Tokyo’s public transport is fast and efficient but can get fairly confusing for people visiting the Tokyo area for the first time. The trains and subway are the best way of getting around and the trains and maps are color coded with signposts (usually in English) and directional arrows to help you get around. The busiest time is during rush hour (7:30 – 9am & 5:00 – 7:30pm).

The bus system is a lot more challenging because of a lack of any signs in English. However, once you get a feel for Tokyo, buses can be a good way of cutting across areas of Tokyo not served by the subways or train lines. For short journeys, taxis are convenient and if shared by a group of people are not that expensive.

Due to the excellent public transportation, road traffic and cost of parking, renting a car is not a good way to get around the city. However, if you are traveling out of the city to a rural area, driving is often a good option.

If you spend any time in Tokyo you’ll become familiar with the Yamanote train line that loops around the city center. From Shinjuku, the line heads north towards Ikebukuro and then veers east towards Ueno and Asakusa. From Ueno the Yamanote runs south to Akihabara, the electronic discount shop district and continues south through Tokyo Station. Further south is Yurakucho and Shimbashi and Hamamatsu-cho that is connected by monorail to Haneda airport. The Yamanote then veers east toward Shinagawa, where there are connections to Kawasaki and Yokohama, and then turns sharply north and heads up towards fashionable Shibuya and Harajuku.

Other useful train lines include the Chuo line, which starts at Tokyo Station and runs west to Shinjuku and the suburbs beyond. The Sobu line goes from Chiba in the east to Mitaka to the west and runs parallel to the Chuo line in the center of Tokyo. The Keihin Tohoku line runs from Omiya in the north, through Tokyo Station to Yokohama and beyond.

Tokyo’s subways can look confusing but they are relatively easy to negotiate. Trains run daily from about 5am to just after midnight, and during peak times run as frequently as every five minutes. You can transfer between JR lines on the same ticket, but you must buy a new ticket if you transfer to a subway line.