Interactive Visualizations

Two operators, two ticketing systems, one very walkable set of interchanges. The elevated BTS Skytrain (two lines, Sukhumvit and Silom) and the underground/monorail MRT (Blue, Purple, Yellow, Pink) are run by different companies, so historically you bought a separate ticket for each — but contactless bank cards (Visa/Mastercard) and the stored-value Rabbit Card (BTS) now smooth most of that over. You tap in and tap out at the gates, and fares are by distance.

What it costs (indicative)

Fares are indicative single-journey ranges and change with distance and operator promotions — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.

The interchanges that matter

• Siam — the heart of the BTS: the only place the Sukhumvit and Silom Skytrain lines cross. Also Bangkok's mall district (Siam Paragon, MBK).
• Asok / Sukhumvit — BTS Sukhumvit meets MRT Blue. Terminal 21 mall sits on top; Soi Cowboy is a block away.
• Sala Daeng / Si Lom — BTS Silom meets MRT Blue, at the top of the Silom business-and-nightlife strip (Patpong).
• Mo Chit / Chatuchak Park — BTS Sukhumvit meets MRT Blue at the giant Chatuchak Weekend Market.
• Phaya Thai — BTS Sukhumvit meets the Airport Rail Link. This is your fast, cheap ride to Suvarnabhumi.
• Bang Sue / Krung Thep Aphiwat — the vast new Grand Central Terminal: MRT Blue, both SRT Red lines, and long-distance trains, plus the Red Line link toward Don Mueang (DMK) airport.

Rides worth planning around

• Grand Palace & Wat Pho — take the MRT Blue Line to Sanam Chai, the beautiful temple-themed station that put the old town on the metro for the first time.
• Wat Arun & the river — ride BTS Silom to Saphan Taksin, walk down to Sathorn (Central) Pier, and hop a Chao Phraya boat.
• ICONSIAM — the riverside mega-mall is a short ride on the little Gold Line from Krung Thon Buri to Khlong San.
• Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) — Airport Rail Link from Phaya Thai or Makkasan. Don Mueang (DMK) is reached via the SRT Dark Red Line from Bang Sue.

Etiquette & tickets

• No eating or drinking on trains or platforms — it's enforced with fines.
• Let passengers off before boarding; stand on the right of escalators.
• Grab a Rabbit Card for the BTS if you're staying a while; a contactless Visa/Mastercard works on the MRT and the Airport Rail Link.
• Trains run roughly 06:00–midnight; they get genuinely packed at morning and evening rush.

Open the interactive Bangkok map →

Tokyo's rail map looks terrifying and rides easily. The key is a rechargeable IC card — Suica or Pasmo (or the same thing in Apple/Google Wallet). Tap in and tap out at every gate and it just works across all the operators: JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei, and the private lines. You never need to understand the fare zones; the gate does the maths. Buy one at any station, or add it to your phone before you land.

One thing worth knowing: JR (which runs the Yamanote loop and the Chuo-Sobu line) and the subways (Tokyo Metro and Toei) are separate companies. Transferring between them means tapping out of one and into the other, so plan routes that stay on one operator where you can — the Yamanote loop alone reaches most of what you came to see.

What it costs (indicative)

Fares are indicative and vary by distance and operator — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.

The interchanges that matter

• Shinjuku — the busiest station on Earth, where the Yamanote, Chuo-Sobu, Marunouchi and Oedo lines (and a tangle of private railways) collide. Follow the exit numbers, not your instincts.
• Tokyo Station — the Yamanote and Marunouchi lines and every Shinkansen; gateway to the Imperial Palace and Marunouchi.
• Otemachi — the great subway knot: Marunouchi, Tozai, Chiyoda and Hanzomon all cross here.
• Ueno — the Yamanote, Ginza and Hibiya lines, plus Keisei trains to Narita.
• Shibuya & Ikebukuro — the other two great hubs on the loop, each a shopping city in itself.

