General information
Narita International Airport (IATA code - NRT) includes three passenger terminals and occupies a huge area. At the same time, everything here is thought out to the smallest detail, and each of the terminals has its own specialization and infrastructure.
Narita Airport occupies a huge area, but at the same time it is very cozy and well thought out
- Terminal 1 - Used by most international airlines. If you are flying to Japan on one of the European carriers, then most likely you will arrive at this terminal. Aeroflot flights also land here.
- Terminal 2 is the base for national carrier Japan Airlines. But, in addition, some international airlines also fly here. In particular, Qatar Airways, Emirates, S7, Finnair and some others.
- Terminal 3 is mainly intended for low-cost airlines. International flights from the CIS countries, Europe and the Middle East are very rare here, and therefore, with a high degree of probability, you will not need this terminal.
You can move between terminals on special free buses, the stops of which are easy to find right at the exit of the terminal. Travel time from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 takes approximately 5-10 minutes.
Free shuttle buses run between Narita Airport terminals
Despite the fact that Narita Airport is very large, it is quite easy to navigate thanks to intuitive signs that are installed literally everywhere.
For example, this is what the sign looks like, indicating from which platforms buses depart between terminals and to different areas of Tokyo. Buses between terminals are marked in yellow.
Information board at Narita Airport indicating which buses depart from nearby platforms
Inside the terminals there is everything for passengers to spend their time comfortably while waiting for their flight: cafes, restaurants, duty-free shops, a first-aid post, a mother and child room, etc.
The huge number of vending machines is amazing, where you can buy not only snacks or drinks, but also local SIM cards.
There are many points at the airport selling local SIM cards
You can also purchase a SIM card at airport counters. The choice is quite large, and therefore it is better not to rush into purchasing from the first provider you come across.
You can also exchange currency at the airport. Practice shows that, unlike most airports in the world, the rate at Narita is one of the most favorable.
Hotels nearby
For travelers who have a flight early in the morning or at night, we have compiled a selection of hotels near Narita Airport.
- Narita Airport Rest House . Located right on the airport grounds, within walking distance from terminal No. 1. The hotel is no frills and quite cheap, but at the same time clean and tidy. Breakfast is decent, so it's better to include it. From Terminal 1 to the hotel you can easily walk; from Terminal 2 it is better to take the free bus to Terminal 1.
- Nine hours Narita Airport . A modern capsule hotel located in close proximity to Terminal 2. Guests have at their disposal a spacious, comfortable bed, a spacious personal locker, wireless Internet and a shower. The hotel is quite cheap, but the capsules do not close hermetically, so in the middle of the night you can easily hear all your neighbors snoring.
- Narita Tobu Hotel Airport . Located 10 minutes from the airport and known for its good reviews. The rooms are soundproofed and equipped with air conditioning and TV. The hotel has a café and also a shop where you can buy some snacks.
If you are coming to the capital of Japan for a few days, we recommend taking a closer look at another hotel of this chain directly in the city - Tobu Hotel Levant Tokyo. In terms of price and amenities, this is one of the best “four” in Tokyo.
Airport map
The diagrams below show the floor plans of the arrivals area of Terminals No. 1 and No. 2. We do not provide a diagram of terminal No. 3, because it is very rarely in demand among foreign travelers. It is better to look at the location of the terminals themselves on the airport map, which is shown on this page just below.
Layout of Terminal 1 (arrivals floor)
Terminal 1 is built in a U-shape and has 2 wings - North and South, and therefore 2 exits to the hall where travelers usually meet with transfer drivers.
Map of the arrivals area of Terminal 1 in Tokyo Narita
Layout of Terminal 2 (arrivals floor)
Terminal 2 is a long rectangular building. Therefore, it is a little easier to navigate here than in Terminal 1.
Map of the arrivals area at Terminal 2 of Narita Airport
Taxi from Narita Airport
You can get from Narita Airport to the center of Tokyo in about an hour and a half by taxi. There are taxi stands near each terminal, although there are usually relatively few cars here. As for prices, there are two types of tariffs: metered and fixed to Tokyo.
The minimum fare for a flat fare is 16,000 yen (~$150 in 2021) and depends on the zone in which the destination is located (there are 6 in total).
Taxis can be found at the terminals, but there are usually few of them here.
In addition to this, the amount for traveling on a toll highway is added. If you prefer to take the regular road, you will need to pay for the entire trip using the meter.
Another feature of a local taxi is that it usually has a rather small trunk. If you have significant luggage with you, you will have to look for a so-called cargo taxi, which can cause a lot of difficulties.
