Tokyo is best experienced by public transport — but as a road trip base, it's extraordinary. The Fuji Five Lakes are 90 minutes by the Chuo Expressway. The hot spring mountain town of Hakone is an hour on the Tomei. The ancient temples of Nikko are two hours north on the Tohoku Expressway. And the Izu Peninsula — one of Japan's most beautiful coastal drives — is less than two hours from central Tokyo.

Picking up your hire car in Tokyo

  • Narita International Airport (NRT) — 60km from central Tokyo. Car hire desks in the arrivals area of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon Rent a Car and Times Car are the major Japanese suppliers alongside international brands.
  • Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) — much closer to the city (15km). Preferred for city-adjacent road trips. All major suppliers represented.
  • ETC card (Electronic Toll Collection): Strongly recommended for all Tokyo-area expressway driving. Expressway tolls are extensive and the ETC card provides significant discounts. Available from rental companies — ask specifically.

Driving in and around Tokyo

  • Drive on the left. Speed limits: 100 km/h expressway, 60 km/h national roads, 40 km/h urban. Average speed monitoring on many expressways.
  • Tokyo expressways are complex — the Metropolitan Expressway network has 300km of elevated road threading between skyscrapers. Use a Japanese car navigation system (car navi) set to English — essential for navigating.
  • Parking in Tokyo is expensive (¥300–500/hour) and mandatory — street parking is essentially non-existent. Use the Times Parking app to find and pay for spaces.
  • Driving in Tokyo city is genuinely challenging for first-time visitors. Consider collecting your car specifically for out-of-city road trips only.
  • Driving etiquette: Japanese drivers are orderly, courteous and rule-following. Aggressive or hasty driving is strongly frowned upon.

Where to go — best drives from Tokyo

Hakone (1 hr on the Tomei Expressway) — mountain hot spring resort with Mount Fuji views. The Hakone Turnpike toll road climbs through mountain mist to extraordinary summit views. Fuji Five Lakes & Mount Fuji (1.5 hrs via Chuo Expressway) — the Fuji Subaru Line road climbs to the 5th Station at 2,305m (the road goes no higher for vehicles). Lake Kawaguchi offers the classic reflection shot. Nikko (2 hrs north via Tohoku Expressway) — the Nikko Irohazaka switchback road (48 corners, named after each Japanese kana syllable) is one of the most famous mountain drives in Japan. The UNESCO shrines at the top are extraordinary. Izu Peninsula (2 hrs south) — the IRL131 coastal road around the Izu Peninsula is spectacular — hot spring towns, rugged ocean views and wasabi farms.

Night drive: Driving the Wangan (Tokyo Bay highway, C1) at night through the Rainbow Bridge and past Odaiba is one of the most spectacular urban night drives in the world. The illuminated waterfront and skyline are genuinely extraordinary.
Price tip: Tokyo is one of the world's most competitive car hire markets — always compare at least 4–5 suppliers before booking. Local and regional companies often undercut the big brands significantly.
Book for Tokyo now: Compare live prices from 900+ suppliers at Tokyo car hire. Prices from $38/day. No booking fees.