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At present, Narita Airport has two
rail connections, operated by Keisei Electric Railway and JR East. A third line, the Narita Rapid Railway, is currently
under construction and scheduled for completion in 2010. Trains to and from Narita stop at Narita Airport Terminal 1
and Terminal 2.
JR East
The most expensive train (and one of the fastest) to the airport is the Narita Express. Journey times between the airport
and Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo vary from 53 minutes to 70 minutes depending on the time of departure. The price from
the airport to Tokyo station is 3,140 yen in ordinary class.
All Narita Express trains serve Narita Airport Terminal 1, Narita Airport Terminal 2 and Tokyo Station. Some trains
also make additional stops between the airport and Tokyo - at Narita or at Chiba Station.
After Tokyo Station (when coming from Narita), some trains split into two. One part continues on the Yokosuka Line to
Kanagawa Prefecture, stopping at Yokohama Station in Yokohama (90 minutes), Totsuka Station (also in Yokohama, 105 minutes),
and Ofuna Station in Kamakura (110 minutes). One part takes the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Station in Shinjuku and Shibuya
(80 minutes). The other part then either takes the Chuo Main Line, continuing in Tokyo and serving Tachikawa Station in
Tachikawa (105 minutes), Hachioji Station in Hachioji (115 minutes) and Takao Station in Hachioji (2 hours), or takes
the Saikyo Line to Omiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture (2 hours and 15 minutes).
All seating on the Narita Express trains is reserved. The assigned seat number and car number are indicated on the
tickets. Tickets can be purchased from agents in the arrivals hall of each terminal and from automatic ticket vending machines.
JR also offers rapid service Kaisoku Airport Narita trains to Tokyo Station, which take 90 minutes but cost less than the
Narita Express. These trains stop at several stations on the Narita Line and Sobu Line en route to Tokyo. Most continue on
to stops on the Yokosuka Line, going as far as Kurihama Station in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Keisei
Keisei's Skyliner limited express travels to Nippori Station in 51 minutes - and Keisei Ueno Station in 56 minutes. The
journey between Narita Airport and Nippori has the shortest time of any transportation link between the airport and central
Tokyo. However, for travellers whose final destination is in the South of Tokyo or near Tokyo station, it can be quicker to
take the Narita Express than to take the Skyliner and then make a connection at Nippori or Ueno. The price of the Skyliner
from Narita Airport to Keisei Ueno Station is 1,920 yen (1,000 for base ticket + 920 yen extra for express).
As with the Narita Express, all seating on Skyliner trains is reserved. Seat allocations are indicated on the tickets, which
can be purchased from agents in the airport terminal.
Regular Keisei trains cost about half as much as the Skyliner and are the least expensive rail connection to the airport,
although they make many stops, are slow and are often crowded.
Keisei also offers connecting and through service from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport, a cooperative service with the
Toei Asakusa Line and Keihin Kyuko Railway. There are between six and eight daily direct trains from Haneda to Narita,
taking about two hours, with one daily direct service from Narita to Haneda (rather leaving Narita at either 6:07 or 7:30
in the morning). In other cases, a transfer of trains must take place at a station along the Keisei line. Trains running
through to the Asakusa Line make stops at several subway stations in central Tokyo, including Asakusa, Nihombashi and
Shinagawa, making them convenient for some travellers.
Airport Rapid Limited trains, which make limited stops on the Asakusa and Keikyu lines, are denoted on signboards by
an aircraft icon.
Keisei and Shibayama Railway trains also serve Higashi-Narita Station, located between the two terminals, but this
station is currently only useful to travellers moving between the airport and neighborhoods convenient to Shibayama Chiyoda
Station immediately east of the airport.
Bus
There are regular bus services to regional transport hubs, although these are often slower than the trains because of
traffic jams. Many bus companies operate to and from the airport, charging fares from 3,000 yen for central Tokyo to 4,000
yen for outer suburbs. Operators include:
- Airport Limousine to stations in the centre of Tokyo including Yokohama City Air Terminal, Tokyo City Air Terminal,
Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and major hotels
- Keisei Bus to suburban transport hubs
- Chiba Kotsu to Saitama, Yamanashi and Fukushima
- Chiba Kotsu overnight bus service to Kyoto and Osaka, which takes about 12 hours and
costs 9,000 to 10,000 yen.
Taxi
Taxi service is available, although it is usually prohibitively expensive for single travellers because of the great distance
from the airport to the city. Fares are based on a zone system; trips to central Tokyo range from 14,000 to 20,000 yen
(plus around 1,450 yen for expressway tolls, also late night/early morning surcharges). Shared ride services no longer
operate from Narita.
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