Formula 1

How to Get to Suzuka Circuit for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2026

Guides • Public Transportation • Uncategorized | 2025-11-30

The Japanese Grand Prix 2026 is scheduled on March 27 to March 29 at the iconic Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture. Just outside Nagoya—Japan’s fourth-largest city—the Tokai region is known as the heart of the country’s automotive and aerospace industries. Thanks to Japan’s excellent rail network, Suzuka is also one of the most accessible Formula 1 circuits in the world. Here’s how to get there and make the most of your trip.

Suzuka Circuit location: Orange line = Tokaido Shinkansen, Blue line = Sanyo Shinkansen

Public Transportation Options

Train: Where to get off

There are 3 stations you can use to access the circuit.

1. Suzuka Circuit Ino Station (JR and Ise Raiway)

  • Ise Railway Station is served by JR trains from Nagoya and Tsu.
  • Walking distance to the circuit.
  • Trains make a special stop on the race day.
  • Not an accessible station (No elevator or escalator).

2. Shiroko Station: (Kintetsu Railway)

  • The Most commonly used station with frequent service from Nagoya and Osaka.
  • Shuttle buses frequently operate to the circuit. The shuttle bus uses a dedicated road to avoid traffic.
  • 1 hour walk to/ from the circuit.
  • Taxi stand is available.
  • Many shuttle buses use low-floor wheel chair accessible bus.
  • Accessible station.

3. Hiratacho Station: (Kintetsu Railway)

  • Least crowded station since it requires 1 hour walk to/ from the circuit.
  • No bus service available.
  • Always need to connect at Ise-Wakamatsu station for the Kintetsu main line.
  • Best option if you want to avoid crowds.
  • Taxi stand is available.
  • Both Hiratacho and Ise-Wakamatsu stations are accessible.

Reserved Buses and Shuttle Buses

In recent years, F1 organizers have partnered with travel agencies and bus companies to operate reserved direct buses from major train stations. These buses offer guaranteed seats and a comfortable ride. However, traffic near the circuit can be heavy, so allow extra time for delays.

From Nagoya

  • Nagoya Station (Shinkansen connection): Mar 27 (Fri), Mar 28 (Sat), Mar 29 (Sun)
  • Sakae Oasis 21 Bus Terminal: Mar 28 (Sat), Mar 29 (Sun)
  • Kanayama Station: Mar 28 (Sat), Mar 29 (Sun)

From Kyoto

  • Kyoto Station (Shinkansen connection): Mar 27–29
  • Omiya Station (Hankyu Railway): Mar 29 only

From Osaka

  • Shin-Osaka Station (Shinkansen connection): Mar 27–29
  • JR Namba Station: Mar 27–29

From Nara

  • Nara Station (Kintetsu): Mar 28–29

Other Areas (Closer to Suzuka)

  • Shiroko Station: Mar 27 (reserved); Mar 28–29 (non-reserved shuttles)
  • Kasado Station: Mar 28–29
  • Kameyama Station: Mar 28–29
  • Kameyama Park & Ride: Mar 28–29
  • Tsu Station: Mar 28–29
  • Tsu Nagisa Town (airport access): Mar 29 Only
  • Tsuge Station: Mar 28–29
  • Toyota-shi Station: Mar 28–29
  • Higashi Okazaki Station: Mar 28–29
  • Gifu-Hashima Station (Shinkansen Access): Mar 28–29
  • Gifu Stations: Mar 28–29

Taxi

You can take a taxi from various locations. Just like taking a bus, it is likely to get stuck in traffic but it is an option.

Getting there

Suzuka Circuit Access Map (Suzuka circuit website)

From Tokyo & Nagoya

If you’re coming from Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya. From Nagoya, your main options are:

1. Reserved Bus from Nagoya Station, Kanayama, or Sakae

2. Kintetsu Train to Shiroko Station → Shuttle Bus

  • The most popular and frequent route.
  • Between Nagoya and Shiroko, Kintetsu runs Limited Express (reserved) and Express (non-reserved) trains every 6–7 times per hour.
  • IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA) are accepted for both the train and shuttle bus.
  • Physical tickets can also be purchased on-site.

