Japan - What to do in NRT for 10.5 Hours?

Hi all,

Just a quick advice question. I will be stuck in NRT in a few weeks for a little over ten hours. I'm arriving from BKK in TG F and departing for ORD in UA F. Never been to NRT before, what's the best lounge to kill some time in. What lounge has the best food? Similarly, who has the best showers?

Thanks for your help, these forums are amazing.

I went to the Delta lounge at Narita before
It was very nice, when I arrived there weren't a lot of people there
I also went to take a shower which was clean
They have a self-serve bar there that has some decent selection of food
I got some sushi, cold noodle, and some other good stuff
The best Delta sky lounge i have ever been to so far:D

Welcome to FT.

You will find most of your questions answered in this (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan/530019-japan-tokyo-beyond-master-thread.html) master thread.

You can get into any UA partner FC lounge in NRT, by showing your bp, and allot of them are definitely FC. Check for UA partners on their website.
Delta ain't one of them!

You can get into any UA partner FC lounge in NRT, by showing your bp, and allot of them are definitely FC. Check for UA partners on their website.
Delta ain't one of them!

Would you say the ANA Suite Lounge or the United IFC lounge has better shower facilities?

I would get a day room at the airport Hilton. They have a nice spa/sauna area where you can spend a few hours.

Would you say the ANA Suite Lounge or the United IFC lounge has better shower facilities?

You've got ten hours, why not try 'em both and report back to us?

Gotta fill in the time somehow! :)

If you haven't been to Tokyo before - why not catch the train into Tokyo and spend the time looking around there?

If you haven't been to Tokyo before - why not catch the train into Tokyo and spend the time looking around there?

If this is actually feasible, I might try and do this. I suppose I should have no trouble leaving the airport and getting back in.

you can narita express round trip and the tokyo metro system is superb, but there's no elite entry to nrt so keep the 2 hrs buffer before departure. the security/immigration lines can run long. united's lounge at nrt is one of their best. probably due to the high standards set by asian lounges.

this is a guesstimate please check schedules but arrival departure and express train inclusive you have about 2 hours of sightseeing and possibly cheap world class sushi at tsukuji market.

lastly do not count on wifi or cell coverage. japan is proprietary and you'll need a japanese plan in most if not all cases. plan your excursion to the exact details to avoid getting lost and not having your google maps in hand.

you can narita express round trip and the tokyo metro system is superb, but there's no elite entry to nrt so keep the 2 hrs buffer before departure. the security/immigration lines can run long. united's lounge at nrt is one of their best. probably due to the high standards set by asian lounges.

this is a guesstimate please check schedules but arrival departure and express train inclusive you have about 2 hours of sightseeing and possibly cheap world class sushi at tsukuji market.

lastly do not count on wifi or cell coverage. japan is proprietary and you'll need a japanese plan in most if not all cases. plan your excursion to the exact details to avoid getting lost and not having your google maps in hand.

All solid advice right there.

If you're leary of traveling all the way to Tokyo for ~2 hours of sightseeing, Narita city is readily accessible from the airport, has some nice walking, places to eat and drink, the Shinsoji temple, etc. and would be a nice way to stretch your legs, so to speak, without the time pressure and lengthy transits. There are cheap buses that run every 90 minutes, local trains to the 2 Narita city stations (and, of course, cabs as well).

I love the ANA C and F lounges near the 50's gates, but 10.5 hours in ANY airport lounge is an awful lot of time. Basically - that's the same amount of time you'll be in the air to ORD.

united's lounge at nrt is one of their best. probably due to the high standards set by asian lounges.


I can second this. I've spent a few hours at the F lounge waiting for a flight out to BKK, and the food was quite good. I was pleasantly surprised by some very good sushi.

With the amount of time you have, I would take a trip to Narita-san (成田山) Temple. It is a wonderful property to wander through with some great gardens. Afterward walk back down to the rails (nice walk with some great shopping along the way) to catch a train back to the airport.

All solid advice right there.

If you're leary of traveling all the way to Tokyo for ~2 hours of sightseeing, Narita city is readily accessible from the airport, has some nice walking, places to eat and drink, the Shinsoji temple, etc. and would be a nice way to stretch your legs, so to speak, without the time pressure and lengthy transits. There are cheap buses that run every 90 minutes, local trains to the 2 Narita city stations (and, of course, cabs as well). .

I took the airport shuttle to the ANA Crowne Plaza (if I'm remembering the hotel name correctly), checked a bag with the concierge and took a local shuttle bus from the hotel all the way to the temple. It was an awesome way to kill an otherwise wasted day. I'd highly recommend it. I can go back and look through my old expenses (when I'm back in the office) if you'd like me to provide a definitive hotel name.

I can second this. I've spent a few hours at the F lounge waiting for a flight out to BKK, and the food was quite good. I was pleasantly surprised by some very good sushi.

How does it compare to the ANA biz lounge? When I'm in Narita and I'm looking for a lounge, I see United Club and think "cookies, cheese, crackers, snack mix" and I see a ANA Lounge and think "sushi, udon noodles, finger sandwiches, beverage variety" and I don't even pause at the UA entrance on my way to ANA.

Is the NRT UA Club that much different than it's US counterparts, even the hub locations like SF, SEA, IAD, etc?

ANA Suite(F) Lounge: F quality amuse bouche, cooked to order hot noodle/tempura don

Haven't been to UA IFC lounge at NRT, but given their in-flight F meal (even ex. Japan) is like food court stuff at home, I never wanted to go in. Did try RCC @ NRT years ago and IFC at HKG recently, nothing spectacular.

Is the NRT UA Club that much different than it's US counterparts, even the hub locations like SF, SEA, IAD, etc?

