Transportation in Tokyo for students (and normal people too)

There are many transportation companies in Tokyo that it might be a mess sometimes. However, you can be a pro after 1 month living here.

There are basically 3 big companies:
1. Tokyo Metro (metro, only inside tokyo)
2. Toei Line (I dont use it much because it does not cover cool places in tokyo)
3. JR (train , crowded train :D and it goes to outside tokyo too)
4. Other minor companies like Skytree line, Tobu line, Keisei, Tsukuba express,...

If you are student in University in Tokyo, you can use the unlimited rides discount on the line between your house to school which is about 30 to 400 euros per month  :D depends on how far your house is. You can calculate the monthly fee on www.navitime.co.jp/ by putting the metro station of your house and your school to the depart and destination, then search!
and then scroll down to see this in the search result

This means that for university students, 6 months from Nishi arai station to yotsuya station is 38140 yen per month. It is twice as expensive if you are not a student :(.

This can be cool if you live somewhere that the metro line from your house to the school can go through cool places like Ueno, Tsukiji, Ginza, Ikebukuro, Asakusa etc,. then you can enjoy "free" or "unlimited" rides to go to these cool place after school or anytime you want. This fact could be considered when you try to find houses.

The monthly ticket price for students also depends on how many companies included in the line. For example if you live in Ikebukuro and your school is in Yotsuya, there are 3 options

1. JR Yamanote + JR Chuo (transit in Shinjuku)
2. JR Yamonote + Marunouchi line (transit Shinjuku)
3. Only Marunouchi line

Based on Navitime, option 1 is the cheapest and then option 3 is the 2nd cheapest and please do not choose option 2, the combination of different companies brings the most expensive option, it is more expensive to choose your monthly ticket going through JR and Marunouchi line than only Marunouchi line even though only Marunouchi line is longer.

So really, choose wisely the line that you are going to travel. If you like to explore things a lot and do not mind wake up a bit earlier to go to school because the line is longer :D  do not hesitate to pay a little bit more to go on the longer line ;). In the ticket office, they will let you choose what you want and pay accordingly.

In my case, I live in Nishi arai and study in Yotsuya. There are 3 options for me

1. Tobu line - Hibiya line - Marunouchi line
2. Tobu line - Chiyoda line - Marunouchi line
3. Tobu line - Hibiya line - JR Chuo line

We chose option 1 because it can go to Ueno, Akihabara, Tsukiji, Ginya and Kokkai gijidomae so whenever we go to these places, we do not have to think for the fee and that is awesome.

If you have any question, I can answer :)

Stay tuned!