If you are looking for a cheap and direct public transportation option to get to Nagoya or departing from Nagoya, try using the Meitetsu Bus Service. It offers affordable and comfortable highway bus services that can take you from the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya to the many popular tourist attractions and destinations around the country, from Nagasaki and Fukuoka in the south to Fukushima and Sendai in the north, and vice versa.
Routes and ticket prices
The two tables below provide a summary of ticket prices for the different Meitetsu Bus routes between the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya and various cities across Japan. The first table consists of routes with reserved seating, and the second table contains routes with non-reserved seating.
| Routes with reserved seating | One-way ticket | Round trip ticket | Ticket booklet (made up of multiple single tickets) |
| Tohoku/Kansai Region | |||
| Nagoya – Sendai / Sendai – Nagoya | 8,000 yen – 11,100 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Fukushima / Fukushima – Nagoya | 9,800 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Koriyama / Koriyama – Nagoya | 9,260 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Utsunomiya / Utsunomiya – Nagoya | 8,130 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Shinjuku / Shinjuku – Nagoya | 4,700 yen – 6,000 yen | – | – |
| Koshinetsu Region | |||
| Nagoya – Niigata / Niigata – Nagoya | 5,000 yen – 9,000 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Matsumoto / Matsumoto – Nagoya | 2,600 yen – 3,560 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Nagano / Nagano – Nagoya | 3,600 yen – 4,630 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Magome / Magome – Nagoya | 1,860 yen | – | 6,710 yen |
| Nagoya – Iida / Iida – Nagoya | 2,420 yen | 4,350 yen | 8,700 yen |
| Nagoya – Fuji / Fuji – Nagoya | 4,110 yen | 7,200 yen | – |
| Nagoya – Ina / Ina – Nagoya | 3,290 yen | – | 11,850 yen |
| Hokuriku Region | |||
| Nagoya – Toyama / Toyama – Nagoya | 4,630 yen | 7,140 yen | – |
| Nagoya – Takaoka / Takaoka – Nagoya | 3,000 yen – 3,500 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Fukui / Fukui – Nagoya | 3,000 yen | 5,140 yen | 9,260 yen |
| Nagoya – Takayama / Takayama – Nagoya | 2,980 yen | 5,140 yen | 10,840 yen |
| Nagoya – Kanazawa / Kanazawa – Nagoya | 4,180 yen | 6,170 yen | 11,310 yen |
| Kansai Region | |||
| Nagoya – Kobe / Kobe – Nagoya | 3,400 yen | 5,650 yen | 11,300 yen |
| Nagoya – Nara / Nara – Nagoya | 2,550 yen | 4,100 yen | – |
| Nagoya – Kyoto / Kyoto – Nagoya | 2,550 yen | 4,110 yen | 8,220 yen |
| Shikoku Region | |||
| Nagoya – Takamatsu / Takamatsu – Nagoya | 5,600 yen – 7,600 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Kochi / Kochi – Nagoya | 9,300 yen | 16,800 yen | – |
| Nagoya – Tokushima / Tokushima – Nagoya | 4,500 yen – 7,500 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Matsuyama / Matsuyama – Nagoya | 7,000 yen – 11,000 yen | – | – |
| Kyushu Region | |||
| Nagoya – Kumamoto / Kumamoto – Nagoya | 8,000 yen – 12,500 yen | – | – |
| Nagoya – Nagasaki / Nagasaki – Nagoya | 12,580 yen | 22,650 yen | – |
| Nagoya – Fukuoka / Fukuoka – Nagoya | 7,500 yen – 11,500 yen | – | – |
Notes:
- The departure and arrival point in Nagoya is the Meitetsu Bus Center at the Meitetsu Nagoya Station. Instructions on how to find it and a map of its bus terminals and stops are found here.
- Ticket prices may vary on some routes depending on the season.
- Online reservation, timetables, and more detailed information are available on the Meitetsu Bus official website.
| Routes with non-reserved seating | One-way ticket |
| Nagoya – Toki Premium Outlets / Toki Premium Outlets – Nagoya | 800 yen |
| Nagoya – Nagoya Airport / Nagoya Airport – Nagoya | 700 yen |
| Nagoya – Nagashima Onsen / Nagashima Onsen – Nagoya | 1,060 yen |
| Nagoya – Chubu Centrair Int’l Airport / Chubu Centrair Int’l Airport – Nagoya | 1,200 yen |
| Nagoya – Meiji Mura / Meiji Mura – Nagoya | 960 yen |
Notes:
- Do not forget to take a numbered ticket upon boarding the bus.
- Press the “stop” button once you see your stop/destination displayed on the monitor.
- Pay the fare before getting off the bus. There is a machine where you drop your exact fare and your numbered ticket next to the bus driver. If you do not have the exact amount ready, exchange your larger bills or coins using the money-changing machine also found near the bus driver.
Seat booking and reservations
There are different ways to buy bus tickets for the Meitetsu Bus Service. You can go to a Meitetsu Bus Center and buy your tickets there, or use the following methods:
Online purchase
Bus Reservation Center
- 052-582-0489 (Japan)
- +81-52-582-0489 (International)
Convenience stores
- Circle K
- Lawson
- Family Mart
- 7-Eleven
- Ministop
The Shoryudo Bus Pass
If your Japan trip itinerary includes multiple places in the Shoryudo region, it might be economical to get the Shoryudo Bus Pass. With it, you get unlimited rides on highway buses that serve the different cities and towns in the Shoryudo area.
It is available in three types:
- Shoryudo (Takayama/Shirakawa-go/Kanazawa Course) 3-day pass – which costs 7,500 yen
- Shoryudo (Wide Course) 5-day pass – which costs 13,000 yen
- Shoryudo (Matsumoto/Magome/Komagane Course) 3-day pass– which costs 7,000 yen
It is available for sale at travel agencies outside of Japan, and through the Meitetsu World Travel Inc. website.
You can find bus timetables, sample courses, and other information on the Meitetsu World Travel Inc’s Shoryudo Bus Pass page.
Advantages of using the Meitetsu Bus Service
It can save you a lot of money, if you do not mind spending a few more hours in transit.
Travelling around Japan via the Shinkansen and airplane can be quite expensive. A two-hour one-way bullet train ride between Nagoya and Tokyo, for instance, costs about 11,000 yen. But, if you take the Meitetsu Bus Service, you only have to spend about 5,000 yen to 6,000 yen for a one-way ticket. By plane, a one-way trip between Nagoya and Fukuoka can cost as much as 20,000 yen, and by bus, you only have to spend half that amount.
Its buses are modern and well-equipped.
All Meitetsu buses utilize state-of-the-art devices and equipment that accurately monitor driver distractions and surroundings. They offer restrooms and lavatories, air conditioning, air purifiers, wireless internet, and three or four cushioned, reclining, wide seats per row with spacious legroom electrical outlets. They also provide wet hand towels, green tea, blankets, and slippers.
Visit the Meitetsu Bus Service’s FAQ page for more details and information on their bus services.
