fransknorge

Hello all

Early April I will be a few days in Tokyo for the first time. My hotel is close to Kanda Station.
I will arrive at HND at 3 PM and will depart from NRT at 11 AM. To go from HND, Google Maps recommend me to take the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho and then change to the Yamanote line to Kanda. It will be somewhere around 4 to 5 PM I guess, so bang in rush hour.
To go to NRT, I should take the Yamanote Line at around 7:30 AM and then change at Nippori station to the Skyliner.

Are those timing right into rush hour as I think it is ?
Does anybody have an alternative itinerary that would avoid me and my luggage being compressed like sardine can ? Taking an Uber from Hamamatsucho for example ? Or any other ideas ? Or should I just go with the itineraries above ?

abmj-jr

Those are reasonable routes although you could also use the JR Keihin-Tohoku local line if the time is more convenient. For this sort of thing, I'd probably use the HyperDia rail planner instead of Google.

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/

You will run into some commuter issues, particularly on the way to NRT in the morning. Leave plenty of time to get to Nippori. The Skyliner is rarely crowded any time.

msb0b

On the inbound, HND to Kanda, your arrival should be early enough to avoid the evening rush.

On the outbound to NRT, you can minimize the time in the packed commuter trains by alighting at JR Ueno station and catch the Skyliner train train at Keisei Ueno station.

Another option is the LCC bus. It is about 1 km from Kanda station to the Yaesu bus stop, may be closer or farther depending where you are staying.

Yamanote line and Keihin-Tohoku line run parallel to each other on the same platform from Shinagawa to Tabata. You can hop on whichever comes first. However, Keihin-Tohoku Rapid trains do not stop at Nippori among other stations so don't get on it when you are going to NRT via Nippori.

ksandness

Or take a cab to the TCAT (Tokyo City Air Terminal), which is not that far from Kanda, and catch a limousine bus.

There are almost always multiple options for going anywhere in the Tokyo area.

WorldLux

Yamanote line can be quite crowded. I arrived around 8:30/9:00 am at Ueno Station and it was very uncomfortable with luggage. That said, I doubt that it was more stressful than riding the Tube with luggage during morning rush hour. The trains to NRT (once you got of the local services) should be ok.

fransknorge

Thanks a lot for those comments, that gives alternatives to look at and research.

abmj-jr

This would be a pretty good option if you don't mind spending a little more to avoid over-crowded trains. Just research the departure times for the bus and leave enough extra time with the cab for crowded streets.

beep88

4-5 pm Yamanote line is busy but no where near morning rush hours. You can take check-in bags. Many others do.

mapleg

Agreed. It's no big deal at that time.

Anyone who has been to Japan knows that the average salaried worker does not quit working at 4 to 5 pm and hop on the train home. There is no issue finding space on the train at that time of the day.

RichardInSF

From around 10am to 3pm, the Keihin-Tohoku line runs a rapid service which does not stop at Kanda station. Rest of the time it's fine.

I would not get off the Yamanote line at Ueno even if it was crowded. It is quite a walk from Ueno to Keisei-Ueno with bags and you are likely to end up on a route that requires navigating stairs. Ride to Nippori.

ksandness

I just looked up the taxi fare from Kanda Station to the TCAT, and it was only ¥1,033, quite a reasonable price for avoiding the Yamanote Line during the morning rush hour.

www.taxifarefinder.com/

mapleg

For heading back to Narita....

You can also take a taxi to Tokyo Station and take the N'ex.

Or take a taxi Kanda to Keisei-Narita and take Skyliner. Allow sufficient time to buy ticket if you don't do it in advance.

ksandness

That's true. Kanda to Tokyo Station would be a very short taxi ride.

fransknorge

Thanks, I think the NEX is the best option for convenience for the outbound, so I will likely to this.