Train or Rental Car in Japan?｜Plan Your Trip by Train, and Rent a Car Only for the Days Trains Cannot Cover

Before you go

You often hear that trains are convenient in Japan. But when you open a map, some places you want to visit may be far from a station. Should you rent a car, or can you do without one?

This article will help you decide.

The Short Answer ― If You Are Unsure, Plan by Train. Rent a Car Only for the Days That Are Hard to Cover by Train

If we were unsure, we would plan the trip by train. Then, if there were a day when it would be hard to get around by train or bus, we would rent a car just for that day.

• If you are staying near stations and exploring cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, you do not need to rent a car. Having a car adds the work of finding parking
• If you have a day when you will visit several places far from stations, a car is a strong option for that day
• If most of your trip is made up of days like that, use a car for the entire trip (see “The Second-Best Option” below)

You cannot decide just from place names, such as “trains in Japan” or “cars in rural areas.” Even outside major cities, some sightseeing destinations tell visitors to park and transfer to other transportation. What matters is your own itinerary.

Here Is the Reasoning

Some Famous Sightseeing Destinations Say, “Leave Your Car Outside”

Even if you go by car, you transfer to a train or bus for the last part. Japan has several sightseeing destinations like this.

• Kyoto ― There are parking lots outside Kyoto City as well, in neighboring Otsu and Nagaokakyo, where you can park and enter by train. The idea is to “park before approaching Kyoto, then take the train in.” Nara also tells visitors to park farther away and enter by bus
• Kamakura ― Park-and-ride services let you park in the surrounding area and transfer to the Enoden train or a bus (they do not operate in July or August, or from January 1 through 3)
• Shirakawa-go ― Shirakawa Village asks sightseeing vehicles, including rental cars, not to enter the World Heritage area between 9:00 and 16:00
• Mount Fuji ― During the summer climbing season, private vehicles are restricted on many roads to the fifth stations (there is no restriction at the Gotemba Trail entrance). On restricted roads, park at the foot of the mountain and take a shuttle bus or taxi
• Kanazawa ― Kanazawa City’s parking information recommends parking in a lot with spaces and using a one-day pass to get around the city center

If your trip only visits places like these, you will not get much benefit from renting a car. We summarize the local rules in “How to Avoid Parking Problems at Sightseeing Destinations.”

You Can Start Traveling by Train Right from the Airport

Five airports—Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, and Fukuoka—have trains that go to the city without a transfer. For example, the Keikyu train from Haneda Airport Terminal 3 to Shinagawa takes 11 minutes (as of October 2026).

You can start your trip by train on the day you arrive. “From the Airport to the City by Train” explains which train to take at each of the five airports (that article does not cover other airports).

You Can Rent a Car for Just Part of Your Trip

You do not have to use a car for your entire trip. You can also build an itinerary that uses a car only for sections that are hard to reach by train.

• Take the train to your hotel on the night you arrive. Rent a car the next morning, after it gets light
• Use a “one-way rental,” returning the car to a different location from where you picked it up, and drive only one way
• In a snowy area, take the train to a gateway station and rent there. Toyota Rent a Car has a location in front of Takayama Station, and JR West provides an English list of station rental car locations available when you show a JR-WEST RAIL PASS. However, check with each location to see whether it is open in winter. JR West’s English list includes locations that close during winter

Arrange a one-way rental when you make the reservation. Some locations or vehicle classes may not offer it. For details, see “How to Choose a Rental Car Company.”

Trips Where a Car Helps

A car is most useful for trips like these.

• You will visit several places far from stations in one day
• You want to drive on scenic roads for the experience itself
• You are traveling with family or a group and have several suitcases
• You are traveling with children, and moving both your luggage and the children at every transfer would be difficult

For example, Nohi Bus operates between Takayama and Shirakawa-go. The trip takes about 50 minutes, so you can go by bus. However, some services require reservations (Nohi Bus’s English information, checked on October 17, 2026). Check the official timetable to see whether the service you plan to take requires a reservation. If you go by bus, you will need to plan your trip around the bus schedule. If you want to continue beyond Shirakawa-go that day, a car makes it easier to get around. That is the kind of situation we mean.

However, even if you go by car, during the day at Shirakawa-go you park outside the village and walk (see Shirakawa-go under “Here Is the Reasoning” above).