Rides worth planning around

• Senso-ji & Skytree — Ginza line to Asakusa for old Tokyo, then the Toei Asakusa or Hanzomon line one stop to Oshiage for Tokyo Skytree.
• Shibuya, Harajuku & Meiji Shrine — three stops in a row on the west of the Yamanote loop; do them in one sweep.
• Odaiba — ride the driverless Yurikamome from Shimbashi out over the Rainbow Bridge to the bayside island.
• Tsukiji & sushi — the Hibiya line to Tsukiji for the outer market, or the Oedo line to Tsukijishijo.
• The airports — Narita (NRT) via the Keisei Skyliner from Ueno/Nippori or the JR N'EX; Haneda (HND) via the Monorail from Hamamatsucho or Keikyu from Shinagawa.

Etiquette & tickets

• Trains are quiet. Keep phones on silent, don't take calls, and keep conversations low.
• Queue on the platform markings and let people off before you board.
• Late-night and early-morning carriages nearest the front are often women-only at rush hour — watch for the pink signs.
• Get a Suica or Pasmo (or the phone version) — it turns the whole network into one tap.

Open the interactive Tokyo map →

Taipei's MRT is one of the easiest metros in Asia for a visitor. It's clean and quiet, every sign and announcement is in English, the trains are frequent, and fares are cheap and by distance. Buy a rechargeable EasyCard (悠遊卡) at any station or convenience store — it works on the metro, buses, the Maokong Gondola, YouBike share bikes, and even to pay at 7-Eleven. Tap in and tap out at the gates.

What it costs (indicative)

Fares are indicative and change with distance and promotions — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.

The interchanges that matter

• Taipei Main Station — the giant central hub where the Red and Blue metro lines, the Airport MRT, and high-speed and regular rail all meet. Easy to get lost in; follow the colour-coded signs.
• Zhongxiao Fuxing — Blue line meets the Brown Wenhu line, in the middle of the SOGO department-store shopping belt.
• CKS Memorial Hall — Red meets Green at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial and its huge ceremonial plaza.
• Ximen — Blue meets Green at Ximending, Taipei's neon pedestrian shopping quarter.
• Guting & Dongmen — the Orange line's crossings with Green and Red; Dongmen is the stop for Yongkang Street and the original Din Tai Fung.

Rides worth planning around

• Taipei 101 & the view — Red line to Taipei 101/World Trade Center, or one more stop to Xiangshan for the Elephant Mountain climb and the classic skyline photo.
• Beitou hot springs & Tamsui sunsets — ride the Red line north: Beitou for the thermal bathhouses, all the way to Tamsui for the riverside old street at dusk.
• Night markets — Jiantan (Red) for Shilin, Songshan (Green) for Raohe, Longshan Temple (Blue) for the old town.
• Maokong Gondola — take the Brown line to its southern end at Taipei Zoo and ride the cable car up to the tea houses.
• Taoyuan Airport (TPE) — the purple Airport MRT runs from Taipei Main Station; the express takes about 35–40 minutes.

Etiquette & tickets

• No eating or drinking anywhere in the paid area — not even water or gum. It's enforced with fines, and locals take it seriously.
• The dark-blue priority seats are left empty out of courtesy even when the carriage is full.
• Queue on the platform markings, and stand on the right of escalators.
• Grab an EasyCard — it's cheaper than single tickets and works on almost everything.

Open the interactive Taipei map →

Kuala Lumpur's rail once felt like several unrelated systems, and to a degree it still is — but a single stored-value Touch ’n Go card now taps you through nearly all of it: the two LRT lines, the two MRT lines, and the KL Monorail (all run by Rapid KL), plus the KTM Komuter trains. Tap in and tap out at the gates; fares are cheap and by distance. The one thing that isn't quite seamless is that almost everything funnels through KL Sentral, so you'll pass through it a lot.

What it costs (indicative)

Fares are indicative and change with distance and promotions — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.

