Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
49
Transfers on the Subway & Train
You can transfer between most subway lines without buying another ticket,
and you can transfer between JR train lines on one ticket. However, your ticket
or prepaid card does not allow a transfer between Tokyo's two subway compa-
nies (Metro and Toei), JR train lines, and private train lines connecting Tokyo
with outlying destinations such as Nikko. You usually don't have to worry about
this, though, because if you exit through a wicket and have to give up your
ticket, you'll know you have to buy another one.
There are a few instances, however, when you pass through a ticket wicket
to transfer between subway lines, in which case your ticket will be returned to
you if your destination is farther along. The general rule is that if your final
destination and fare are posted above the ticket vending machines, you can
travel all the way to your destination with only one ticket. But don't worry
about this too much—the ticket collector will set you straight if you've miscal-
culated. Note, however, that if you pay too much for your ticket, the portion of
the fare that's left unused is not refundable—so, again, the easiest thing to do
if in doubt is to buy the cheapest fare. Even better, buy a Suica.
BY JR TRAIN
As an alternative to subways, electric com-
muter trains operated by the East Japan
Railway Company (JR) run aboveground.
These trains are also color-coded, with
fares beginning at ¥130. Buy your ticket
from vending machines the same as you
would for the subway, but more conve-
nient is the Suica.
The
Yamanote Line
(green-colored
coaches) is the best-known and most con-
venient JR line. It makes an oblong loop
around the city, stopping at 29 stations
along the way, all of them announced in
English and with digital signboards in
each compartment. In fact, you may want
to take the Yamanote Line and stay on it
for a roundup view of Tokyo; the entire
trip takes about an hour, passing stations
such as Shinjuku, Tokyo, Harajuku, Aki-
habara, and Ueno on the way.
Another convenient JR line is the orange-
colored
Chuo Line;
it cuts across Tokyo
between Shinjuku and Tokyo stations, with
both express (which doesn't make as many
stops) and local trains available. The yellow-
colored
Sobu Line
runs between Shinjuku
and Akihabara and beyond to Chiba. Other
JR lines serve outlying districts for the
metropolis's commuting public, including
Yokohama and Kamakura. Because the
Yamanote, Chuo, and Sobu lines are rarely
identified by their specific names at major
stations, look for signs that say jr lines.
If you think you'll be traveling by JR
lines on any given day, consider purchas-
ing a
1-Day Tokunai Pass,
which allows
unlimited travel for ¥730.
For more information on JR lines and
tickets, stop by one of JR's
Information
Centers
at Tokyo Station, Ueno, Shin-
juku, Shibuya, or Shinagawa or call the
English-language
JR East Infoline
at
&
050/2016-1603,
daily from 10am to
6pm. You can also check its website at
www.jreast.co.jp/e.
BY BUS
Buses are not as easy to use as trains or
subways unless you know their routes,
3
