Shinjuku Station to Keio Bus Terminal

I am arriving from Shinagawa into Shinjuku Station and once at Shinjuku I need to go to Keio Bus Terminal to reserve our Matsumoto Bus ticket for our journey 4 days later.

Someone posted a route map walk inside Shinjuku Station to the bus terminal (towards Keio Shinjuku Station) and the route includes stairs up and down then up to the street level. http://gutereise09.blogspot.com/2008/08/navigation-from-jr-shinjuku-st...

Aren't there any route that you can take which doesn't require climbing stairs? We all have trolley bags and it would be so much better if staircases be minimised.

Secondly, isn't there any online reservation for the Matsumoto Line? I am worried that since there are 4-6 of us, leaving it to only 4 days advance booking, there may be no more tickets. We are traveling Shinjuku-Matsumoto Apr 16th, Matsumoto-Shinjuku Apr 25th.

Tq,
Mel

Aren't there any route that you can take which doesn't require climbing stairs?

Yes, from memory there is a lift up to street level at the West Exit. You can walk from there to the bus terminal.

We all have trolley bags and it would be so much better if staircases be minimised.

Maybe you can leave some of your group with the bags and one or two of you can go and buy the tickets if you are that worried about stairs. You could also check into your hotel and return to book without bags later that day or even the following day.

Secondly, isn't there any online reservation for the Matsumoto Line?

Not that I am aware of.

I am worried that since there are 4-6 of us, leaving it to only 4 days advance booking, there may be no more tickets.

Four days sounds like plenty of advanced time to me. I would be very surprised if they were sold out. Don't worry!

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks! I may take up your advice to leave the luggage with some while two go to the bus terminal. Actually it may be a good idea if we all exit the west exit and two of go by cab with all our luggage to the hotel (Toyoko Inn Kabukicho) since earlier I was wondering whether the cab can fit in all the four of us plus luggage. They can wait at the hotel while the other two go to the bus terminal. Then since there is no luggage we can just go to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station to catch the Oedo Line to Higashi Shinjuku Station, which is nearer to the hotel. Is this an OK plan? Or should the two just wait near the West Exit and we go together to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station? Are there elevators and escalators at both these stations?

Thanks! I may take up your advice to leave the luggage with some while two go to the bus terminal.

No worries.

Actually it may be a good idea if we all exit the west exit and two of go by cab with all our luggage to the hotel (Toyoko Inn Kabukicho) since earlier I was wondering whether the cab can fit in all the four of us plus luggage.

Makes sense.

They can wait at the hotel while the other two go to the bus terminal. Then since there is no luggage we can just go to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station to catch the Oedo Line to Higashi Shinjuku Station, which is nearer to the hotel. Is this an OK plan?

Seems fine. Depending on what time you arrive, it may be easier for them to meet you back at Shinjuku and continue on sightseeing.

Or should the two just wait near the West Exit and we go together to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station?

Whatever suits.

Are there elevators and escalators at both these stations?

I think so.
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/shinjuku-nishiguchi/i/...

Thanks for the Shinjuku Nishiguchi station map. Are all the D1-D5 in yellow the station exits?

Would you be able to send me the Higashi Shinjuku station map as well, please?

I read somewhere that the bus terminal is 4 min walk from Toei Oedo Line, Keio New line Exit 3 and 5. Is this referring to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station?

We plan to go to Asakusa right after dropping off our luggage at the hotel. Thus, it is better to use the Higashi Shinjuku Station since it is nearer. Thus, no more returning to Shinjuku Station.

Thanks again!
Mel

Thanks for the Shinjuku Nishiguchi station map. Are all the D1-D5 in yellow the station exits?

Yes.
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/shinjuku-nishiguchi/i/...

Would you be able to send me the Higashi Shinjuku station map as well, please?

http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/higashi-shinjuku/e02.h...
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/higashi-shinjuku/i/sol...

I read somewhere that the bus terminal is 4 min walk from Toei Oedo Line, Keio New line Exit 3 and 5.

Here?
https://www.highwaybus.com/html/gp/foreign/en/access/index.html

Is this referring to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station?

Yes, it is on the Toei Oedo Line.

We plan to go to Asakusa right after dropping off our luggage at the hotel. Thus, it is better to use the Higashi Shinjuku Station since it is nearer. Thus, no more returning to Shinjuku Station.