Finally, the most important difficulty that travelers face is that taxi drivers practically do not speak foreign languages. Therefore, if you decide to catch a car at the Terminal, prepare the address of your hotel in Japanese in advance.
You can order a taxi in advance through a specialized online service. On the website you can choose a car class: from an economical passenger car to a spacious minivan or even a minibus for a large group. And for the little ones there is a “Child seat” option.
Estimated taxi prices from Narita Airport to Tokyo
The price is calculated immediately and after completing the application remains unchanged in any case. Even if the flight is delayed and you do not make it on time, there will be no additional charges for downtime. The service independently monitors the airport display and sends a driver when the plane arrives.
The driver meets passengers with a sign with their names, helps with luggage and escorts them to the car. At the same time, the service tries to send drivers who speak Russian or English to the meeting.
However, there won’t be much to talk about with the taxi driver, since the hotel address is indicated when ordering, and he will know in advance where to take you.
You can learn more about the service and calculate the cost of the trip on this page.
Taxi and transfer to Tokyo from the airport
Japanese taxis are considered the most expensive in the world. There are two types of taxis you can use at the airport: metered and fixed-price. There are parking lots in each terminal.
A standard taxi in Japan has a small trunk.
The most convenient way to get to/from the airport from/to Tokyo is a private transfer
. Then you will be met upon arrival with a sign and taken to your hotel/apartment. Now the car costs ¥27,000.
Preparing for a trip to Japan, we study and double-check a lot of information useful for tourists. We've seen a lot of fake messages. For example, that you can rent a car.
Russian tourists cannot rent cars in Japan!
Trains to central Tokyo
The train is one of the most convenient ways to get from Narita Airport to central Tokyo, and in some cases, the fastest.
The airport and the capital are connected by several lines. The fastest and most convenient are the Skyliner and Narita Express (N'EX) trains, while the slower and cheaper ones are the JR Sobu and Keisei Limited Express trains.
Access diagram for train stations at Tokyo Narita Airport
There are two train stations at Narita Airport: one is on the lower level of Terminal 1, and the second is on the lower level of Terminal 2. Both Skyliner and Narita Express (N'EX) trains pass through both of them.
If for some reason you are flying into Terminal 3, the nearest train station is in Terminal 2. You can get there in about 15 minutes on foot or take one of the free buses that run around the airport. Travel time by bus is about 3 minutes.
The train station is located right at the airport
Please note that the airport is served by trains from two different companies - JR and Keisei. The main hub for JR trains in central Tokyo is Tokyo Station of the same name. The main hub for Keisei trains is Ueno Station.
Narita Express [NEX]
Narita Express [or NEX as it is also known] is ideal for first-time travelers to Tokyo.
It travels non-stop to Tokyo, passing several major stations along the way, including Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Yokohama and Omiya.
The Narita Express train travels from the airport to Tokyo Station in the city in 50 minutes.
The fare to Tokyo Station, the main transport hub in the capital of Japan, is 3,020 yen one way (~$28 in 2021).
Tickets can be purchased at the airport - at the train and bus ticket offices in the arrivals area of Terminals 1 and 2, at the JR East ticket office or at the vending machines at the stations themselves.
Narita Express train inside
Narita Express trains run every half hour from morning to evening. The journey to the nearest Tokyo Station takes 50 minutes. From here you can go to anywhere in the city by train on the JR Yamanote line or by transfer to the metro.
Skyliner
A good alternative to the Narita Express is the Skyliner train . There are only two stations on its route: Nippori and Ueno. It will take you to the final Ueno in just 40 minutes.
Skyliner tickets cost 2,470 yen (2019). You can buy tickets at Keisei counters in the arrivals area of Terminals 1 and 2, at ticket offices at stations or ticket machines.
There are Keisei Skyliner Information Centers at the airport where you can check details and purchase tickets.
To reach popular tourist areas, you can then transfer to the JR Yamanote line. The price of a ticket on city trains depends on the distance to the desired station. For example, a trip from Nippori to Shibuya will cost 200 yen (about $2).
From early morning until late evening, Skyliner trains depart approximately twice an hour.
JR Sobu Line trains
JR Sobu Line trains [essentially a regular commuter train] depart from Terminals 1 and 2 and head to Tokyo Station in the center of the capital, making many stops along the way. For this reason, the journey time is about 90 minutes.
The main advantage of this line is the fare. A one-way ticket costs only 1,320 yen. (about $12). Trains depart once an hour.
