Getting Around Japan with Kids: Trains, Passes, and Strollers

First Things First: Download These Apps

Before you even leave for the airport, make sure you have these three apps ready to go.

Google Maps
We used Google Maps constantly. It tells you exactly which train line to take, how long the ride is, what platform to go to, and even which train car to board. It also shows transfers between lines and estimated travel times.
This is coming from someone who strictly uses Apple Maps on a regular basis, it didn’t work great in Japan for me! 

Google Translate
A lifesaver for signs, menus, and quick communication. The camera feature lets you point your phone at any text and see the translation instantly. 

Google My Maps
Before our trip I pinned places we wanted to visit so everything was easy to find while we were out exploring. It made planning our days much easier. This was a great visual so I could group activities by different areas each day! 

These apps made navigating Japan feel totally manageable, even with kids in tow.

Bring a Travel Stroller

If you’re traveling with toddlers or younger kids, bring a lightweight travel stroller. You will walk a lot in Japan. Like… a lot.

Even if your child doesn’t normally use a stroller anymore, it becomes really helpful for long days exploring cities, temples, parks, and train stations.

We used ours constantly for:

• long walking days (I was up almost every morning at 3/4am for a walk, thanks to Collins Japan sleep schedule haha) 
• navigating train stations
• quick stroller naps
• carrying bags and snacks (don’t forget the snacks….)

One big tip: make sure it folds easily. Sometimes you’ll need to collapse it quickly on crowded trains.

This is the stroller we used – I borrowed from a friend and we are loving it! 
Mamazing Ultra Air Lightweight Travel Stroller – Amazon

Finding Elevators Can Be Tricky

One of our biggest struggles this trip was finding elevators in train stations.

Japan has elevators almost everywhere, but they are not always obvious. Sometimes they are tucked into corners of massive stations and hard to locate when you’re tired and pushing a stroller.

A tip that helped a lot:

Turn on “Wheelchair Accessible” routes in Google Maps before your trip.

This setting will route you to stations with elevators and accessible pathways, which is incredibly helpful when traveling with a stroller.

Even with that setting turned on, there were still moments when we walked in circles trying to find the elevator. Not our finest travel moment. But most of the time Google Maps pointed us in the right direction, and I hope they do for you too! 

Look for Family Friendly Train Cars

Something that surprised me was how welcoming trains were for families.

Many trains have designated spaces for wheelchairs and strollers, usually marked with accessibility symbols on the platform and train car doors.

Sometimes you’ll even see themed train cars designed for children, decorated with characters or bright designs to make riding the train more exciting for kids.

When you see the stroller or wheelchair symbol on the ground while waiting for the train, that’s usually the best place to board.

These areas typically have:
• more space
• fold-up seats
• room for strollers

Skip the Nap Schedule

If you’re traveling with a toddler, you might need to let go of the nap schedule a little.

For us, naps were completely out the window.

Instead, Collins would grab a quick stroller nap whenever she needed one. Some days she slept for 20 minutes, some days an hour.

And you know what? It worked.

We were out of our normal routine for more than eight days, and when we got home she fell right back into her schedule like nothing happened.

Kids are surprisingly flexible when traveling. So don’t worry mama! 

Avoid Rush Hour If You Can

Japanese trains are famous for being packed during rush hour.

Try to avoid traveling during:

• 7:00 to 9:00 AM
• 5:00 to 7:00 PM

If you can, plan longer train rides mid morning or early afternoon when trains are calmer and easier with kids.

My Biggest Takeaway

Before traveling to Japan I worried a lot about how hard it would be with kids (Collins specifically).

But the reality is that Japan is one of the most family friendly places you can travel.

People were kind, trains were easy to use once we got the hang of them, and the kids loved the adventure of riding everywhere.

Yes, there were moments where we wandered around a train station trying to find an elevator which was not fun for anyone.

Yes, naps looked very different.

But it was completely worth it!

Thank you so much for reading! There will be more to come on our Japan travel so stay tuned! 
-Linzy

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