Ok.

Thanks for the maps.

Re the info about the exits of Shinjuku Nishiguchi from the bus terminal - How come it draws attention to exits 3 and 5 from the Bus Terminal (being 4 minutes away) when those are the furthest? The nearest exit from the Bus Terminal is D1, no?

Toei Oedo Line, Keio New line Exit 3 and 5. Is this referring to the Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station?

This seems to refer to Shinjuku Station, not Shinjuku-Nishiguchi.
There Keio's new line (called "shinsen") and Toei subway Shinjuku Line are connected, and Toei subway Oedo Line lies above them.
Exit 3 sounds best.
- hthttp://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/shinjuku/i/solid_s.gif

I need to go to Keio Bus Terminal to reserve our Matsumoto Bus ticket

I guess South Gate is better for Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal.
You see "Taxi" near South Gate on the station map.
- http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e866.html
And, as you see on a ground route map available from the highwaybus.com webpage, the route is very simple.
- https://www.highwaybus.com/html/gp/foreign/en/access/img/map_03.gif
You will get out via South Gate, turn right, walk a while, cross a long pedestrian crossing, turn right (courting this block as the 1st), walk until the 3rd block, and find the building on your left around the 3rd block's further end.
The above-mentioned Exit 3 is on the 3rd block.
(Name boards of banks are not good markers; there are shops of plural banking companies of Mizuho group and Mitsubishi UFJ group, and name boards of the same group look similar.)

It might help you if you know how the building's name looks like in Japanese, which can be checked on Google Map.
- http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.6898433,+139.6983599+(Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal)&hl=en&z=18

Enjoy your trips!

Oops!
NOT: The above-mentioned Exit 3 is on the 3rd block.
BUT: The above-mentioned Exit 3 is on the 1st block.

Thanks! So I will send off the other two with the luggage to a cab stand outside South Exit before heading with another friend to the bus terminal. Looks simple enough.
Is it easy for us to go to Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station afterwards? 3 minutes walk?

Sorry for another typo.
NOT: and Toei subway Oedo Line lies above them
BUT: and Toei subway Oedo Line lies below them
(I had noticed it but did send an older edition....)
And, let me replace the link by the following. The station code for Shinjuku on Oedo Line is E-27.
- http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/shinjuku/i/solid_e.gif
Oedo Line's tracks lie deepest on the 7th basement (!!).

On your way from JR Shinjuku Station to the bus terminal, you will encounter Entrance / Exit 3 with Keio's "KEIO" logo and a green-leaf logo (used for Toei transportations) on a signboard.
- http://logomarkmania.up.d.seesaa.net/logomarkmania/railrwaycompany/kei...
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Symbol_flag_of_Toky...
After reserving your bus and buying your tickets, you can walk back a little, and turn around to Entrance 3. (There is a staircase but you will not have bags at that time.)
You will catch a train at Track 7 then make a transfer in Tochomae to Track 2, changing platforms.
- http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/tochomae/i/solid.gif
- http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/pdf/routemap_en.pdf

To get from your hotel to the bus terminal, it sounds better to take a taxi.
A walking route from Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Station is not as simple as that from Shinjuku of subway.

My original plan for getting from the bus terminal to the hotel was to walk to Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station to catch the Oedo Line to Higashi Shinjuku.

Your advice is for me to re-enter Shinjuku Station at Exit 3, go down to Track 7 and board the Oedo Line to Tochomae. At Tochomae change train to Track 2 to go to Higashi Shinjuku? And this Exit 3 is on the first block right where the zebra crossing is...

This is a shorter route than walking to Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station? But with a staircase going down?

How about choosing a non-JR route and heading for the bus terminal and for your Shinjuku hotel both from Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station?
Generally, walking back on the same way is easier and can be time-saving than walking on a way which is new to you.

I wonder why you choose JR-East. Do you have another purpose which will require you to take a JR route on that day?
If you arrive via JR-East to Shinjuku, then Shinjuku of Toei & Keio sounds far better than Shinjuku-nishiguchi.

You have already noticed that Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station is good in reaching your Shinjuku hotel, because it's next to the nearest Higashi-shinjuku Station, and not very bad in reaching the bus terminal.

