From Narita Airport to Tokyo, you will mainly use the train service. There are several carriers that can easily be categorized as the fastest, redeemable for JR pass and cheapest.
Alternatively, there are buses (Limousine Bus, Low Cost Bus, etc.) that run to the major hotels in each neighborhood and you can use them for direct travel without transferring.
For example, you can find connections on the airport website: narita-airport.jp/en/access.
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Cheapest and fastest connections
For the sake of clarity, here are quick answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Cheapest transportation Narita <-> Tokyo
For 980 jpy take the Keisei Main Line (also known as the Rapid Express) to Nippori and Ueno stations, where you can transfer to the Tokyo Metro network.
Directly into the city centre (Tokyo Station) is the cheapest transport for 1 410 jpy Keisei Access Express trains (also known as the Keikyu Line), which run as the Tokyo Metro "A" line within the centre.
TYO-NRT buses run to Tokyo Station for 1 300 jpy and are significantly more frequent than the Keisei Access Express trains.
If you have purchased a JR-Pass for unlimited long-distance train travel in Japan, use the Narita Express trains. The JR-Pass is valid without restrictions on this connection.
Fastest Narita Transport <-> Tokyo
The Narita Express trains are the fastest way to get to the central area in 53 to 65 minutes (depending on the number of stops).
The northeastern part of downtown (Ueno and Nippori) is the fastest to get to in 60 minutes on the Keisei Skyliner.
| Price to downtown | Approximate journey time to the city centre | Destinations | JR Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR Narita Express (train) | 3 070 jpy | 53 minutes | Tokyo Sta., Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama | ✔ |
| Keisei Main Line (train) | 980 jpy | 75 minutes | Ueno, Nippori | X |
| Keisei Skyliner (train) | 2 750 jpy | 40 minutes | Ueno, Nippori | X |
| Keisei Access Express (train) | 1 270 jpy | 65 minutes | Tokyo Sta. (Takaracho), Hammatsucho, Haneda | X |
| Buses | From 1 300 jpy | 70-90 minutes | Multiple destinations within Tokyo | X |
Trains
Trains from two different companies provide the most convenient service to many locations throughout Tokyo.
JR (Narita Express)
Japan Railways' Narita Express trains run directly into central Tokyo at Tokyo Station, from where they continue on to Shinagawa Station.
Here the train splits into two. One continues towards Yokohama and Ofuna and the other part goes towards Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Narita Express services are supplemented by the slower and cheaper "JR Narita Line Rapid" trains.
Prices and timetable
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket machine in the station (cash only) or at the ticket office, where you can also pay by card.
You can also buy the ticket online at the official website jreast.co.jp.
On all Narita Express and JR Line trains, you can use the JR Pass valid for long-distance travel.
Narita Express trains run at intervals of 20-30 minutes. Slow and cheap JR Line trains run at irregular intervals of 60-120 minutes.
- Tokyo Station
- Price - 3 070 jpy / 5 000 jpy return for Narita Express, from 1 350 jpy for slow JR Line trains
- Travel time - 53 to 60 minutes (slow trains up to 90 minutes)
- Last train from the airport - 22:57
- First train to airport - 5:04am (JR Line, journey time 90 minutes), 6:18am (Narita Express)
- Shibuya
- Price - 3 250 jpy / 5 000 jpy roundtrip
- Travel time - 80 to 91 minutes
- Last train from airport - 21:44
- First train to airport - 6:01am
- Shinjuku
- Price- 3 250 jpy / 5 000 jpy return
- Travel time - 88 to 100 minutes
- Last train from airport - 21:44
- First train to the airport - 5:55
- Yokohama
- Price - 4 370 jpy
- Travel time - 100 to 110 minutes
- Last train from airport - 21:44
- First train to airport - 5:44
Keisei Line
Some of the trains on the Keisei Line are the cheapest transport option from central Tokyo, but there are significantly fewer cheap slower trains than the more expensive fast trains.
Official information can be found at: keisei.co.jp.
Most Keisei Line trains terminate at Ueno and Nippori stations on the northeastern outskirts of Tokyo, where you can transfer to the Tokyo Metro.
- Keisei Skyliner - all trains run to Nippori and Ueno stations, where they terminate.
- Price - 2 570 jpy one way / 5 140 jpy return
- Travel time - 47 to 60 minutes
- Frequency - 20 to 25 minutes
- Last train from the airport - 23:00
- First train from Ueno - 5:40 a.m.
You can purchase special discounted fares on Keisei Skyliner trains, which include tickets for the Tokyo Metro. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office or online at: keisei.co.jp.