3. JR Train to Suzuka Circuit Ino Station → Walk

  • Several JR trains make special stops at Suzuka Circuit Ino on race days:
    • Rapid “Mie” – optional seat reservation (recommended)
    • Limited Express “Nanki” – seat reservation required
    • Limited Express “Suzuka Grand Prix” – race-day special, seat reservation required
    • Special Rapid Trains – race-day only, no reservation required
  • Booking opens March 1, 2026, for all race-day services (Mar 28–29).
  • Reservations can be made at any JR ticket office (Narita, Kansai, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Nagoya, Kyoto, etc.)
  • Online booking: enter “Tsu” as your destination or origin (Suzuka Circuit Ino will not appear as an option so you should just book a seat to Tsu).
  • Note: IC cards cannot be used on the Ise Railway; purchase a paper ticket at the station.

From Osaka

  • Kintetsu Limited Express to Shiroko → Shuttle Bus.
  • Kintetsu Limited Express to Tsu → Reserved Bus.
  • Kintetsu Limited Express to Tsu → Ise Railway → Suzuka Circuit Ino (less crowded than Nagoya route).
    • Exit through the gate with your Kintetsu ticket
    • Buy a separate Ise Railway ticket to Suzuka Circuit Ino (Purchase round trip)
    • Re-enter with your new ticket
  • Direct reserved buses from Shin-Osaka or JR Namba Stations.
  • Direct reserved bus from Nara station.
  • Alternatively, take the Shinkansen to Nagoya, then continue by direct bus, JR or Kintetsu as above.
Kintetsu runs limited express trains to Shiroko from Osaka

From Kyoto

  • Shinkansen to Nagoya, then transfer to Direct bus, JR or Kintetsu.
  • Kintetsu Limited Express via Yamato-Yagi to Shiroko, Tsu (for bus), or Tsu → Ise Railway → Suzuka Circuit Ino.
  • Direct reserved buses from Kyoto Station or Omiya Station (Hankyu).
  • Direct reserved buses from Nara Station.
  • JR West special train (race-day only) to Tsuge Station, then direct bus to Suzuka Circuit (bookable March 1, 2026, via JR West Reservations).

Accommodation Options

Accommodation near Suzuka Circuit is limited. The best base is Nagoya, which offers a wide range of hotels and vibrant nightlife.

If hotels in Nagoya are fully booked, consider staying in one of the nearby cities—all within a reasonable commuting distance to the circuit. As a rule of thumb, it’s generally easier to travel from the south, in cities such as Tsu, Matsusaka, or Ise, since trains from these areas tend to be less crowded on race days.

  • Kuwana
  • Yokkaichi
  • Tsu
  • Matsusaka
  • Ise
  • Nagoya Centrair Airport (NGO)

You can also stay near Nagoya Centrair Airport (NGO), where there are plenty of hotel options. A high-speed ferry connects the airport with Tsu Nagisamachi (Tsu Nagisa Town Port), offering a convenient route toward the circuit. On March 29, a direct bus runs from Tsu Nagisamachi to the circuit. Alternatively, you can take a taxi from the port to the circuit or to Tsu Station, where you can transfer to a train or another bus. Conveniently, the 07:00 ferry connects with the 07:55 bus to the circuit that morning—but be sure to book the bus in advance, as seats fill up quickly.

Recommendations

From Tokyo and Nagoya

If you’re traveling from Tokyo and prefer to avoid multiple connections, the easiest option is to book a direct bus from Nagoya Station, Sakae, or Kanayama Station. If those buses are sold out, try departing from Gifu-Hashima Station—the earliest Shinkansen from Tokyo arrives at 07:47, giving you just enough time to catch the 08:00 bus to Suzuka Circuit.

If the direct buses are unavailable, take the Kintetsu Line to Shiroko Station and transfer to a shuttle bus. Trains and shuttles on this route run frequently and can handle large crowds. It’s also a good idea to book a reserved seat on a Limited Express for a more comfortable ride.

