10 best discount train deals and rail passes for short trips from Tokyo

Head to Tochigi’s historical old town of Nikko for the Toshogu Shrine and more with this bargain deal. The Nikko Discount Ticket includes a round-trip ticket between Asakusa to Nikko Station or Kinugawa Onsen, and unlimited rides on the Tobu Nikko and Kinugawa lines for four days. Plus, unlimited trips on Tobu buses in the entire Nikko area. 

Keep your discount tickets with you when you’re going around Nikko, as many tourist attractions including the Chuzenji Lake Boat Cruise, Tobu World Square and Edo Wonderland offer special discounts.

Price: Apr 30 to Nov 30 ¥4,780, children ¥1,330; Dec 1 to Apr 19 ¥4,160, children ¥1,080

Where to buy: Official website or Tobu Tourist Information Center at Asakusa. This pass is only available for non-Japanese passport holders (foreign residents and overseas tourists).

Spend a weekend in Hakone enjoying the hot springs and mountain air. With the Hakone Freepass, you can get a round-trip ticket from Shinjuku Station to Odawara Station on the Odakyu line and unlimited rides on local public transport once you’re there.

Getting around Hakone is a breeze with the eight participating services: Hakone Tozan Railway, Hakone Tozan Cable Car, Hakone Ropeway, Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, Hakone Tozan Bus, Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus, the Tokai Bus (in designated areas) and the Kanko Shisetsu Meguri sightseeing bus.

You can choose between a two- or three-day pass, depending on the duration of your trip.

Price: Two-day pass ¥6,100, three-day pass ¥6,500

Where to buy: Odakyu Sightseeing Service Centers, Odakyu line ticket machines and online.

Both overseas tourists and foreign residents of Japan can take advantage of the JR Tokyo Wide Pass to travel around the Kanto region. The pass will get you unlimited rides on JR East lines, the Tokyo monorail, Izu Kyuko line, Fujikyu Railway line, Joshin Dentetsu line, Saitama New Urban Transit line and Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit line for three consecutive days. You can visit the beautiful beaches down in Izu Peninsula, shop at the outlet malls in Karuizawa or even go skiing in Gala Yuzawa.

Price: ¥10,180, children ¥5,090

Where to buy: Official website and at JR East Travel Service Centers.

Platt Kodama gets you a discounted one-way ticket to destinations between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station on the Kodama shinkansen, including destinations like Shizuoka, Nagoya and Kyoto. You can save anywhere from ¥1,500 to ¥5,000 depending on your destination, and you’ll even get a complimentary drink voucher you can use at the station. The Kodama shinkansen makes a stop at every station, so a journey from Tokyo to Osaka (pictured) will take around four hours.

Tickets are available from a month prior to the day before your departure date, and reservations cannot be changed after your purchase. 

(Ed: Platt Kodama is a good deal for foreign residents in Japan who can't make use of the money-saving JR passes. For overseas tourists who are visiting Japan on a short-term visa, you're better off with one of the many JR passes that are available exclusively to foreign visitors.)

Price: From ¥4,800

Where to buy: Official website (in Japanese only) or the JR Tokai Tours office at Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama stations.