Tokyo to Nagoya for the Asian Games: Shinkansen or Private Car?

Side by side

A note on pricing: the hourly chauffeur tariff on our site is for by-the-hour city days with a 2-hour minimum. A Tokyo to Nagoya run is a long-distance job and is quoted through the charter form rather than off the hourly table.

Who should take the car

• Families with a lot of luggage and children. Two stations, an escalator, a platform and a subway with five suitcases and a stroller is the part of the trip people remember badly.
• Travellers who want Mt Fuji in the itinerary anyway. If you were going to spend a day near Fuji or Hakone, doing it in transit removes a day trip later.
• Older travellers who would rather have one door at the hotel in Tokyo and one at the hotel in Nagoya.
• Groups of five or six who want to arrive together and talk on the way.

If none of these is you, take the train.

Who should take the train

• Anyone arriving on a session day. The car cannot promise an arrival time; the train can, near enough.
• Couples and solo travellers with a carry-on.
• Anyone on a tight budget. Six Shinkansen tickets are a known figure; a full-day charter is a bigger line.
• Anyone who has already planned Fuji as a separate day from Tokyo.

A middle path: train down, car in Nagoya

The most common sensible plan is the Shinkansen from Tokyo, then a private car by the hour in Nagoya for the parts of the Games where a car matters: late finals, out-of-town venues like Toyota Stadium (roughly 40–60 minutes by road, traffic-dependent), the Centrair airport run, and a rest-day trip to Ise Jingu or Inuyama Castle. The hourly tariff for those days is at https://olachill.com/en/japan-chauffeur-hourly.

That way the long leg is fast and the short legs are comfortable.

Tokyo add-ons before or after

Because Tokyo is about 1h40 away, many Games visitors book a Tokyo extension either side of Nagoya. Helicopter flights operate from Tokyo Heliport in Shin-Kiba, the Mt Fuji region and Yokohama; there is no helicopter product in Nagoya. A 10-minute Tokyo taster flight is ¥83,800 per person (one seat on a shared three-seat flight); the whole aircraft as a private charter is ¥226,300, and the range goes up to Fuji circuits. The options are listed at https://olachill.com/en/japan-helicopter-tours. Weight limits apply (120 kg per seat, 220 kg total for a 3-seat cabin), and weather cancellations are refunded in full or moved free of charge.

How to book with OlaChill

For a Tokyo to Nagoya private car, send the date, passenger count, luggage, pickup hotel, any Hakone or Fuji stops you want and the Nagoya hotel through the charter quote form at https://olachill.com/en/japan-charter-bus, and you will have a written quote within 24 hours. OlaChill arranges the vehicle and driver; the Shinkansen you book yourself.

FAQ

How long does the car actually take from Tokyo to Nagoya?

Treat it as a full travel day. It depends on traffic, the number of stops and how long you spend at each. Do not book it for a day when you must be at a session by a fixed time.

Can the car stop in Hakone for lunch?

Yes, that is the main reason people choose it. Name the stops on the form so the day is planned around them and the quote reflects the extra time.

Is it cheaper than six Shinkansen tickets?

Usually not, and we will not pretend otherwise. You pay for the route, the luggage handling and the door-to-door comfort, not for savings.

Can we do the train one way and the car the other?

Yes. Many groups take the train down to make a session and ride back to Tokyo by car with a Fuji stop after the Games, when there is no deadline.

What about a helicopter from Nagoya to Tokyo?

There is no helicopter service from Nagoya. Helicopter flights are Tokyo, Mt Fuji and Yokohama products, booked as a Tokyo add-on, and the Shinkansen or a car gets you there first.