The interchanges that matter

• KL Sentral — the great hub: the Kelana Jaya LRT, the Monorail, KTM Komuter and the KLIA Ekspres all meet here, with the MRT a covered walk away at Muzium Negara.
• Masjid Jamek — the Kelana Jaya and Ampang/Sri Petaling LRT lines cross at the historic river confluence and Merdeka Square.
• Titiwangsa — the Ampang line, the MRT Putrajaya line and the Monorail all meet by the Lake Gardens.
• Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) — the MRT Kajang and Putrajaya lines cross at the new financial district and its mall.

Rides worth planning around

• Petronas Towers — the Kelana Jaya LRT to KLCC, right under the towers and the park.
• Bukit Bintang — the MRT Kajang line or the Monorail to KL's shopping-and-street-food heart (Jalan Alor after dark).
• Batu Caves — the KTM Komuter straight from KL Sentral to the cave temples and their giant golden statue.
• Chinatown & the old town — Pasar Seni for Petaling Street and Central Market, Masjid Jamek for Merdeka Square.
• KLIA airport — the purple KLIA Ekspres from KL Sentral, about 28 minutes non-stop.

Etiquette & tickets

• The first coach on the LRT and MRT is often women-only during busy hours — look for the pink markings.
• No eating or drinking inside the paid area, and let people off before you board.
• Get a Touch ’n Go card — it's cheaper than tokens and works on the tolls and many shops too.
• Trains run roughly 06:00 to midnight; they fill up fast at rush hour.

Open the interactive Kuala Lumpur map →

The MTR is the easiest world-class metro to ride: everything is in English, trains come every couple of minutes, and one card does it all. Buy a rechargeable Octopus card (or add it to your phone) — it taps you through every MTR gate, plus buses, trams, the Star Ferry, convenience stores and most fast food. Tap in and tap out; fares are by distance and cheap. The one splurge is the Airport Express, which is fast and comfortable but costs many times a normal fare.

What it costs (indicative)

Fares are indicative and change with distance and promotions — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.

The interchanges that matter

• Central & Admiralty — the business core and the network's great hub, where the Island, Tsuen Wan, South Island and East Rail lines converge. Central also links by walkway to Hong Kong station for the Airport Express.
• Mong Kok & Prince Edward — the Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong lines cross in the thick of Kowloon's markets.
• Kowloon Tong — the Kwun Tong line meets the East Rail line toward Sha Tin and the mainland border.
• Tai Wai & Diamond Hill — where the long Tuen Ma line crosses the East Rail and Kwun Tong lines in the New Territories.

Rides worth planning around

• Tsim Sha Tsui — the Tsuen Wan line to the harbourfront promenade, the museums, and the Star Ferry back to Central.
• Victoria Peak — Island line to Central, then the Peak Tram up for the classic skyline view.
• The Big Buddha — the Tung Chung line to its end, then the Ngong Ping cable car up to Lantau's giant seated Buddha.
• Theme parks — the South Island line to Ocean Park, or the pink Disneyland Resort line off Sunny Bay.
• The airport (HKG) — the Airport Express from Hong Kong or Kowloon station, ~24 minutes and with in-town check-in.

Etiquette & tickets

• No eating or drinking anywhere in the paid area — it's enforced with a fine.
• Stand on the right of escalators, and leave the priority seats free.
• Let passengers off before boarding; queue on the platform markings.
• Get an Octopus card — it's the key to the whole city, not just the MTR.

Open the interactive Hong Kong map →

Singapore's MRT is arguably the easiest metro in the world to use: air-conditioned, immaculately signed in English, and reaching almost everywhere a visitor goes. You don't even need a special card — just tap in and tap out with a contactless Visa or Mastercard (or Apple/Google Pay) using SimplyGo, and the gate works out the fare. Prefer a local card? Buy an EZ-Link. Either way, fares are cheap and by distance.

What it costs (indicative)

Fares are indicative and change with distance and promotions — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.

