Nagoya Transport
This is a page filled with valuable tips and tricks for your trip to Nagoya, and Japan in general. It includes information on transportation around Japan and in Nagoya.
Transportation in Nagoya and Japan
The train system in Japan is just amazing. Trains are on time and frequent.
This is what heaven must be like.
But, the train system is also a little complicated since there are countless different companies operating the different subway and train lines in the cities.
The biggest of them is Japan Rail or JR for short. They are the operators of the famous Shinkansen bullet trains, which whisp you from one city to another in almost no time at all.
The best way to utilize these trains and stay on a budget, at least if you are planning on traveling around the country a lot in a short time, is the Japan Rail Pass. A tourist pass which allows its holder to use as many JR trains in a specified timeframe.
If this sounds good to you, check out my post ‘Where to buy the Japan Rail Pass right now‘ and learn more details about the different passes, alternatives and the best place to buy a Japan Rail Pass.
From Nagoya Airport to Nagoya Station
In case you arrive at Nagoya Airport you probably want to know the best, cheapest and most convenient way to get to the city.
No problem, I have a post for you. Check out ‘How to get from Nagoya airport to Nagoya station or your hotel‘ to find the answers you are looking for.
From Tokyo to Nagoya
The distance from Tokyo to Nagoya is only 260 kilometers (160 miles), and there are multiple options to travel between these two cities.
The bullet train Tokyo to Nagoya takes about 2 hours and costs around 11000 yen (110 USD) one way. It is the quickest way to get there, even faster than flying if you calculate in the time you need to get to and from the airports — generally the flight costs at least about the same as the train.
A much cheaper option, if you are lucky is to take a long-distance bus. These buses are very comfortable and can be a real bargain compared to the bullet train.
Another cheap option is taking only local trains from city to city, but it involves many transfers and especially with big luggage it isn’t worth the time and effort.
From Osaka to Nagoya
The distance from Osaka and Nagoya isn’t very far and you can reach Nagoya from Osaka in 50 minutes by Nozomi Shinkansen Train. The ride will cost about 6000 yen (60 USD) one way.
There are cheaper options like highway buses which will cost you less than half as much but will take about 3 hours for the same distance.
It doesn’t make sense to fly between Osaka and Nagoya because the time you would need to get too and from the airports and the costs that are involved doesn’t make it a time or cost-efficient option.
From Kyoto to Nagoya
The distance between Nagoya and Kyoto is only 130 kilometers by car (80 miles). The bullet train just needs 36 minutes and costs around 5500 yen (55 USD).
You can also travel by local train. There is no direct Kyoto to Nagoya train though, you will need to change trains once at Maibara Station, and the whole trip will take around 2 hours and cost 2500 yen (25 USD).
Much more comfortable and also very convenient are buses. The highway buses cost about half as much as a Shinkansen Train and takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes between the two cities.
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