From a travel website:
"The Limousine Bus allows you to take your luggage conveniently with you (in the bottom of the bus) but the down-side is that it is frequently caught in traffic jams. A good run can be done in a little over an hour; bad runs frequently last two or even three hours.
The train is highly predictable and fast. The down-side is that there are no special arrangements (porters or carts or adequate space in the train car itself) for larger luggage. It is possible to send your bags directly from the airport by courier (takkyubin) to any address in Japan. An address in Tokyo costs about 1,800 yen per bag."
I'm now leaning towards the Skyliner again. Is it impossible to carry our two pieces of luggage on the train? My briefcase is relatively small and easy. I'm not sure if we'll have anything in our duffle but it too is small (Filson) and doesn't take up much space. As I think about it, the duffle will likely be packed away as we're only bringing it for our short weekend trips when we'll need to forward our luggage ahead.
If luggage forwarding is a necessity for the train commute, how long would it take to arrive at The Pen and is it guaranteed for delivery the same evening? It sounds like it would cost us around $40 (JPY 1800) for both of our suitcases. We would need to have it delivered same day though without a hitch.
Originally Posted by
beep88
I have taken the LimoBus and got stuck for 2.5 hrs (to Shinjuku, weekend afternoon) after a 13 hrs flight. I survived.
>> would there be ample storage for luggage on the JR Yamanote Line and approx. how long would that leg of the commute run?
I have also done the weekday late afternoon trek on Yamanote Line (Nippori - Shinjuku) because Narita Express was shut down due to strong wind. There is no storage except overhead rack as it's commuter train, standing room only crowded (in a western way, not Japanese sardine packed). There were other international travellers doing the same.
Thanks for this info.
I'm not suggesting we couldn't survive; I'm just trying to plan for the most comfortable and pleasant way to get into Tokyo after a very uncomfortable and unpleasant flight. 12 hours in an economy seat sucks so we'll just want to get to the hotel as quickly as possible, minimizing any further time spent on busses, trains, cars, etc. I would not want to sit in traffic on a bus for 2.5 hours.
You've answered my question with regards to luggage. It sounds like we'll need to forward our bags. I would just want to ensure that they would be received at our hotel the same evening.
Is the transfer from Nippori easy to navigate btw?