Japan · airport pick-up
Airport car rental in Tokyo
Pick up a rental car at Tokyo's airport terminals. Expedia Cars covers every major counter on arrivals — collect your key minutes after baggage claim, drop off at the same gate, no shuttle hassle.
- ✓On-airport counters at every Tokyo terminal
- ✓No off-site shuttles for the major brands
- ✓Flexible fare options shown per flight
- ✓One-way drop-off available · Powered by Expedia Cars
What first-timers get wrong in Tokyo
Tokyo has two subway operators plus JR, and a paper ticket bought for one will not open the gates of another; an IC card such as Suica or Pasmo settles this silently. Nobody tips, and attempting it causes embarrassment. Cash still rules at small izakaya and shrines. Stand left on escalators here, unlike Osaka. Public bins are almost absent, so carry rubbish until you pass a convenience store.
What things cost in Tokyo
A single Metro hop starts around 180 yen and a cross-town ride reaches roughly 260. A bowl of ramen sits near 1,000 yen, a convenience store bento under 600, and a draft beer in an izakaya about 500 before the seating charge some places add. Tokyo National Museum is 1,000 yen. Business hotels around Ueno and Asakusa undercut Shinjuku by a visible margin.
Tokyo with kids, realistically
Ueno Zoo keeps giant pandas and sits inside a park alongside the national science museum, so one train trip fills a day for ages three upward. KidZania at Toyosu lets children work paid jobs, mostly in Japanese with occasional English sessions. Strollers are workable but not easy: every station has a lift somewhere, rarely near the exit you want, and a rush-hour Yamanote carriage is no place for one.
What to eat in Tokyo
Sushi here means the Toyosu auction at dawn or a counter in the Tsukiji Outer Market, which still trades in tamagoyaki and knives though the wholesalers left in 2018. Monjayaki, a deliberately runny cousin of okonomiyaki, is essentially confined to Nishinaka-dori on Tsukishima. Eat standing soba at any JR station for pocket change. Depachika basements under Isetan Shinjuku discount prepared food heavily near closing.
Tokyo after dark
Everything bends around the last train, which leaves most lines between midnight and one; miss it and you are committed until five. Shinjuku Golden Gai packs roughly two hundred bars into six alleys, many seating six people and charging a cover. Ni-chome holds the densest cluster of gay bars in Asia. Roppongi draws touts worth ignoring. Karaoke boxes and all-night izakaya absorb whoever is stranded.
When to go to Tokyo
| Best months for airport-cars | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| November | 18°C / 64°F | 8 days |
| April | 19°C / 66°F | 12 days |
| October | 22°C / 72°F | 12 days |
The month to avoid is July — around 31°C (88°F) with roughly 18 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: November is the sweet spot, July the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Layers — t-shirts under a light jacket or sweater, A packable rain shell or compact umbrella earns its space, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Tokyo
- Shibuya — The scramble crossing, izakaya streets, late-night ramen.
- Asakusa — Senso-ji temple, traditional shops, low-rise old Tokyo.
- Shinjuku — Skyline observation decks, Golden Gai bars, Robot Restaurant.
- Shimokitazawa — Indie cafés, vintage shops, the city’s most walkable district.