Best area to stay in Tokyo

Shinjuku Station is the busiest railway station in the world, and that is the point: more lines meet here than anywhere else in Tokyo. The JR Yamanote loop, the Chuo line, three subway lines and the private Odakyu and Keio lines all stop here, so almost any sight is one train away. The Narita Express runs straight to Narita, and the bus terminal above the station has direct coaches to the Mt Fuji Five Lakes area. The Odakyu line runs to Hakone.

• Narita ~80 min · direct Narita Express
• Haneda ~45 min · 1 change Or the airport limousine bus
• Bullet train ~15 min to Tokyo Station
• Yamanote loop Yes

Narita Express tickets →Haneda limousine bus tickets →

Ginza is Tokyo's polished shopping district, and Tokyo Station is a 10-minute walk away. That station is where the Tokaido Shinkansen leaves for Kyoto and Osaka, and where the Narita Express starts. From Higashi-Ginza, trains on the Toei Asakusa line run straight through to Haneda. The Imperial Palace gardens and the Tsukiji outer market are both walkable. The streets go quiet after the shops close.

• Narita ~55 min · direct Narita Express from Tokyo Station
• Haneda ~30 min · direct Toei Asakusa / Keikyu from Higashi-Ginza
• Bullet train On the doorstep: Tokyo Station
• Yamanote loop Yes (Yurakucho, Tokyo)

Narita Express tickets →Private car from Haneda →

Shibuya is the scramble crossing, the department-store food halls and the most energetic streets in the city. It is on the Yamanote loop and the Ginza and Hanzomon subway lines, so Harajuku, Omotesando and Meiji Jingu are one stop or a walk away. Shinjuku is 7 minutes north. Hotels sit mostly in towers built over or beside the station, which makes the first night easy.

• Narita ~75 min · direct Narita Express (some trains)
• Haneda ~40 min · 1 change Or the airport limousine bus
• Bullet train ~25 min to Tokyo Station
• Yamanote loop Yes

Narita Express tickets →Haneda limousine bus tickets →

Asakusa is the old merchant quarter around Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, with Tokyo Skytree across the Sumida River. Rooms here are some of the cheapest in central Tokyo. The Toei Asakusa line gives it direct trains to both airports, which few areas can match. The trade-off is that it is off the Yamanote loop, so Shinjuku and Shibuya are about 30 minutes away.

• Narita ~60 min · direct Keisei Access Express
• Haneda ~45 min · direct Toei Asakusa / Keikyu
• Bullet train ~20 min to Tokyo Station
• Yamanote loop No

Private car from Haneda →

Ueno has the fastest link to Narita: the Keisei Skyliner reaches the airport in about 45 minutes. Ueno Park holds the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art and the zoo. Ameyoko market runs along the tracks. It is on the Yamanote loop, Asakusa is two stops away on the Ginza line, and hotel prices are among the lowest in the center.

• Narita ~45 min · direct Keisei Skyliner, the fastest airport train
• Haneda ~40 min · 1 change JR, then Keikyu or the monorail
• Bullet train Ueno Station (northbound lines); ~7 min to Tokyo Station
• Yamanote loop Yes

Skyliner tickets →

Odaiba and Toyosu are reclaimed islands in Tokyo Bay. They have wide streets, bigger rooms, bay views, teamLab Planets and the Toyosu fish market. They suit families who want space and quiet more than a central address. Haneda is close, but most sights are a 25 to 40 minute ride away.

• Narita ~90 min · 1–2 changes Via Tokyo Station or Shinagawa
• Haneda ~30 min · 1 change Or a short taxi ride
• Bullet train ~25 min to Tokyo Station
• Yamanote loop No

Private car from Haneda →