I will be traveling from NRT to Shinjuku in the next few weeks and I am a little bit confused about the advance purchase policy.

Does advance purchase mean that I would have to buy them before the date of travel, and then show up at a ticket office with my email receipt for an actual ticket, or does advance purchase mean that I can get off of my flight, go through customs and immigration, go downstairs, and then purchase an (if) available seat on the Narita Express? Or both?

I have done some reading on the various NRT and JR East websites, but for whatever reason, I cannot process the correct answer.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

First point: advance purchase is wholly optional.

For going from Narita to town, most people buy a ticket on the spot, which you describe as get off of my flight, go through customs and immigration, go downstairs, and then purchase an (if) available seat on the Narita Express.

Advance purchase consists of making a reservation for a seat on a specific train, and picking up/ paying for the ticket upon arrival in Narita. It has the major disadvantage of not allowing you to change trains except for a standing ticket, and the minor advantage of guaranteeing you a seat if you arrive at a popular time such as Sunday night or at the end of Golden Week.


I would not bother with an advance reservation from Narita to Shinjuku. I have never had to stand after my many trips into NRT when I was based in Tokyo.


On the other hand, buying your return ticket (to NRT) before departure day is a wise move, since most Japanese do so as well.

On the remote chance you are asking this because you are a train buff who wants to preselect a good seat: from my experience JR always tries to keep the seat next to you empty in first class (green car), but fills up the NEX sequentially from one end of a car to the other, in 2nd class. Thus an advance reservation would not help.

PS: I'm a cyclist as well http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by monahos (edited 04-21-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by monahos:
On the other hand, buying your return ticket (to NRT) before departure day is a wise move, since most Japanese do so as well.
</font>

Thanks for the response. If I purchase my return ticket the day before (or so), can I purchase it at the Shinjuku Station, or are there only specfied stations that allow this?

[This message has been edited by dsimon (edited 04-21-2002).]

You should be able to buy it at any JR station with a midori-no-madoguchi ('ticketing office for reserved seats').

Those are usually the stations handling long-distance trains as opposed to just commuter trains. In the Tokyo area: Narita, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ueno, Ikebukuro, probably Shibuya and Shinagawa, etc.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by monahos:
midori-no-madoguchi ('ticketing office for reserved seats').</font>

Thanks for clearing that up. I did not know if midori-no-madoguchi meant a specific ticket location, or just a generic ticketing office.

Incidentally, since I cannot converse in Japanese, what is the likelihood that a person at one of these ticketing offices will speak English?



[This message has been edited by dsimon (edited 04-21-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">what is the likelihood that a person at one of these ticketing offices will speak English?</font>

Moderate http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/wink.gif

However JR agents are usually efficient and competent, and will not have a problem understanding your request.

If your interlocutor is not proficient in English, just say the key words (NEX, Shinjuku, and Narita), and point at the single-sheet NEX schedule usually sitting on the counter to indicate which train you want to take. To be extra-prepared, you could print out the NEX schedule from the JR site, highlight your pick, and write down the date (dd/mm, not mm/dd).


The busiest trains are usually those serving the first batch of departures from NRT around 10am.

Thanks monahos, you have been very helpful.

Just my two cents,,,

From NRT to Shinjuku, the Narita Express is definitely a winner when the highways are very congested, however, in the late afternoon to evening peak hours, Shinjuku bound NRT Express only operate hourly. So if you miss one, you will have to wait for one hour; the other train goes to Yokohama via Tokyo.

So when you get out of the customs, you might head straight to the ticketing counters for Airport Limousine Bus and check how long is the current travel time is to Shinjuku. On my last two trips, it took only 70 minutes to Shinjuku by bus. (virtually no traffic), If they say, two hours, then definitely go for the train.

As most travelers buy the train tickets downstairs where the station is located, in peak hours, they will sell out rather quickly just before the train departure time.
In order to beat this, I suggest, you buy the train ticket at the arrival level just as you come of the custom. There are ticketing counters for Narita Express alongside the Airport Limousine... Just ask them where...

Thanks for the advice.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Kaoru Kanetaka:
however, in the late afternoon to evening peak hours, Shinjuku bound NRT Express only operate hourly.</font>

This is a silly question, I know, but why do N'EX trains operate hourly, as opposed to half-hourly during the evening peak hours. I understand that 'it is what it is', but wouldn't trains run with greater frequency when there is more traffic?

dsimon,

I understand your anguish and frustration. The answer lies in the fact those Narita Express trains share the same track as the busy commuter trains near Tokyo. During off-peak hours, a train normally consists of 9 to 12 cars and at Tokyo station, the forward cars and back cars get split. The forward going to Shinjuky and the back cars continuing on to Yokohama. This train split takes more than a few minuts at the busy Tokyo station and, therefore, during the evening peak hours, those trains just operate with a single direction of either Shinjyuku or Yokohama, thereby eliminating the need for train-split process. When the highway traffic is very bad to downtown Tokyo, I often take the next train to Tokyo, which depart half hourly, and take a cab towards Shinjuku from Tokyo station. Actually, dealing with several luggages at Shinjuku station ( the world's most crowded ) can be a nightmare, whereas, there is an elevator at Tokyo station basement that let me off right in front of the taxi stand. After all, with luggages, I have to take taxi anyway from Shinjuku station somehow maneuvering in the sea of crowds, I find this method to be more costly but time saving and requires less effort.

Thanks for the explanation, Kaoru.