The interchanges that matter

• Dhoby Ghaut — the network's heart, where the North-South, North East and Circle lines meet at the top of Orchard Road.
• City Hall & Raffles Place — the twin CBD interchanges of the North-South and East-West lines, in the colonial and financial core.
• Outram Park — three lines (East-West, North East, Thomson-East Coast) beside Chinatown.
• Promenade & Bayfront — the Circle and Downtown lines around Marina Bay, for the Sands and Gardens by the Bay.

Rides worth planning around

• Marina Bay — the Downtown line to Bayfront for Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.
• Orchard Road — the North-South or Thomson-East Coast line to Orchard for the shopping.
• Chinatown & Little India — two vivid neighbourhoods, both on the North East and Downtown lines.
• Sentosa — the North East or Circle line to HarbourFront, then the cable car or boardwalk across.
• Changi Airport (SIN) — the East-West line's Changi branch, and don't skip Jewel even if you're not flying.

Etiquette & tickets

• No eating or drinking on trains or in stations — and yes, they do fine you (durians are banned outright).
• Let people off before you board, and keep the reserved seats free.
• Stand on the left of escalators (Singapore walks on the right).
• Just tap a contactless card — no need to queue for tickets at all.

Open the interactive Singapore map →

Osaka's subway is run by Osaka Metro, and JR plus a tangle of private railways (Hankyu, Hanshin, Nankai, Kintetsu, Keihan) fill in the rest. A rechargeable ICOCA card (or any IC card — they're nationwide now) taps you through all of it; a contactless bank card increasingly works too. Tap in and tap out; fares are by distance. If you'll sightsee hard, the Osaka Amazing Pass bundles unlimited subway rides with free entry to many attractions.

What it costs (indicative)

The interchanges that matter

• Umeda / Osaka — the vast northern hub (Kita), where the Midosuji subway meets JR Osaka Station and the Hankyu and Hanshin terminals.
• Namba — the southern hub (Minami) for Dotonbori, with the Midosuji, Yotsubashi and Sennichimae lines and the Nankai and Kintetsu terminals.
• Honmachi — the Midosuji, Chuo and Yotsubashi lines cross in the business core.
• Tennoji — the Midosuji and Tanimachi subways and the JR Loop, by Shitennoji temple and Abeno Harukas.

Rides worth planning around

• Dotonbori & Shinsaibashi — the Midosuji Line to Namba or Shinsaibashi for the neon, the food, and the shopping arcade.
• Osaka Castle — the JR Loop to Osakajokoen, or the Chuo/Tanimachi lines to Morinomiya or Tanimachi 4-chome.
• Shinsekai & Tsutenkaku — the Midosuji or Sakaisuji line to Dobutsuen-mae or Ebisucho for retro Osaka.
• Universal Studios Japan — the JR Loop to Nishikujo, then the Yumesaki line to Universal City.
• Osaka Aquarium — the Chuo Line west to Osakako.

Etiquette & tickets

• Trains are quiet — phones on silent, no calls.
• Note the local quirk: in Osaka people stand on the right of escalators (the opposite of Tokyo).
• No eating on commuter trains; let people off before boarding.
• Get an ICOCA (or use any IC card / your phone) — one tap for every operator.

Open the interactive Osaka map →

Seoul's metro is enormous, spotless, and gloriously cheap, with everything signed in English and Korean. Buy a rechargeable T-money card at any convenience store or station machine, tap in and tap out, and transfers between lines (and to buses) are free or discounted within a time window. The circular Line 2 strings together most of what you came for.

What it costs (indicative)

The interchanges that matter

• City Hall & Jongno 3-ga — the old-town core, where Lines 1, 2, 3 and 5 meet by the palaces.
• Seoul Station — Lines 1 and 4, the KTX high-speed trains, and the Airport Railroad.
• Dongdaemun History & Culture Park — the DDP, where Lines 2, 4 and 5 converge amid the 24-hour malls.
• Gangnam & Sadang — the big southern transfers on the Line 2 loop.

