Travel Tips & Transportation in Izu : Railway and Bus Services

Getting there from Tokyo

From Tokyo, Izu is reachable by JR trains. Atami Station 熱海駅 is one of the gateways of Izu and is also a transit point to reach the tourist spots in the Izu peninsula. The JR Ito-sen Line runs between Atami Station and Ito Station, where the train is connected to the Izukyuko Line 伊豆急行, leading to Shimoda Station (= Izukyu Shimoda Station) 下田駅. Shimoda Station is directly accessible from Tokyo by Odoriko-go Express, which departs from JR Tokyo Station.

The central Izu area is also reachable by train, and the JR Mishima Station 三島駅 is the transit point to take the Izu Hakone Railway 伊豆箱根鉄道 bound for Shuzenji Station 修善寺.

Numazu Station is not directly accessible by the Shinkansen bullet train. For going to Numazu town 沼津, take the Tokaido-Hansen Line bound for Numazu 沼津. The bus is also served between Mishima and Numazu.

Getting to Atami Station from JR Tokyo Station

There are three options to reach Atami Station 熱海 by JR Trains

By Shinkansen bullet train (Travel time: 50 min.)
By Odoriko-go Express (Travel time 1 hour 20 min.)
By Tokaido-honsen Line (Travel time 1 hours 50min.)

If you are an international tourist with a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass), it is suggested that you take the Shinkansen bullet train. If your destination is Shimoda, taking the Odoriko-go Express is the most convenient way as you don’t have to change trains at Atami.

For Budget travelers, it is suggested that they take the Tokaido-Hansen Line. Though it takes much more time than Shinkansen or Odorikogo, the fare is nearly half. Traveling with Tokaido-Honsen is not much comfortable as the train is basically for commuting, but comfy seats on green cars are available for passengers who buy a green ticket. (Weekdays: 1000 Yen sold at the station. 1260 Yen sold on the train. Holidays: 800 Yen sold at the station. 1060 Yen sold on the train *As of June 2022).

Odorikogo Marine Express

Odorikogo Marine Express

Getting to Shimoda from Atami

From Atami Station, take the JR Ito-sen train JR伊東線 bound for Ito Station 伊東駅. (travel time: about 25 minutes). To travel further toward Izukyu Shimoda Station 伊豆急下田駅 from Ito Station, passengers are to take the Izukyuko train 伊豆急行 from Ito Station. Important. Some trains do not require the transfer as the JR Ito-sen and Izukyuko lines are connected. It takes 1 hour and 6 minutes from Ito Station to Shimoda Station.

*Izukyuko Line is called Izukyu for short
*Izukyu Shimoda Station = Shimoda Station

Izukyu Railway (Japanese)
https://www.izukyu.co.jp/

Timetable and Route Search by JR Central

https://railway.jr-central.co.jp/timetable/nr_doc/search.html
How to use
Enter the From and To destination and your desired departure date/time and click on Search 検索 (The orange button). Use alphabets if you cannot type Japanese characters, for example, “Tokyo” or “Atami” or “Izukyu Shimoda”. (Don't enter "Shimoda" short for "Izukyu Shimoda" as JR East has several stations named Shimoda)
The date and time is shown in order as: Year(年), Month(月), Day(日), and Hour(時), Minute(分)

Bus Services in Izu

Though train service is available only in some eastern and central areas in Izu, bus services are available to reach most of the destinations on Izu peninsula. Viewing the rural landscape from the bus is actually another attraction of Izu.

Bus Terminal at Izukyu Shimoda Station 下田駅.

Bus Terminal at Matsuzaki 松崎. The buses bound for Dogashima stopover here on the way from Izukyu Shimoda Station

One thing you should know is that the buses run every hour or less. In some areas, the buses run more infrequently, only a few times a day. Plus, the bus service may be cancelled on school holidays.

Be sure and check the schedule of the bus service beforehand. Otherwise, you will have to wait for a bus for hours. It is strongly recommended you plan your trip with the bus schedule in mind.

Route Map and Timetable of Tokai Bus Service
https://www.tokaibus.jp/rosen/timetable.html

How to use
Click on the area and click on the bus stop, then a window appears so you can select a route to see the timetable.

How to get on the bus
https://www.tokaibus.jp/rosen/jyousya.html by Tokai Bus Service

Every passenger is to take a ticket when getting on the bus. The fare is paid later. When getting off the bus, pay the fare and return the ticket. If you have a Free Pass, show the pass and return your ticket.

To find how much the fare will be, check the number printed on your ticket and see the fare displayed over the farebox. The number on the ticket tells how much the fare is. For example, If No.3 is printed on your ticket, the fare is 1360 Yen. (See the photo above on the right)

To know more about the bus system in Japan, see this page
Things to know about local route bus services in Japan

Use free passes for a budget travel

Carrying a free pass is so convenient to travel around Izu as you don’t have to check the fare every time you take a bus. It of course allows you a budget travel as well. For tourists travel around Izu, various types of free passes are provided by JR Izukyuko and Tokai Bus. The pass is valid within a designated zone for one day or 2 days or 3 days, depending on the pass.

Free Passes provided by Tokai Bus Service are sold at the bus terminal located in the zone where the free pass is valid.

~~Southern Izu Free Pass (Minami Izu Free Jousyaken) 南伊豆フリー乗車券~~~~, a 2-day free pass provided by JR East, covering JR train, Izukyuko and buses operated in the designated area, is purchased in advance, sold at the ticket office at JR stations.~~ No longer available. Tears.

List of Free Passes by Tokai Bus Service
https://www.tokaibus.jp/rosen/freepass.html (Japanese)

Izu Dream Pass
http://www.izudreampass.com/english/