Sakaru-ko, a Tokyo local, shares first-hand tips to help you enjoy your first trip to Tokyo without getting lost. Free hidden gems and spots, ticket deals, trains and airport access, and how to avoid crowds with kids, all in one Tokyo travel guide.
Free Hidden Gems, Day Trips, Riding the Trains, Tokyo Souvenirs
Sakaru-ko, a Tokyo local, shares first-hand tips to help you enjoy your first trip to Tokyo without getting lost. Free hidden gems and spots, ticket deals, trains and airport access, and how to avoid crowds with kids, all in one Tokyo travel guide.
Riding Trains Shinkansen Green Car vs Local Train Green Car, Fares, Seats and Tickets (Part 3 of 7) JR uses the name Green Car for two different things. On the shinkansen it is a reserved first-class seat that needs a limited express ticket. On Tokyo's JR local trains it is an unreserved double-decker car you can ride with a Green Car ticket from ¥750. Here is how they differ, what a Japan Rail Pass covers, and the mistake to avoid when you change trains. 
Riding Trains Taking a Suitcase on Tokyo Trains, Green Cars, Limited Expresses and the Shinkansen (Part 6 of 7) Riding a Green Car, a limited express or the shinkansen with a big suitcase? On the Tokaido Shinkansen, bags over 160 cm need a reserved seat with a baggage area. JR East trains need no booking, and Tokyo's local-train Green Cars have no space for large luggage at all. Here are the rules, where to put your bags, train manners, and how to send luggage to your hotel instead. 
Riding Trains Private Railway Limited Expresses and Liners in Tokyo, How to Book and How They Differ from JR Green Cars (Part 7 of 7) Odakyu Romancecar, Tobu limited expresses, Seibu Laview, Keisei Skyliner, Keio Liner, Tokyu Q SEAT and Keikyu Wing. On Tokyo's private railways you buy a ticket for a specific train and seat. Here is how each company sells tickets, when sales open, sample prices, refunds, and how it all differs from a JR local-train Green Car. 
Riding Trains Special Trains from Tokyo, Restaurant Trains, Observation Seats and a Steam Train (Part 5 of 7) Some trains from Tokyo are worth riding for the ride itself. Seibu's restaurant train 52 Seats of Happiness, JR's all-Green Saphir Odoriko, Tobu's Spacia X with its cockpit suite, the observation seats of the Odakyu Romancecar, and Chichibu Railway's SL Paleo Express. Here is what each costs, when booking opens, and which trip each one suits. 
Riding Trains Tokyo Train Types Explained, Rapid, Express and Limited Express and Which Ones Cost Extra (Part 4 of 7) Local, Rapid, Express, Limited Express. On Tokyo trains the name alone does not tell you whether you need an extra ticket. It depends on the railway company. Keio, Keikyu, Tokyu and Keisei Limited Expresses are free to ride with your normal fare, while Odakyu, Seibu and Tobu Limited Expresses need a ticket. Here is how to tell them apart. 
Riding Trains Tokyo Train Paid Seats Explained, Green Cars, Limited Expresses and Liners (Part 1 of 7) On Tokyo trains, a seat can cost a little extra in five different ways: JR Green Cars, JR limited expresses, the shinkansen, private-railway limited expresses and commuter liners. The names and the rules change from company to company. Here is how they differ, and which one suits your trip. Sponsored