Rides worth planning around

• Palaces & Bukchon — Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung and Anguk for the grand palace, the hanok village and Insadong.
• Myeongdong & N Seoul Tower — Line 4 to Myeongdong for shopping and street food, and the cable car up Namsan.
• Hongdae & Gangnam — the Line 2 loop to Hongik Univ for indie nightlife, or Gangnam for the glossy side.
• Itaewon — Line 6 for the city's most international food and bars.
• Incheon Airport (ICN) — the Airport Railroad from Seoul Station, about 43 minutes on the express.

Etiquette & tickets

• The pink/blue priority seats at car ends are left empty for the elderly, pregnant and disabled, even when the train is packed.
• Keep it quiet; no calls, and no eating on the train.
• Stand on the right of escalators, and queue on the platform markings.
• Get a T-money card — it works on the metro, buses, taxis and in convenience stores.

Open the interactive Seoul map →

The Delhi Metro is vast, air-conditioned and blessedly orderly — a cool refuge from the traffic and the heat, signed in English and Hindi. Buy a Delhi Metro smart card (or single-journey QR tickets), tap in and tap out, and expect an airport-style security check and bag scan at every station entrance — leave a little extra time. The first coach of every train is reserved for women.

What it costs (indicative)

The interchanges that matter

• Rajiv Chowk — the busy heart under Connaught Place, where the Yellow and Blue lines cross.
• Kashmere Gate — the Yellow, Red and Violet lines and the big inter-state bus terminal, at the edge of Old Delhi.
• Central Secretariat — the Yellow and Violet lines by the government quarter and India Gate.
• INA & Hauz Khas — the Yellow line's southern crossings with the Pink and Magenta lines.

Rides worth planning around

• Old Delhi — the Yellow line to Chandni Chowk, or the Violet line to Lal Qila, for the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the bazaars.
• Connaught Place & India Gate — the Yellow line to Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat.
• Qutub Minar — the Yellow line south for the great medieval tower.
• Lotus Temple & Akshardham — the Violet line to Kalkaji Mandir, and the Blue line to Akshardham.
• IGI Airport (DEL) — the orange Airport Express from New Delhi, about 20 minutes.

Etiquette & tickets

• The first coach is women-only — men shouldn't board it.
• Allow time for the security check and bag X-ray at every entrance.
• No eating or drinking; give up the reserved seats; let people off before boarding.
• Get a smart card — it skips the token queues, which get long at rush hour.

Open the interactive Delhi map →

One card runs the whole Bay Area: get a Clipper card (or just use the one in your phone wallet) and tap it on BART, Muni and the ferries alike. BART is the regional metro — tap in and out, fares are by distance — while Muni is San Francisco’s own network of streetcars and buses at a flat fare. The cable cars are Muni too, but with their own premium fare — and worth every cent once, gripping the running board as Hyde Street tips over toward Alcatraz.

What it costs (indicative)

The interchanges that matter

• Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell & Civic Center — the four Market Street stations where BART and the Muni Metro share the same stops, one above the other.
• Powell — step off BART straight onto the cable-car turntable at Powell & Market.
• MacArthur — where the Yellow and Red lines split for Walnut Creek or Berkeley.
• Bay Fair — where the Green and Blue lines part for San José or Dublin.

Rides worth planning around

• The Powell–Hyde cable car — board at the Powell turntable early (the queue builds by mid-morning) and ride over Nob Hill to Fisherman’s Wharf.
• The N Judah to Ocean Beach — through the Sunset to Golden Gate Park’s museums and the Pacific.
• The Red line to Downtown Berkeley — the campanile, Telegraph Avenue and the original gourmet ghetto.
• The Yellow line under the bay — the Transbay Tube dive to Oakland is half the fun; get off at Lake Merritt or 19th St for Uptown.
• 24th St Mission — murals, burritos and Dolores Park up the hill.