Train schedule from Narita Airport to central Tokyo (2019)
Limited Express Trains
Keisei's Limited Express trains are another economical way to get to central Tokyo. Trains depart from stations in Terminals 1 and 2 and go to Nippori and Ueno Stations. Trains take about 90 minutes and trains depart every 20-30 minutes.
To get to Tokyo Main Station you will need to change trains at Nippori Station on the JR Yamanote Line or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line.
Travel time to Nippori Station is about 75 minutes, ticket price is 1030 yen. From Nippori to Tokyo Station on JR lines is another 160 yen and about 10 minutes.
Keisei Skyliner
Keisei Skyliner reaches speeds of up to 160 km/h. However, the price will not please you at all. The cost of this “pleasure” is 2,470 yen (about $24). You will arrive at Ueno Station in 41 minutes.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Ueno station is the center , but in order to get to Tokyo station, you need to change to JR Ueno and go through 4 more stations on the JR Yamanote line.
I recommend it to those who need to quickly get to Tokyo and don’t mind losing more than 2 thousand yen!
Skyliner diagram
Buses to the city center
In addition to the train, you can also get from Narita Airport to the center of Tokyo by bus. It usually takes longer, but in many cases it is cheaper.
Buses are mainly used by the Japanese themselves, who know their way around the city well, and travelers prefer to try the train. The railway is a much easier way to get to your hotel in Tokyo than diving into Japanese reality from a bus stop on the street.
There are bus stops at both terminals, right outside the buildings.
In addition, at the airport it is much easier to get advice in English about transport, but you will still have to use trains and the metro. Therefore, it is better to start mastering this transport directly from the terminal.
But, nevertheless, there are bus options, and therefore we will talk about them too.
Typically, travel time by bus to central Tokyo is about 90 minutes. There are stops at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Tickets can also be purchased on site - in the arrivals area, the bus carriers' stands are decorated quite brightly.
The stands of bus companies are located right in the terminal and are decorated quite catchily.
Several companies have bus routes to the center.
Tokyo Shuttle
This is a Keisei route (like the Skyliner train) that runs regularly to Tokyo Station. One-way tickets cost 1,000 yen during the day and 2,000 yen early in the morning and late in the evening.
You can buy tickets in the arrivals area of both terminals at specialized Keisei ticket offices. Flights depart 2-3 times per hour.
Keisei bus at the airport
Boarding is carried out at stop No. 31 at the exit from the first floor of Terminal 1, at stops No. 2 and No. 19 at the exit from Terminal 2 and at stop No. 1 at Terminal 3.
The Access Narita
The Access Narita runs from the airport to Tokyo and Ginza stations in the city center. Tickets cost 1,000 yen during the day and 2,000 late in the evening. You can buy tickets on the bus.
Boarding is carried out at stop No. 31 on the ground floor of Terminal 1, stops No. 2 or No. 19 on the ground floor of Terminal 2 and stop No. 2 of Terminal 3. During the day, buses depart twice an hour.
Limousine Bus
The Limousine bus provides service to Tokyo Station and select hotels around Tokyo Main Station. The ticket price is 3,100 yen, but you can buy round-trip tickets for 4,500 yen.
The cheapest transfer option to Tokyo is a bus
You can purchase tickets at the company counters in Terminals 1 and 2. Buses depart 3-4 times every hour, and trains take about 90 minutes.
By bus "Airport-Tokyo"
You can get to Tokyo from the airport by bus. The journey will take an hour and a half on average. And the cost will not be cheaper than our option by train.
1. Limousine bus
. A ticket from Narita to Tokyo Station costs ¥2800. The route passes along the most popular hotels in Tokyo.
2. Tokyo Shuttle bus
.
Buying a ticket for this bus is the cheapest way to travel to Tokyo from Narita Airport. Its price starts from 900 ¥, if you buy it together with a daily pass for the Subway
.
Car rental at Narita Airport
One of the most comfortable ways to get from Narita Airport to Tokyo is to rent a car. But this may well be a problem for foreigners in Japan.
The fact is that Russian or Ukrainian rights do not apply in the country. Even international ones are those that are made in the form of a special booklet appendix to ordinary rights.
There have been cases when travelers still received a car with their standard license, but here the situation is of the “how lucky” variety: usually car rental companies simply refuse to rent.
If you still decide to take a risk, then in terminals 1 and 2 there are offices of rental companies, where you can try to conclude an agreement immediately upon arrival. However, prices at the airport are usually higher, and there may simply not be any free cars.