Compared to buying Skyliner and subway tickets separately, you will always save ¥480 for a one-way ticket and ¥1,060 for a return ticket.
- Skyliner one way + Tokyo Metro for 24 hours - 2 890 jpy
- Skyliner one way + Tokyo Metro for 48 hours - 3 290 jpy
- Skyliner one way + Tokyo Metro for 72 hours - 3 590 jpy
- Skyliner return + Tokyo Metro for 24 hours - 4 880 jpy
- Skyliner return + Tokyo Metro for 48 hours - 5 280 jpy
- Skyliner return + Tokyo Metro for 72 hours - 5 580 jpy
There are two other types of trains on the Keisei Line.
- Keisei Access Express - trains run downtown to Tokyo Station (use Takaracho Station), Hammatsucho (use Daimon Station) and then split onwards towards Haneda Airport or Nishi-Magome.
- Price - 1 410 jpy
- Travel time - 70 minutes
- Frequency - 40 to 50 minutes
- Last train from the airport - 22:08
- First train from Takaracho (Tokyo Sta.) - 5:10
Trains in the Nishi-Magome direction freely transfer to the Tokyo Metro's pink "A - Asakusa" line.
Trains in the direction of Haneda Airport freely change to the Keikyu line.
- Keisei Main Line - the cheapest and slowest trains to/from Narita Airport always take a slight detour through Narita and Funabashi. Some trains go to Nippori and Ueno stations (especially in the morning and afternoon), and some trains separate at Aoto station during midday and continue freely on the pink A subway line to Nishi-Magome station.
- Price - 980 jpy to Nippori / Ueno stations, 1 210 jpy to Takaracho station (Tokyo Sta.)
- Travel time - 90 minutes
- Frequency - 20 to 50 minutes
Buses
You can choose from two types of buses. The low-cost Keisei Bus, also referred to as "TYO-NRT" runs on a busy route to Central Tokyo Station.
The other option is the expensive Limousine Bus, which has the advantage of direct connections without transfers to many hotels and Tokyo attractions.
Airport Bus TYO-NRT
These buses have the great advantage of very frequent intervals and a relatively low price.
The disadvantage lies in the risk of traffic jams, which can add more than 30 minutes to the scheduled journey time.
Tickets can be paid for at the "JR Express Bus" counter at Tokyo Station and at the airport, and if it is closed, you can purchase your ticket from the driver. Payment can only be made in cash.
- Price - 1 300 jpy (between 11pm and 5am the price is 2 600 jpy)
- Frequency - 10 minutes (up to 35 minutes in the evening)
- Journey time - 60 to 90 minutes
- Last bus from the airport - 23:20
- First bus from Tokyo Station - 5:00
- Official information and stop locations: tyo-nrt.com/en
Limousine Bus
Countless bus lines run to various neighborhoods in Tokyo and are convenient for direct travel without transfers to virtually anywhere in the city.
The disadvantage is that they are prone to long delays due to traffic jams as well as less frequent than trains or the cheap "TYO-NRT" buses.
Buses run every 30-90 minutes on average on each line, and the journey to central Tokyo takes about 60-90 minutes.
The stops are always directly in front of all terminals.
Tickets and prices
Tickets can be purchased at the kiosks in the arrivals hall or directly at the stops.
Prices for central Tokyo are between 3 100 jpy and 3 900 jpy and are therefore as high or higher than tickets for the most expensive Narita Express.
You can always pay with cash and foreign credit cards.
Timetables and routes
There are dozens of different routes from Narita Airport to all of Tokyo, a complete list of which is shown in the transport map below.
You can see a complete list of all routes on the bus company's website: limousinebus.co.jp/timetable.
To Haneda Airport
Transferring from Narita Airport to Haneda HND, a larger airport closer to the city centre, is very easy and non-stop.
You can choose between bus lines and Keisei/Keikyu trains.
Train
Direct services run 1-2 times per hour and the journey takes about 100-120 minutes. The cheapest tickets cost 1 840 jpy, but there are also more expensive connections with a transfer, which can ironically be faster than the direct trains.
Connections from Narita are provided by Keisei Access Express trains. From the other side, the trains are called the Keikyu Express.
The clearest search for connections is available at google.com/maps.
Bus
Buses offer the more frequent connections. Connections are provided by a company called Airport Limousine.
The buses run 1-3 times per hour and the trip takes about 90 to 115 minutes without a transfer, depending on traffic.
The price of a one-way ticket is 3 600 jpy and a detailed timetable is available on the company's website: limousinebus.co.jp/timetable.