Transportation in Kobe is simple, but can feel cluttered as there are several different rail companies operating in the city.

In practice, however, this usually doesn't matter - one transport card is enough for most connections and there's no need to deal with individual carriers.

Read also:

• 👉 O ur tips on where to stay in Kobe
• 👉 Japanese IC transport cards: my experience

How tickets work in Kobe

There is no single integrated ticket in the city in the sense of European public transport systems. Each carrier has its own fare.

In practice, however, you can hardly tell because:

• all trains, subways and buses operate on IC cards (ICOCA, Suica, etc.)
• you just need to present the card at the turnstile or when getting on and off the bus
• the fare is deducted automatically

This is the easiest method of transport and is used by most visitors.

In addition, paying with your own contactless card is also starting to become more widespread, for example on Kobe subway lines.

The 10 best hotels in Kobe

IC card - the easiest solution

The ICOCA card is sold in Kobe or Osaka, but you can use any of the nationwide Japanese cards here, such as the Suica from Tokyo.

Advantages:

• You don't have to worry about the ticket price.
• works almost everywhere
• saves time

Read also:

• 👉 How IC cards work in Japan and where to buy them

Paper tickets

You can also buy paper tickets for the same price on all means of transport.

However, you can only ever pay in cash and must buy a ticket on every journey.

• Subways and trains - at the machines in front of the turnstiles
• buses - with the driver

With your own contactless card

At the moment, self-payment by card only works on the Kobe Metro.

Fare prices

Fares are calculated automatically for trains or subways according to the distance travelled and range between 210 jpy and 410 jpy.

You can always find the exact price on the station price map located above each machine.

The pricing is very similar for JR, Hanshin, Hankyu and metro trains.

JR trains - the backbone of transport

For visitors, the JR trains are often the most important - not only for getting to Kobe, but also for getting around Kobe itself.

You will use them mainly on this route:

• Sannomiya - Central Station, Ikuta Shrine and the monorail to Kobe Airport
• Motomachi - Motomachi Street shopping as well as Kobe Port Tower and Harborland (15 minute walk)
• Kobe - Umie Shopping Centre, Harborland (15 minutes walk) and Minatogawa Shrine
• Sumakaihinkōen - Suma Sea World Aquarium
• Suma - Suma beaches

Book a hotel near Sannomiya Station

Trains run along this route approximately every 10-15 minutes.

Benefits:

• Fast
• easy to navigate
• JR Pass applies

Disadvantages:

• not serving all parts of the city
• Kansai Railway Pass not valid

Hanshin and Hankyu trains - good alternative to JR

These private railways are mainly used for travel:

• To Osaka
• between different parts of the city

You cannot use the JR Pass with these companies, but you can use the Kansai Railway Pass.

Hankyu

• for travelling around Kobe, especially between Sannomiya and Kobe stations, as a cheaper alternative to JR trains

Hanshin/Sanyo

• a slower but slightly cheaper alternative to JR trains when travelling from the centre (Sannomiya, Kobe) to Suma beaches

But for normal movement around Kobe in these directions, JR is usually sufficient - clearer orientation.

Kobe Metro

The Kobe metro has only 2 lines and tourists use it less than trains.

Mainly useful for:

• Between Shin-Kobe and Sannomiya - Seishin-Yamate Line
• between Sannomiya, Motomachi and Harborland - Kaigan Line
• to the northern suburbs - Seishin-Yamate Line
• to the industrial area of the port - Kaigan Line

You don't need the subway for most of the tourist routes.

You can easily pay the subway fare with your own contactless card or IC card by attaching it to the turnstile when entering and exiting the station.

Buses

Unlike, for example, Tokyo, where buses are practically unusable, Kobe has several useful lines and 2 different carriers.

City buses

The regular green and white public buses serve mainly locals, but tourists will use them mainly to get to the cable cars up the mountains.

The following routes are the most useful:

• Line 18 - Sannomiya, Shin-Kobe, cable car to Mount Maya
• Lines 16, 106 - connect Rokko and Rokkomichi train stations with the cable car to Mount Rokko

Fares are flat and pay for 1 trip - 230 jpy.

The exception is the small downtown area around Sannomiya station, where you only pay for 1 trip 120 jpy.

How do I pay the fare?

• in exact cash on boarding - put the money in the cash box with the driver
• by IC transport card - attach it to the reader when boarding and alighting

Where do you find the connection?

Easiest via Google Maps, which works flawlessly in Kobe.

Whenever you want to get off, you need to press the "stop" button well before the stop.

City Loop Bus

There are two bus routes running through the centre and around the tourist attractions, primarily aimed at tourists.

• Port Loop - It connects Shin-Kobe and Sannomiya stations, the harbour and promenades around Harborland, Meriken Park, Kobe Port Tower, then continues on to the Umie Shopping Centre and Kobe Train Station.
  • Frequency - 20 minutes
• City Loop - connects Shin-Kobe and Sannomiya stations, Kitano Historic District, Motomachi shopping district and the promenades around Harborland, Meriken Park, Kobe Port Tower
  • Frequency - 15 to 20 minutes
• Route map of both lines

You can only purchase a full-day or 2-day ticket.

1 ride only fares are not on sale.

• 1-day - 800 jpy
• 2-day - 1 200 jpy
• You can buy the ticket from the driver (only cash or IC cards are accepted)

Official information: kobeloop.bus-japan.net.

Taxi / Uber / DiDi and other mobile apps

Classic black cabs are literally ubiquitous in Kobe.

You can hail a taxi by waving on the street (but they don't always stop - only where traffic laws allow it) or use one of the many official stands. These are usually near hotels, subway stations or trains.

Kobe also has ride-sharing apps, or you can order a regular taxi through them.

Mobile apps are convenient if you don't want to deal with cash payments (not all taxis accept credit cards), but pay with a card stored in the app.

• GO - Google Play / App Store
• Uber - Google Play / App Store
• S.Ride - Google Play / App Store
• DiDi - Google Play / App Store

Are taxis in Kobe expensive?

Compared to other developed cities like New York, London or Hong Kong, they are not that expensive.

Compared to the subway and trains in Kobe, which get you everywhere, they are very expensive.

• 500 jpy up to 700 jpy - starting rate
• 100 jpy - for every 255 metres
• 100 jpy - added rate for slow travel under 10 km/h for every 85 seconds
• + 20% for travel between 22:00 and 5:00

Transport from airports to Kobe

It makes a big difference if you fly directly into Kobe or one of the Osaka airports.

For detailed information and my experience getting to/from the airport, see the links below.

• Kobe UKB - 20 minutes to downtown by monorail
• Osaka-Itami ITM - 45 minutes to downtown by bus
• Osaka-Kansai KIX - 65 minutes to downtown by bus

Useful links for travelling to Kobe

If you are planning a trip to Kobe, here are the sites that will be most useful to you.

• 🏨 O ur tips for hotels in Kobe - where to stay
• 🛃 Visa requirements for Japan
• 🧐 10 things that surprised me in Japan

Also book travel services in advance on this site:

• 👉 Compare flight prices on skyscanner.com
• 👉 Book organized activities at GetYourGuide.com
• 👉 Get your eSIM data in advance at airalo.com