To win on price [and this, however, does not guarantee receipt of the car on the spot due to the issue of rights], it is better to book a car 1-2 months before the trip.
The easiest way to do this is through a car rental price comparison service. The system will analyze data on prices and rental conditions from companies operating near the airport and show all available options on one page.
In addition, when booking early, rental companies often provide good discounts, which will provide an opportunity to save additional money.
You can get acquainted with the prices and find a suitable car for the dates of your trip by following the link.
How to get from Narita Airport to Tokyo cheap and fast
If you don't want to waste your time reading, you can simply use the search form below. Just enter the date you need and click “Find tickets”. In the results, you can see the transport schedule and its cost, read reviews of transport companies and see the pick-up and drop-off location on the map.
There you can also choose 1 of 10 supported languages, including Russian, as well as currency - Japanese yen or any of 25 others.
Using the search form at the top of the page, you can verify that buses depart from the airport to Tokyo 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And you don’t need to walk from terminal to terminal to find the right bus to the city.
For example, from Terminal No. 1 buses depart every two hours: 00:00, 02:00, 04:00 and so on. Additional buses are available at 23:00.
Specific bus boarding locations at the airport can be seen on the map by clicking on the link with the name of your flight in the search results.
Please note that there are 2 buses listed in the search results. The first one will take you to Ginza Station Yurakucho (this is the very center of Tokyo , the large Ginza railway station). The second bus will take you to Tokyo Station Yaesu Exit. This is Tokyo's largest train station, from which the famous high-speed trains, the Shinkansen, depart from special platforms.
The bus from Narita Airport delivers just in time to the exit to the platforms of these high-speed Japanese trains. In reality, it is one bus that takes passengers in turn to two stops in Tokyo.
Cheap buses from Terminal 3 of Narita Airport in Tokyo . These buses also depart 24 hours a day from the airport to the city every two hours: 00:03, 02:03, 04:03, 06:03 and so on. As with the first terminal, there is an additional bus at 23:03.
An even more convenient situation for passengers who fly into Terminal 2 of Narita Airport. This terminal has two wings - North and South. And from each wing a separate bus leaves for Tokyo for the same standard price - 1400 JPY or 12.7 USD.
The bus schedule for Narita Airport Terminal 2 in Tokyo is as follows: 24 hours a day, every two hours. At the same time, buses from the South Wing of Terminal 2 depart to Tokyo at 00:01, 02:01, 04:01 and so on. And buses from the North Wing of Narita Airport Terminal 2 depart one minute later (at 00:02, 02:02, 04:02, 06:02 and so on throughout the day).
Additional buses to Ginza Station Yurakucho and Tokyo Station Yaesu Exit in Tokyo depart at 23:01 and 23:02 from the South and North Wings of Narita Airport.
Japan is a country with very developed railway connections. Therefore, it is not surprising that you can get from Narita Airport to Tokyo by several types of trains. The train station is located directly below the terminals, on level B1. To get down to this station, you should use several escalators or an elevator.
There are also ticket offices on the underground level where you can buy train tickets.
The fastest and most comfortable train is the Narita Limited Express (or N'EX). This fast airport train takes you to Tokyo Central Station in just 1 hour. The fare for this comfortable train is about 3,000 JPY (or 27 USD). Trains leave from the airport every half hour.
The first train leaves at 07:44 in the morning, the last at 21:44 in the evening.
A similar level of comfort is offered by the Skyliner trains, which depart from Narita Airport every 20-40 minutes (depending on the time of day). The first train leaves the airport at 07:26 in the morning, and the last at 22:30 at night. On the way, the train reaches speeds of up to 160 km/h. The main disadvantage of the Skyliner train is that it takes you 1 hour and 2470 JPY (22.5 USD) just to Ueno station.
Next, you should transfer to the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line or JR Yamanote Line and get to Tokyo in about 10 minutes, paying an additional 150 JPY.
Thus, traveling from Narita Airport by train to Tokyo is a faster and more comfortable form of transport compared to buses. However, the cost of traveling by train is more than twice as high. In addition, a big disadvantage of trains is their limited operating time.
If you arrive in Japan late in the evening or at night, you will not be able to use the trains (unless you wait at the airport until the morning). Therefore, when choosing the method that is most suitable for you, take into account all factors.
Thus, you have received information about the 4 main ways to get from Narita Airport to Tokyo - to stations in the city center and to your hotel in the capital. How to get to Narita Airport from Tokyo Central Airport? Have a nice and safe trip and have a great holiday in Japan!
