Transportation from Narita to Tokyo

Transportation from Narita to Tokyo

 Narita International Airport is 60km from the center of Tokyo, is the largest airport in Tokyo and the most expensive in terms of transportation access compared to Haneda Airport. We just have to be smart in choosing cheap and economical transportation to Tokyo, while sacrificing travel time.

This time Javamilk provides information on a number of transportation options from Narita Airport to downtown Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya and surrounding areas.

Oh yes, for your information, Narita Airport has 3 terminals, for terminals 1 and 2 there is its own train station, whereas if you land at Terminal 3 you have to take the free terminal shuttle bus (5 minutes) to Terminal 2 before you can take the train.

There are 3 big options for transportation from Narita to Tokyo: train, bus, and taxi. Prepare approximately 1 hour - 1.5 hours for travel time from the airport to the hotel. 

A taxi should be the last choice because the meter to Tokyo is around 2 million rupiah one-way.

If you arrive/depart via Haneda Airport, read the special article about Haneda Airport transportation.

In general, if you choose train transportation, you need to know the destination or location of your accommodation/hotel, because Tokyo is very big. So location determines which train you want to use and the price. Below is a map of the network.

If you arrive at Narita Airport and want to take a train (N'EX or Keisei), the train stations are at terminal 1 and terminal 2. Pay attention to the directions (involves going down an escalator several floors). For example, in Terminal 2, the train station area has a Keisei counter and a JR East counter (for N'EX), also the directions to the train will be separate between Keisei and NEX.

Narita Express (N'EX)

This is the most expensive train from Narita. The journey to Tokyo Station is 53 minutes with an interval of 30 minutes. One-way price 3,020 yen to Tokyo Station, 3,190 yen to Shinagawa, Shibuya, or Shinjuku Station. Children's tickets (6-11 years old) are half the price.

It's even cheaper if you buy a round-trip ticket, which is only 4000 yen and can be used for all NEX destinations plus connecting trains operated by JR East.

If you buy a JR Pass, this NEX train is covered, meaning you can ride it for free.

All Narita Express Train seats are reserved seats so before boarding you must book the departure time and seat at the JR Office (if at Narita Airport this means exchanging your pass).

When waiting for the train at the platform, make sure you don't get on the wrong train. Even though they are both Narita Express, routes can differ depending on the time of day. Pay attention to the signage. Also pay attention to the waiting position for the train, according to your reservation ticket, wait in the appropriate carriage queue line.

Keisei Skyliner

For those of you who will live around Nippori and Ueno, taking the Keisei Skyliner train is cheaper and faster. The ticket is ¥2,470 one way to Nippori/Ueno, buy online there is a slight discount. The journey takes 36 minutes to Nippori and 41 minutes to Ueno Station.

Keisei Limited Express

So, for those who want to take the train from Narita with a cheaper fare, but with a longer travel time, you can take the Keisei Limited Express train. This is like a commuter train, so you cannot reserve a seat and there is a possibility that you will have to stand if the train is full.

Limited express trains use the same Sky Access Line as the Skyliner connecting Narita Airport and Asakusa at intervals of every 40 minutes. The journey is about 58 minutes with a ticket of 1290 yen. Apart from that, there is a schedule of 3 other trains every hour that use the Keisei Main Line and you have to change trains at Aoto Station for Asakusa as well, total time 80 minutes and 1100 yen.

Choose this train if you live around Asakusa, Oshiage, or the surrounding areas.

The same train will continue to Nihombashi, Sengakuji and some will end at Haneda. If you want to connect to the subway/metro train, the price will be different again.

Use the Jorudan.com website to check this train schedule, note down the departure time down to the minute, because the same train waiting platform is used by several types of trains (some have lots of stops, some are express). Also note that there are direct ones to Asakusa (no need to get off the train) there are those that need to change trains at Aoto station.

Airport Bus

There are many bus companies that serve the Narita to Tokyo route, depending on your destination. If you arrive in Narita before 12pm, when trains no longer operate in Tokyo, you should take the bus.

Limousine Bus connects Narita Airport with a number of stations and hotels in Tokyo, you can search for routes and prices from this website. Spoiler: the price is 3000 yen one-way, ¥4,500 for 2x use (return or for 2 people one way) and ¥8,000 for 4x use.

Why is the price relatively expensive because you can sit comfortably with onboard wifi and be immediately dropped off at the collaborating hotel.

Willer Bus has a Narita Shuttle to Osaki Station (near Shinagawa and Shibuya), 70 minutes, ticket ¥1000 one way if bought online.

Keisei Bus, destination Ginza ¥1000 per person one way.

Access Narita Bus serves the Narita-Ginza and Tokyo Station routes, a 90 minute journey. Pay ¥1000 cash when riding this bus.

Rent an Alphard or Van

For those who come in large groups and with children, it may be more convenient to rent your own pick-up car.

You can book a car and wait for pick-up when you arrive at Narita Airport. Just choose according to the number of people available 7-10 seater cars (Alphard/Van,)

Conclusion

In summary, use the Limited Express train if you get off at Asakusa, Nihombashi. Use the bus if going to Shinjuku or Tokyo. But if you want to be fast and aim at Tokyo Station, you can buy a Narita Express return ticket.

Apart fromprice i ssues, you need to think about transit/transfer issues if your destination is not a big station (Tokyo, Ueno, Asakusa, Nippori, Nihombashi, Shinjuku). Tokyo subway trains are known to be super crowded during working hours (morning to 9pm) and evenings (6-10pm), so there is a big chance of riding a subway/metro train while standing up with a suitcase.

Make sure you have rented a wifi router or bought a Japanese SIM card when you land in Tokyo so you don't get confused if you want to transfer trains or look for a map of directions to the hotel.