There are four main ways to travel in Tohoku:

• shinkansen (bullet train)

• airplane

• express bus

• rental car

Shinkansen and airplanes connect major cities in the Tohoku region, making them convenient for traveling over a wide area. Express buses are attractive because they are cheap.

The most practical way to travel to rural areas other than the prefectural capital, where there is no public transportation, is to rent a car. There may not be a rental car store near the station, so you may need to take a taxi from the station to the rental car store.

When choosing a means of transportation, consider the following points:

• Travel time

• Number of operations

• budget

• Areas to visit

For example, if you want to travel from Tokyo (Narita Airport) to Sendai, the fastest way to travel is by plane, but the flights are infrequent. There are no flights between Haneda Airport and Sendai. Therefore, traveling by plane is not very practical when it comes to traveling to Sendai. (As of December 2023)

If you're traveling between the Tokyo area and Sendai, the Shinkansen is fast and frequent, so you won't have to wait long.

In terms of budget, highway buses are the cheapest, planes and Shinkansen are about the same, or depending on the distance traveled, planes may be cheaper than Shinkansen. For example, depending on the time of year, flying (LCC) is much cheaper than the Shinkansen between Osaka and Sendai, and the travel time is shorter, so we recommend it.

Please note that the fares for trains such as the Shinkansen are fixed depending on the distance, and there are almost no seasonal discounts like for airplanes. There are early bird discounts for the Shinkansen, but if you miss your train you won't be able to change to another train, so it's best to avoid it if your plans are uncertain.

There are various means of transportation and apps that guide you, but I think searching on Google Maps is the most convenient. If your transfer station is far away, you will be given walking directions, as well as an estimated travel time and train platform number.

It is a good idea to reserve plane and Shinkansen tickets in advance. Tickets are especially difficult to obtain during busy seasons such as Golden Week (late April to early May) and Obon (around August 13).

In addition, the Tohoku region is relatively prone to earthquakes, but in addition, natural disasters such as snow in winter, typhoons in late summer and autumn, and floods during the rainy season can cause transportation delays or scheduled cancellations. in some cases. Check the climate information during your stay.

JR East's English website displays information when a disaster occurs.

At the airport, information is provided in foreign languages such as English and Chinese, but this may not be sufficient at local stations. It is a good idea to check the guide map and timetable in advance.