In another thread I have already mentioned a simple non-JR route for you to get to Higashi-shinjuku without going up / down in Tochomae or using a staircase.
(In its subway part, a train runs counterclockwise on Oedo Line, so you will get to Higashi-shinjuku a bit earlier than Shinjuku-nishiguchi.)
- http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+95657
If some of the travelers can carry all baggage, then they can get off at Higashi-shinjuku and head for the hotel, and others can get off at Shinjuku-nishiguchi and head for the bus terminal. If the baggage is too much, all can head for the hotel first.

I think I prefer going via Shinjuku since it is much faster (50 min). Also not all trains stop in Daimon. The exit 3 looks ok, I just wanted to be clear about that route, that's all. As long as when we travel with luggage we have access to escalators/elevators, which seems to be the case at Otorii, Shinagawa and Shinjuku.

Hi omotenashi,

From this map of Shinjuku Station Oedo Line http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/shinjuku/i/solid_e.gif

I see that the elevator nearest to Exit 3 reaches B5F. How do I get from B5F to B7F (I don't see any stairs or escalator connection in the map). or I need to get off the elevator at B4F then take the escalator to B7F?

Thanks,
Mel

It seems you can take two elevators to reach the 7th basement floor, changing them on the 4th basement floor.
(I will confirm that within a few days. Since the midsummer I have been thinking of a Matsumoto trip in this autumn. I would like to check in advance my routes to and around Shinjuku Station of Toei & Keio.)

I think I prefer going via Shinjuku since it is much faster (50 min). Also not all trains stop in Daimon.

Not all trains run from Otorii for Shinagawa, so the situations will be about the same as to this point.
You will start around 10 am, so I guess it will be easy to ask a station attendant which train to take.

Ooh... Autumn should be so nice... If you are going by the Keio Bus I would really appreciate it if you could help me check whether their block ticket could be shared by different people traveling together at the same time?

I will travel with 3 other friends from Shinjuku to Matsomoto on Apr 16th then return on the 25th. I know that they sell tickets in block. Individual ticket at \3400; Block of 2 at \5950; block of 4 at \11900. Can these blocks be split and shared? If can then the four of us just buy 1 block to go and 1 block for return. Then we only need to pay \2975 each instead of \3400 per one way. Our travel is not valid for a round trip ticket since that must be completed within a week. I really can’t find an answer to this query and would really appreciate an answer…

I visited the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal.

It took me less than 5 minutes, with luggage weighing about 5kg, to get from Exit 3 of Shinjuku Station of Toei & Keio to the small ticket office on the 2nd floor.
I guess it will take you 10 minutes or so to get from JR Shinjuku Station South Exit without luggage.

Ads and signboards by Yodobashi Camera were more eye-catching than name boards of the building.
An staircase nearest to the office was near elevators.
The office could be reached also through Yodobashi Camera's selling spaces.

I had to pull a numbered card from a machine.
Credit cards of some brands were acceptable, but I recommend you prepare enough cash because a payment on credit could be canceled only via the ticket office.

Then we only need to pay 2975 yen each instead of 3400 yen per one way

Discounted tickets can be shared.
("Block ticket" sounds not easy for Japanese to understand.)
A counter attendant would try to make the fares lowest if you show your requests on a piece of paper.
e.g.
: We have not yet booked our buses.
: We are 4 travelers.
: April __ from Shinjuku (07:50) to Matsumoto
: April __ from Matsumoto (__:__)to Shinjuku
: Hoping to be seated right-left / backward-forward

I see that the elevator nearest to Exit 3 reaches B5F.
I need to get off the elevator at B4F then take the escalator to B7F?

There was a chain of 3 staircases between Exit 3 and B1F.
The nearest elevator could stop also at B4F.
The two elevators were located about 120 meters apart at different ends of B4F.
I found 2 sets of 3 escalators between two elevators.
I suppose at least 1 escalator in each set will be operated downstairs to B7F.

Thanks so much for all the info. Another thing, Exit 3... Is it just staircase up to the street level or is there an escalator/elevator? i am also studying the option of staying at other Toyoko Inn since I don't really like the immediate vicinity of the Toyoko Inn Shinjuku Babukicho... There is a Toyoko Inn near to Kasuga Station... Which, if we decide to stay, we'll need to travel by Oedo Line from Kasuga Station to Exit 3...