Nope, other than the beer machine it's the SOS. The ANA lounges are far superior. Sake bar, fresh udon noodles, quiet area, less crowded, and far better behaved patrons since the Americans mostly don't know to look any further than their own rather large noses.

I prefer the UA IFC to the ANA IFC lounge, but they are both nice and it's really a matter of personal preference. Together with SFO, the NRT F lounge is the nicest in the system.

Also, UA F will get you through the F security entrance, which is always very quick. Immigration is rarely longer than 5 minutes going into the airport.... but could be a bit longer getting out of the airport.

I would recommend a trip into Tokyo. Take the Narita Express to Tokyo station. You could wander around Ginza and/or the Imperial Palace. Also get a nice lunch. It's a very easy trip. You would easily have 5 or 6 hours in Tokyo. Well worth doing if you've not been to Tokyo before.

Also there is spa in Terminal 1 (*A) on the 2nd floor between the North and South wing. Clean but not too fancy.

Is the NRT UA Club that much different than it's US counterparts, even the hub locations like SF, SEA, IAD, etc?

Nope, other than the beer machine it's the SOS. The ANA lounges are far superior. Sake bar, fresh udon noodles, quiet area, less crowded, and far better behaved patrons since the Americans mostly don't know to look any further than their own rather large noses.

You forgot about the 12-14 shower rooms and shower kit in the United lounge. Good stuff. Highly recommended

And then go to the ANA lounge for food.

Narita city is readily accessible from the airport, has some nice walking, places to eat and drink, the Shinsoji temple, etc. and would be a nice way to stretch your legs, so to speak, without the time pressure and lengthy transits. There are cheap buses that run every 90 minutes, local trains to the 2 Narita city stations (and, of course, cabs as well).

I love the ANA C and F lounges near the 50's gates, but 10.5 hours in ANY airport lounge is an awful lot of time. Basically - that's the same amount of time you'll be in the air to ORD.

+1

Whether or not you should go into Tokyo depends on which 10.5 hours you will be there. If it is from 7am - 5:30pm, put your stuff into left baggage and go. If it is from 7pm - 5:30am, unless you are into partying all night and taking a $300 taxi ride back to the airport, go somewhere to sleep.

Given 10.5 hours I definitely recommend going into Tokyo. Your itinerary would look something like this:

8:00 - Flight arrives from BKK, go through inbound immigration and customs
9:10 - Hop on Skyliner train from NRT
10:05 - Arrive at Ueno Station

What you do for the next 4-5 hours is up to you, but options in the immediate area include Ueno Park (big park with art museums and a zoo), Ameyoko (crowded shopping street, lots of places to get lunch), Asakusa (about 5 minutes away on the subway, big temple, all the tourists go there) and Akihabara (about 5 minutes away by train, electronics/subculture district, all the tourists go there).

2:40 - Leave Ueno Station.
3:20 - Arrive at NRT, go through security and outbound immigration
4:30 - Flight leaves for ORD

The Skyliner train costs 2,400 yen each way. You can also take a slow train for about 1,000 yen each way, but I don't advise this because (a) you are likely to get packed in like a sardine during the morning rush hour and (b) it would take an extra 45 minutes or so each way.

Getting back to NRT two hours before your flight is perhaps good from a conservative perspective but it is almost guaranteed to leave you with more than an hour to kill at NRT. I would expect something like a 2-minute wait at security (which is generally very fast and easy in Japan, no shoe carnival here) and a 5 to 15-minute wait at outbound immigration. ANA tells people to get to NRT an hour before departure if they are already checked in.

The thought of wasting 10 hours inside an airport when one of the world's great cities is nearby makes me shudder in horror. The excellent advice below is spot on. I'd add: buy the Tokyo pdf from Lonely Planet ($5), print it out and ponder your options. You won't need a smart phone or other gizmos people used to travel *without*.
http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/japan/japan-travel-guide-12/japan-tokyo-chapter-12


Given 10.5 hours I definitely recommend going into Tokyo. Your itinerary would look something like this:

8:00 - Flight arrives from BKK, go through inbound immigration and customs
9:10 - Hop on Skyliner train from NRT
10:05 - Arrive at Ueno Station

What you do for the next 4-5 hours is up to you, but options in the immediate area include Ueno Park (big park with art museums and a zoo), Ameyoko (crowded shopping street, lots of places to get lunch), Asakusa (about 5 minutes away on the subway, big temple, all the tourists go there) and Akihabara (about 5 minutes away by train, electronics/subculture district, all the tourists go there).

2:40 - Leave Ueno Station.
3:20 - Arrive at NRT, go through security and outbound immigration
4:30 - Flight leaves for ORD

The Skyliner train costs 2,400 yen each way. You can also take a slow train for about 1,000 yen each way, but I don't advise this because (a) you are likely to get packed in like a sardine during the morning rush hour and (b) it would take an extra 45 minutes or so each way.

Getting back to NRT two hours before your flight is perhaps good from a conservative perspective but it is almost guaranteed to leave you with more than an hour to kill at NRT. I would expect something like a 2-minute wait at security (which is generally very fast and easy in Japan, no shoe carnival here) and a 5 to 15-minute wait at outbound immigration. ANA tells people to get to NRT an hour before departure if they are already checked in.

I haven't been there. But somebody whose opinions I trust has been, and he lives in Tokyo {far from Narita}: The Barge Inn in Narita (http://naritabargeinn.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=4) is a keen venue styled after a British pub.
He wrote that flight crews spending the night in Narita before their next assignment especially enjoyed it.
I also though, concur, with RichardInSF, that it depends on which 10½ hours you will be there.