that make stations, restaurants and shops easier.
Luggage, the giant stations, kids, access and safety
Two practical things catch first-timers off guard: luggage and the size of the stations. Coin lockers fill up, hotel forwarding (takkyūbin-style luggage delivery) is brilliant for day trips and check-out gaps, and Tokyo, Shinjuku and Shibuya are each less a station than a small city — Shinjuku is the busiest in the world. Knowing the exit number you want before you arrive is the difference between a two-minute walk and a confusing twenty. We have dedicated guides to each of the big three so you can find your platform, your locker and your hotel-side exit on the first try.
Finally, the trip-shaping basics: travelling with children, getting around with mobility needs, and staying safe. Tokyo is famously safe and well-organised, with police boxes (kōban 交番) on many corners; the things worth reading up on are earthquakes, summer heat and typhoon season rather than crime. The guides below cover each properly.
- Use coin lockers and hotel/luggage forwarding to travel light — lockers fill at peak times.
- Tokyo, Shinjuku (busiest in the world) and Shibuya are huge — learn your exit number before you arrive.
- Dedicated guides cover travelling with kids, accessibility, and Tokyo safety (quakes, heat, typhoons).
Luggage Lockers & ForwardingCoin lockers, hotel forwarding and airport delivery — how to never haul bags around Tokyo.
Tokyo Station GuideShinkansen, lockers, food, Marunouchi exits and day-trip departures from the grand central hub.
Shinjuku Station GuideThe world's busiest station, decoded by exit, rail company and hotel side.
Tokyo with KidsStrollers, transport, food and pacing — the family-practical layer.
Accessible TokyoStep-free stations, elevators, accessible toilets, taxis and slower routes.
Tokyo Safety & EmergencyEmergency numbers, earthquakes, typhoons, heat and lost items.
Tokyo travel tips at a glance
Use this card as your one-screen checklist before you go. Everything here is evergreen; the volatile details — current fares, pass prices, opening hours, airport-transfer times — live on the individual guides and the facts cards, where they can be kept verified.
- Get an IC card (Suica or PASMO) the moment you land — it's your ticket and your tap-to-pay wallet.
- Skip the rail pass unless a specific day demands it; pay-as-you-go usually wins.
- Pick your airport transfer by neighbourhood and arrival time, not by a single 'fastest' label.
- Carry some cash, use konbini ATMs, and don't tip.
- Learn your exit number for the big stations and watch the last train (終電 shūden).
- Sort data, etiquette and a few phrases before you arrive; Tokyo is safe and forgiving once you do.