Given its elongated shape, Nagasaki's sights are all fairly spread out. However, it's one of the easier cities for getting around thanks mainly to its cheap and easy tram system . There are four lines, numbered 1 to 5 (#2 is missing), each identified and colour coded on the front. The two north-south lines (#1 and #3) are the most handy, running from either side of the downtown area to meet at the station and then continuing north to the A-Bomb sights. To reach the Glover Garden area, however, you'll need Line 5 for Ishibashi; you can transfer onto this line at Tsuki-machi - ask for a transfer ticket ( norikae-ken ). Trams run from approximately 6.30am to 11pm, though check the timetables at each stop for precise times, and there's a flat fare of ¥100 which you feed into the driver's box on exit. Alternatively, you can buy a one-day pass (¥500) at the information centres and hotels, but not on the trams themselves. While you're clanking along, take a look around: some of these trolley-cars are museum pieces - the oldest dates from 1911 - which were snapped up when other Japanese cities were merrily ripping up their tramlines.

City buses are more complicated, but the only time you're likely to need them is getting to the Inasa-yama ropeway . In this case you need a Nagasaki Bus (#3 or #4) from a stop on the road outside Nagasaki Station. The normal system operates: take a numbered ticket on entry and pay the driver as you get off according to the fare-display board.