Transportation

1. Air

The Narita International Airport is 40 miles away from Tokyo. Most people prefer flying into Tokyo and a majority of travelers use this airport. The flight time from Los Angeles to Tokyo is about 12 hours and that from either Chicago or New York is about 13 1/2 hours. A round trip first class fare from New York to Tokyo would cost you about $14,180 excluding tax. The business class ticket will cost you about $7,694 and economy class cost about $5,655. As flight fares tend to vary greatly, it is advisable to contact a travel agent or check for current fares on websites before making a booking.

2. Train

The Tokyo train network is very good and one of the best ways of traveling to and in Tokyo. There are three types of trains running to and from Tokyo: Japan Railways (JR) trains, shinkansen or the ‘bullet train', and private trains. Many of the major trains end at the Tokyo train terminus on the Japan Railways Yamanote line. Three bullet train lines connect Tokyo with the rest of Japan. You can use private trains for traveling to areas like Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone and Yokohama.

3. Bus

Tokyo has excellent bus services, which cost almost as much as the train service. Buses run on the expressways between Tokyo and other important cities in the country. You do not need to look out for your stop while on the bus because the buses run direct from point to point. From Tokyo station, you can catch overnight buses for Kyoto and Osaka, and direct buses for Nagoya, Nara and Kobe. Buses to Fuji and Hakone regions can be boarded at the Shinjuku station.

4. Car

Reservations for car rentals should be made in advance by phone. All you need to show while you rent a car is your driver's license. Working hours of most car rental offices are from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Cars can be rented for slabs of 6, 12 and 24 hours. When the car is rented, the fuel tank is filled up first. In event of your not being able to return the car with a full gas tank, you are charged for the fuel. For about $87, you can rent a car for 24 hours.

5. Ferry

No international ferries run to or from Tokyo. You can board a ferry from Busan in South Korea to Shimonoseki, and hop on a train, bus or ferry (from Shin-moji in Kitakyushu, Kyushu) to Tokyo. Alternatively, you could go by the faster hydrofoil from Busan to Fukuoka, from where, one can get either a plane, a bullet train, bus or ferry to Tokyo. One can travel between Kobe and Tokyo too by buses and bullet trains. There is a boat ever week from Taiwan to Okinawa from where you can board a ferry to Tokyo. One can also use domestic vessels from Tokyo to travel to Kushiro on Hokkaido, Kochi and Tokushima on Shikoku.

6. Taxi

Hiring a taxi is very expensive in Tokyo. Hence, it is advisable to travel by train or bus. A taxi ride of even 1 km would put you back by $6 for a single passenger.