If you are travelling from Tokyo to Izu-Kogen, especially with luggage, take the Limited Express Odoriko from Tokyo Station. It takes about 2 hours and goes all the way to Izu-Kogen with no change of train. Every seat is reserved, so book a seat before you travel.
Odoriko or Shinkansen
The Shinkansen. The Kodama reaches Atami in about 45 minutes. The Hikari takes about 35, but only a few Hikari stop at Atami, and the Nozomi does not stop there. At Atami you get off with your bags, move to the Ito Line platform, and wait for a second train for the last 40 minutes or so down the coast.
The Odoriko. It leaves Tokyo Station and stops at Atami, Ito and Izu-Kogen. In the September 2026 timetable, Tokyo to Ito takes 1 h 45 min and Tokyo to Izu-Kogen 2 h 01 min. The train runs on JR tracks as far as Ito and on the Izukyu Line after that, but you stay in your seat the whole way.
What we tell visitors. Take the Odoriko. It is one train from Tokyo Station to Izu-Kogen, and you never move your bags. The Shinkansen gets you to Atami in about 45 minutes by Kodama, but then you change trains. We found no total time or fare from Tokyo Station to Izu-Kogen by the Shinkansen route when we checked in October 2026, so if speed matters to you, compare both when you book.
What a ticket costs
A reserved seat on the Odoriko from Tokyo to Izu-Kogen costs about ¥5,500 one way, so about ¥11,000 for the round trip (guidebook figure, September 2026). The exact fare is shown when you book.
You can book at a JR East ticket machine or counter, or online with JR East's English reservation site. Weekends, holidays and the spring and autumn peaks sell out, so book before your travel day.
Two kinds of ticket
There are no non-reserved cars on the Odoriko. You have two choices, and they cost the same:
- Reserved seat. You choose the train and the seat. This is the one we suggest.
- Seat-unspecified ticket (zaseki mishitei-ken, 座席未指定券). No seat of your own. You board and sit in any seat whose ceiling lamp is red.
If you have a seat-unspecified ticket, read the small lamp above each seat:
- Red: nobody has booked this seat. You can sit here.
- Yellow: someone boards at the next stop. Be ready to move.
- Green: reserved. Do not sit here unless it is yours.
The sea-side seat and your luggage
Ask for seat A. From Tokyo it is on the left side facing forward, and that is the sea side once the train leaves Atami. On the way back to Tokyo the sea is on your right, so ask for "the sea side" rather than a letter.
For a large suitcase, use the luggage space at the end of cars 1 and 9. Smaller bags can go on the rack above your seat.
If you have a rail pass
Japan Rail Pass. It covers JR lines only, which on this route means as far as Ito. Izu-Kogen is on the Izukyu Line, a private railway. You ride through on the same train, but you pay the Izukyu fare from Ito separately, on board or at the gate. If you already hold a pass for a longer trip in Japan, use it to Ito and pay the rest. For a round trip to Izu-Kogen alone, the pass costs far more than two Odoriko tickets, so do not buy one just for this trip.
JR TOKYO Wide Pass. Our guidebook lists it at ¥16,000 for 3 consecutive days, for foreign passport holders. It covers the Izukyu Line and Odoriko reserved seats, but it costs more than a round trip to Izu-Kogen. It only pays off if you use it for other trips in its area within the same three days. Check the current price and rules on JR East's pass page.
The Saphir Odoriko
The Saphir Odoriko runs on the same line and also goes direct to Izu-Kogen. Every seat is Green Car or above, and the train has a Premium Green car, Green private compartments and a cafeteria car. Every seat must be reserved; there are no seat-unspecified tickets.
It costs well above a regular Odoriko seat, and seats are limited, with the compartments and the Premium Green car going first. Book as early as you can and check the fare when you book. If you want to try it once, our suggestion is to take the regular Odoriko down and the Saphir home.
Once you are in Izu-Kogen
From Izu-Kogen, the Izukyu Line runs south along the coast to Izukyu-Shimoda. If you plan to ride it on two or three days in a row, the Izukyu Discovery Pass is for foreign visitors and covers the line between Ito and Izukyu-Shimoda. According to Izukyu, it also lets you use vacant ordinary-car seats on the Odoriko. It does not cover JR from Tokyo to Ito, and you exchange the e-ticket at a station before you board.
Questions we get
How long does the Odoriko take?
About 2 hours (2 h 01 min in the September 2026 timetable), direct from Tokyo Station with no change of train. Timetables change, so check the current times when you book.
Can I ride from Tokyo unreserved?
Only with a seat-unspecified ticket, which costs the same as a reserved seat. You sit in any seat whose ceiling lamp is red. There are no non-reserved cars, so we suggest buying a reserved seat.
Where do I put a large suitcase?
Use the luggage space at the end of cars 1 and 9. Smaller bags can go on the rack above your seat.
Which side is the sea?
From Tokyo, seat A on the left side facing forward; the sea appears after Atami. On the way back to Tokyo the sea is on your right, so ask for the sea side when you book.
Does the Japan Rail Pass cover this trip?
Only as far as Ito. Izu-Kogen is on the Izukyu Line, a private railway, so you pay the fare from Ito separately, on board or at the gate. You stay on the same train.
Is the Saphir Odoriko worth it?
If you want the train ride to be part of the trip, yes: every seat is Green Car or above and there is a cafeteria car. It costs well above a regular seat and seats are limited, so book early and check the fare when you book.