Most of visitors arrive in Japan through Narita Airport. Narita is about 60 kilometers from Tokyo. In the information package we received in our first year of study, there was a punt marked in red saying, “Don’t have any heretical ideas, gentlemen, take a taxi to/from Narita Airport to central Tokyo.” Such a trip almost twenty years ago was priced at a minimum of 300 EUR, which was an unbearable amount for a student’s pocket. So I had to look for cheaper and at the same time more convenient alternatives. Over the years, there have been many more options for getting from Narita to Tokyo, which I will introduce in this article.
The most convenient travel option from Narita Airport
The most convenient way to travel from Narita Airport to Tokyo would be by train. You have two choices here.
The first choice would be Japan Railway’s NEXT train, with which you can go very comfortably from Narita to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya and Shinjuku stations, or even to Yokohama station. The journey from Narita to Tokyo Station takes only 53 minutes.
Since it is an express train, the train seats are reserved, so you cannot jump on the train whenever you want. The most convenient way to buy a ticket is at the JR ticket office (green counter desk), i.e. Japan Railways customer service points are located at all major stations. In Narita, you can find the JR railway lines and also the JR sales office quite easily, as there are signs everywhere. After you leave the airport security, you will quickly see an escalator with which you will see the NEXT train line after going down to the underground floors. Trains in the Narita area run underground.
You can save about 30% by buying round-trip tickets, in which case a round-trip ticket to Tokyo would cost 4070 JPY (i.e. about 30 EUR). You can also buy separate tickets if you do not want to commit to making a reservation for specific train times. In this case, a ticket to Tokyo station would cost 3070 JPY (i.e. about 20 EUR). A ticket to other main Tokyo stations such as Shinagawa, Shibuya or Shinjuku costs a few euros more.
Another way to save money when traveling by NEXT train is to use the JR railpass ticket, which I have described in another article. To summarize briefly, the JR railpass allows foreigners to purchase a Japanese rail pass for a week or two for a fixed amount and with which you can travel even on high-speed shinkansen trains. So if you are a traveler who intends to spend one week in Japan and you have purchased a JR railway pass, then by activating your existing pass on the same day of arrival, you will be able to ride the NEXT train like a gentleman.
What is the biggest downside of the NEXT train? Intensity of train travel. Usually, the mentioned train runs several times an hour. So if you are in a hurry, you may have to wait for the train for half an hour. However, unlike the bus, there are always seats on the train.
Another option to get to Tokyo by train is the Keisei Skyliner. The mentioned Keisei line is a private line of the train company, so here you cannot use your JR tickets. The train is really very comfortable. However, the biggest downside is that the final stop of the train is Keisei-Ueno. In other words, if you plan to stay somewhere in the Ueno district or eastern Tokyo, this is one of the options, but if you plan to stay in the western part of Tokyo, such as Shinjuku, or in the south, such as Shinagawa, then the Keisei line is not very suitable for you. When you arrive at Keisei Ueno Station, there will be a Nippori stop on the way, where you can change trains to the JR Yamanote line, which goes around the entire center of Tokyo. Meanwhile, Keisei Ueno Station is several hundred meters away from JR Ueno Station, so dragging your luggage from one station to another with all the ups and downs to the underground is not the most pleasant option. And what about the price. The Keisei Line currently offers a one-way ticket in conjunction with the Tokyo Metro 24-Hour with a valid ticket for JPY 2,890 (i.e. about EUR 18). So if your hotel is somewhere in Asakusa, Ueno districts, this train is one of the best choices, because you will arrive in comfort, and at the same time you will save a little.
The cheapest travel option from Narita Airport
When considering the cheapest way to get from the airport to Tokyo, the undisputed leader is the bus. Here again, we have several options.
At the top of the list of options would be the offer from the JR bus company. From Narita Airport, this bus goes to Tokyo’s central train station, as well as Ginza station. Fantastic travel price, 1300 JPY (about 10 EUR) per ticket. The bus is clean, comfortable, and the journey to Tokyo station will take about an hour. It is also worth noting that at least at Tokyo Station you can easily find bus boarding areas. You should look for the Yaesu South exit. When you go outside, you will see people waiting for buses about 50-100 meters away. There are 7-8 stops to Narita. It is not necessary to reserve a ticket in advance, as the buses run one after the other at an interval of about 15 minutes. You can also buy the ticket directly on the spot. So it’s a very convenient option if you don’t want to plan too much. Meanwhile, things are a bit different at Narita Airport. At the moment, it is difficult to specify what the boarding stops are because they change differently from the arrival terminal. However, when you go outside, you will immediately see bus parking spaces. The biggest challenge is tickets. Depending on the arrival time, there may be a lot of people wanting to ride this bus. And if the bus picks up customers from the previous airport terminal beforehand, there may be relatively few seats left on the bus. If you’re traveling on a road, there’s no problem, you’ll probably get stuck. However, if it is a larger group of travelers, you may have to get very tired. In this case, you need to search for and buy JR bus tickets in advance at the airport terminal itself.
The second option is the so-called Limousine bus. These buses run from the airport in different directions taking travelers to different areas and even to specific hotels. It is quite difficult to say about the price of the ticket, because the price fluctuates quite strongly depending on the flow of tourists. Limousine bus used to cost similar to a train ticket, but in recent years, due to increased competition from JR bus companies, Limousine bus prices have shrunk significantly. However, the biggest disadvantage is the intensity of the bus service. Since it goes to quite specific hotels, the bus usually runs once or twice an hour. You can buy tickets at the ticket offices near the airport waiting hall.
Summary of the fastest, cheapest and most convenient travel option from Narita Airport
Personally, I usually choose the JR bus option. First, it is a very cheap travel option. Secondly, this bus is quite comfortable and runs frequently. Especially when going from Tokyo to Narita, this bus is my 100 percent choice. Thirdly, if you are traveling alone or with your family, even at Narita Airport, you will probably get on the bus quite easily and quickly.
I did not rule out the train as another option for the trip. Still, it’s a very convenient way to get to major train stations like Shinagawa or Shinjuku. If your hotel is located in these areas, it is a great choice.
With the Keisei train line, I haven’t used it at all for almost 5 years now, since cheaper bus options have appeared. Previously, I always chose this option because of the price.
The last option will be a limousine. It is quite difficult for me to come up with arrival times that coincide with the bus schedule. It used to be one of the more expensive travel options, although recently prices have been drastically reduced due to competition. In my opinion, the limousine will be the most suitable choice for those who live in such a hotel to which the mentioned bus takes them. At that time, you don’t have to worry about how to drag your bags from the station to your hotel.