Taking JR’s Rapid Mie, Limited Express Nanki, or the F1 Grand Prix special train. All are good options if you can secure a seat reservation. Reservations open on March 1, 2026, and sell out quickly. You should definitely book round-trip reserved seats or at least for the return trip, as the return trip after the race is usually way more crowded than the trip to the circuit. I would especialy consider this route for the return trip from the circuit.

You should also consider taking a Kameyama bound JR Kansai line local or Rapid train then take a direct bus from Kameyama or Kasado station. Those trains are less crowded than the ones that go to Suzuka Circuit Ino station.

Return from the circuit is a different story. The shuttle to Shiroko station takes time to board since the majority of the spectators are leaving at the same time, and causing the wait time reaching close to 1 hour. If you can wait at the circuit after the race, the wait for the shuttle reduces significantly. This is the reason why the back tracking method to take a train from Suzuka Circuit Ino station to Tsu then taking a Kintetsu Limited express to Nagoya makes sense. The train heading opposite from Nagoya is less crowded.

Going to the circuit (1 is the best option)

  1. Take a Direct Bus
  2. Kintetsu train to Shiroko -> Shuttle to the circuit
  3. JR Train (reserve seat) to Suzuka Circuit Ino -> walk to the circuit

Returning from the circuit

  1. Direct Bus
  2. Walk to Suzuka circuit Ino station -> JR Train (reserve seat) to Nagoya
  3. Walk to Suzuka circuit Ino station -> Ise Railway to Tsu -> Kintetsu train to Nagoya
  4. Walk to Hiratacho station -> Kintetsu train to Ise-Wakamatsu -> Kintetsu Train to Nagoya
  5. Shuttle or walk to Shiroko station -> Kintetsu train to Nagoya

From Osaka

From Osaka, the direct bus from Shin-Osaka Station or JR Namba Station is your most convenient choice. Other options are taking a direct bus from Nara or Kyoto. Otherwise, take the Kintetsu Limited Express to Shiroko, then continue by shuttle bus—or travel via Tsu, where you can transfer to the Ise Railway for a local train to Suzuka Circuit Ino is the most commonly used option.

Going back from the circuit, you should take a train from Suzuka Circuit Ino to Tsu then connect to a Kintetsu limited express to Osaka.

Going to the circuit

  1. Take a Direct Bus from Osaka or Nara or Kyoto
  2. Kintetsu train to Tsu -> Direct Bus to the Circuit
  3. Kintetsu train to Tsu -> Ise Railway to Suzuka Circuit Ino -> Walk to the Circuit
  4. Kintetsu train to Shiroko -> Shuttle to the circuit

Returning from the circuit

  1. Direct Bus
  2. Walk to Suzuka circuit Ino station -> Ise Railway to Tsu -> Kintetsu train to Osaka
  3. Shuttle or walk to Shiroko station -> Kintetsu train to Osaka

From Kyoto

From Kyoto, the direct bus from Kyoto Station or Omiya Station (Hankyu Line) is the best option. If buses are full, consider the routes from Gifu-Hashima or Nagoya instead. Alternatively, JR West operates a special race-day train from Kyoto to Tsuge Station, where you can connect to a direct bus to the circuit—an efficient route that cuts down on overall travel time.

Going to the circuit

  1. Take Direct Bus from Kyoto, Nara, Gifu-Hajima or Nagoya
  2. JR to Tsuge -> Direct Bus to the circuit
  3. Kintetsu train to Tsu -> Direct Bus to the Circuit
  4. Kintetsu train to Tsu -> Ise Railway to Suzuka Circuit Ino -> Walk to the Circuit
  5. Kintetsu train to Shiroko -> shuttle to the circuit

Returning from the circuit

  1. Direct Bus
  2. Walk to Suzuka circuit Ino station -> Ise Railway to Tsu -> Kintetsu train to Kyoto
  3. Shuttle or walk to Shiroko station -> Kintetsu train to Kyoto

Conclusion

Getting to Suzuka Circuit is surprisingly straightforward. Besides the crowds the circuit is fairly accesible by public transportation, especially there is the station walking distance from the cirucit. Now that Suzuka circuit and local bus companies are working togather to provide more direct access to the circuit from various locations in Japan, it is becoming more accesible than ever.