When more people are traveling, the way you compare costs changes. Train fares are charged per person, while a car is priced per vehicle. But with more people and luggage, you need a larger car. Car size depends more on the number of suitcases than the number of people (see “Choosing a Car Size by the Number of Suitcases”). Which is cheaper depends on the itinerary. Use the same yardstick to compare them in “Use the Same Yardstick for Both Costs” below.

The Second-Best Option ― If Most of Your Trip Is to Places Far from Stations, Use a Car for the Entire Trip

Using a car for the entire trip is an option for people like these.

• Most places you want to visit are far from stations, and you will visit several places almost every day
• The easiest itinerary is to rent at the airport and return the car to the airport
• Driving feels less stressful to you than transferring between trains

Check just two things before you rent.

• If you rent at the airport, will you arrive during the location’s business hours? If not, take a train or taxi to your hotel that night and rent the next morning
• At famous sightseeing destinations, will there be days when you have to leave the car outside? Kyoto, Kamakura, Shirakawa-go, and Mount Fuji in summer are examples, as explained under “Here Is the Reasoning” above

First, Apply This to Your Own Trip

See which of the following apply to your trip.

• Are you staying near a station? (→ If yes, the train is easier)
• Are the places you will visit in one day within walking distance of a station or bus stop? (→ If not, consider a car for that day)
• How many people and how many suitcases? (→ If there are many, consider the car size too)
• How many days is the trip, and how many are “days far from stations”? (→ You can rent only for that number of days)
• Are you very uneasy about driving on Japanese roads? (→ If so, stay within the range you can cover by train, bus, and taxi. For what’s different, see “Your First 10 Minutes Driving in Japan“)
• Will you visit a snowy area in winter? (→ See “Winter Changes the Decision” below)
• Does your accommodation have parking? (→ Check this for the places where you will stay on days you rent a car)

If there are no “days far from stations,” you do not need to rent. If there are a few, rent only for those days. If almost every day is like that, choose the second-best option: “a car for the entire trip.”

Use the Same Yardstick for Both Costs

Which is cheaper depends on your itinerary. So calculate and compare the totals for both options using the same schedule. If you add costs to only one side, the comparison becomes distorted.

What to include on the train side

• Fares
• If you take a limited express, the limited express ticket in addition to the basic fare
• Buses and taxis beyond the station

What to include on the car side

• Car rental charge (what is included differs by booking source)
• Coverage
• Gas (the standard rule is to return the car with a full tank)
• Expressway tolls
• Parking fees (at sightseeing destinations and accommodations)
• For a one-way rental, the one-way fee
• Items you request, such as an ETC card or child seat

For example, the booking site Tabirai says its displayed price includes the base rate, 免責補償 (CDW), navigation, an in-vehicle ETC unit, and consumption tax, but does not include the rental company’s additional coverage (such as NOC coverage), options, one-way fees, gas, or expressway tolls (checked in September 2026). What is included differs by booking source.

If you will also take a train or bus on a day when you rent a car, add that to the car side too.

For how to read displayed prices, see “Why the Same Car Has Several Prices,” and for coverage, see “Rental Car Coverage Has Three Levels.”

Can You Drive in Japan?

To drive in Japan, you need your home-country license and one more document. The other document is either an International Driving Permit or a Japanese translation. Which one you need depends on the country that issued your license. For some countries, neither can be used.

Check this first before you rent. We explain it in “How to Drive in Japan.”

Winter Changes the Decision

If you are not used to snowy roads, think carefully about driving in winter. JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) recommends avoiding driving as much as possible on snowy days and using trains, buses, or taxis. At the same time, it also mentions the enjoyment of driving through snowy scenery.

Our recommendation is to separate the days you drive from the days you leave transportation to trains and buses. Whether you need winter tires depends on where you will drive, not where you rent. You can also take the train to a gateway to the snowy area and rent there.

Road conditions and the availability of winter tires vary by area and rental location. For details, see “Traveling by Car in Japan in Winter.”

If You Are Unsure, Decide This Way

No days far from stations → Go by train. You do not need to rent.
For the first leg from the airport, see “From the Airport to the City by Train” (Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, and Fukuoka).

One or more days far from stations → Use a car only on those days. If that is almost every day, use a car for the entire trip.
First check whether you can drive in “How to Drive in Japan,” then go to “How to Choose a Rental Car Company.”