From Tokyo
Our Favourite way from Tokyo to Kobe
| Tokyo to Kobe |
Shinkansen |
From 14,160 yen |
About 170 minutes |
0 Transfer |
Our favourite way to get to Kobe from Tokyo is by taking the JR Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe Station. The two stations are connected directly and Nozomi trains only need 170 minutes to complete the run (the Hikari train requires about 30 minutes more). Regular non-reserved seats cost 14,160 yen and a reserved seat on the Nozomi will cost about 15,000 yen.
| Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe Station |
Tokaido Shinkansen line, Nozomi train |
From 14,160 yen |
About 170 minutes |
The Quickest Way from Tokyo to Kobe
| Tokyo to Kobe |
Shinkansen |
From 14,160 yen |
About 170 minutes |
0 Transfer |
As far as transport between Tokyo and Kobe is concerned, travelling by air or by Shinkansen are the quickest options with both taking more or less 3 hours to get from central Tokyo to central Kobe. The Shinkansen is by far the easier means of travel with there being no need for transfers, and is actually much cheaper than flying if you buy your flight at the standard regular one-way price. However, it is quite easy to find discounted or special deal tickets for flights priced around the 10,000 yen mark.
| Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe Station |
Tokaido Shinkansen line, Nozomi train |
From 14,160 yen |
About 170 minutes |
| Tokyo to Kobe |
Train, Monorail, Flight (ANA/JAL), train |
26,800 yen |
3 hours |
3 Transfers |
As far as transport between Tokyo and Kobe is concerned, travelling by air or by Shinkansen are the quickest options with both taking more or less 3 hours to get from central Tokyo to central Kobe. The Shinkansen is by far the easier means of travel with there being no need for transfers, and is actually much cheaper than flying if you buy your flight at the standard regular one-way price. However, it is quite easy to find discounted or special deal tickets for flights priced around the 10,000 yen mark. To get to Haneda Airport we recommend you take the JR Yamanote or Keihin Tohoku line to Hamamatsucho before transferrig to the Tokyo Monorail to Haneda Airport. From Kobe Airport you can reach central Kobe by taking the Kobe Port Liner (330 yen, 20 minutes to Sannomiya Station).
| Tokyo Station to Hamamatsucho Station |
JR Yamanote line or JR Keihin Tohoku line |
160 yen |
5 minutes |
| Hamamatsucho Station to Haneda Airport |
Tokyo Monorail |
490 yen |
20 minutes |
| Haneda Airport to Kobe Airport |
Flight (ANA/JAL) |
25,820 yen |
70 minutes |
| Kobe Airport to Sannomiya Station |
Kobe Port Liner |
330 yen |
20 minutes |
The Cheapest Way from Tokyo to Kobe
| Tokyo to Kobe |
Budget Highway Bus |
From 2,000 yen |
8 to 9 hours |
0 Transfers |
The cheapest way to get to Kobe from Tokyo is to travel on a budget overnight bus. Seats for these buses can often be found for less than 2,000 yen. The trip is rather long (8 - 9 hours), and may not be the most comfortable experience, but for sheer cheapness it is unbeatable.
| Tokyo to Kobe |
Budget Highway Bus |
From 2,000 yen |
8 to 9 hours |
The Easiest Way from Tokyo to Kobe
| Tokyo to Kobe |
Shinkansen |
From 14,160 yen |
About 170 minutes |
0 Transfer |
The easiest way to get to Kobe from Tokyo is by taking the JR Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe Station. The two stations are connected directly and Nozomi trains only need 170 minutes to complete the run (the Hikari train requires about 30 minutes more). Regular non-reserved seats cost 14,160 yen and a reserved seat on the Nozomi will cost about 15,000 yen.
| Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe Station |
JR Tokaido Shinkansen line, Nozomi train |
From 14,160 yen |
About 170 minutes |
JR Pass & Special Deals from Tokyo to Kobe
Japan Rail Pass
JR Pass holders can use the JR Tokaido Shinkansen line to travel between Tokyo and Kobe, but will have to be careful to only use the Hikari trains as the JR Pass will not be accepted on the Nozomi trains
From Osaka
From Osaka there are 3 railways that can take you to Kobe - Sannomiya Station:
the Hankyu and the Hanshin lines are the cheapest but take a bit longer to reach Kobe than the JR line. The JR line is also the only one running from Osaka Station, although that shouldn’t be too much of a factor with Umeda Station being just next to Osaka Station. And if you like you can even take the Shinkansen!
From Osaka Station
| Osaka Station to Sannomiya Station |
JR Kobe line |
410 yen |
20 minutes |
0 Transfer |
From Umeda Station
| Umeda Station to Sannomiya Station |
Hankyu line |
320 yen |
25 minutes |
0 Transfer |
From Namba Station
| Namba Station to Sannomiya Station |
Hanshin line |
320 yen |
30 minutes |
0 Transfer |
From Shin-Osaka Station
| Shin-Osaka Station to Shin-Kobe Station |
Sanyo Shinkansen line |
1,500 yen |
15 minutes |
0 Transfer |
Japan Rail Pass and Special Deals
Japan Rail Pass
For JR Pass holders we recommend the JR line, or even the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka Station and Shin-Kobe Station.