Etiquette & tickets

• No food or drink on BART — it’s enforced, and the trains are cleaner for it.
• On cable cars, hold on — and stay clear of the gripman’s levers; he needs the swing room.
• Tap the same card in and out on BART or you’ll pay the maximum fare.
• Muni lets you board by any door — just tap the reader as you step on.

Open the interactive San Francisco map →

Yes, LA has trains — six rail lines and counting, and they go where visitors actually go: under Hollywood Boulevard, out to the Santa Monica sand, down to Long Beach and (at last) to LAX. Get a TAP card from any station machine or add one to your phone wallet, and enjoy one of America’s cheapest fares: $1.75 flat with two hours of free transfers, capped at $5 a day no matter how much you ride.

What it costs (indicative)

The interchanges that matter

• 7th St/Metro Center — downtown’s hub, where the A, B, D and E lines all meet.
• Union Station — the beautiful 1939 terminal: A, B and D lines plus Amtrak, Metrolink and the FlyAway airport bus.
• Expo/Crenshaw — step between the E and the K.
• Willowbrook/Rosa Parks — the A–C transfer.
• LAX/Metro Transit Center — the C and K lines’ airport gateway, with a shuttle (soon the people mover) to the terminals.

Rides worth planning around

• The B line to Hollywood/Highland — surface right at the Walk of Fame and the Dolby; one more stop for the Universal Studios shuttle.
• The E line end to end — East LA to the Santa Monica pier in about 50 minutes; ride it into the sunset.
• The A line south — Watts Towers and the Long Beach waterfront; or north to Old Pasadena on the world’s longest light-rail line.
• Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill — pop out beside Disney Hall and The Broad.
• Little Tokyo and Mariachi Plaza — two of the best food stops on any US metro.

Etiquette & tickets

• Tap every time you board, even on a free transfer — that’s how the cap works (and what fare inspectors check).
• Trains run roughly 5am–midnight; check last trains for a late Hollywood night.
• Let riders off first, offer the fold-down seats, and keep bikes to the marked doors.
• Stand to the right on escalators — Angelenos walk the left.

Open the interactive Los Angeles map →

The subway is New York’s bloodstream: 24 hours a day, every day, for a flat $2.90. There’s nothing to buy — just tap a contactless card or your phone (OMNY) at the turnstile, and after enough rides in a week the rest are free. The one skill worth learning: express vs local. Trains sharing a color skip different stops — check the letter or number, and the little signs on the platform, before the doors close.

What it costs (indicative)

The interchanges that matter

• Times Sq–42 St — the busiest station in America; a warren linking the 1/2/3, 7, N/Q/R/W and A/C/E.
• Grand Central–42 St — the 4/5/6 and 7, plus Metro-North under the famous ceiling.
• Union Sq–14 St — 4/5/6, N/Q/R/W and L in one place.
• Fulton St — downtown’s hub, beside the Oculus and the 9/11 Memorial.
• Atlantic Av–Barclays Ctr — Brooklyn’s junction, with the LIRR to the beaches.

Rides worth planning around

• The 1 to South Ferry — then the free Staten Island Ferry straight past the Statue of Liberty.
• The Q or N over the Manhattan Bridge — the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge from the train window.
• The 7 to Flushing — the city’s biggest Chinatown, via the momo carts of Jackson Heights.
• The D, F, N or Q to Coney Island — the Cyclone, the boardwalk and Nathan’s hot dogs.
• The A to the Rockaways — surf beaches by subway in summer; AirTrain to JFK at Howard Beach.
• 86 St for the Met, 81 St for the dinosaurs — a museum on each side of Central Park.

Etiquette & tickets

• Let people off first, then move into the middle of the car — and take the backpack off.
• An empty car at rush hour is empty for a reason.
• Weekend service changes are a New York institution — glance at the MTA app before you ride.
• Tap the same card or phone every time so the weekly cap counts your rides.

Open the interactive New York map →