BostonBoy,

One reasonably priced way to the Westin Tokyo from Narita is a Keisei + JR Yamanote combination. Both train lines.

If you don't have much baggage to carry, take Keisei line from Narita Airport (either Terminal 1 or 2) to Nippori. Get off there and change to JR Yamanote line to Ebisu. The Ebisu station has a moving walkway linked to a high-rise complex that includes the Westin.

For Keisei, if you take a limited express ('Tokkyu' in Japanese, a fast local train service), it will be about 70 minutes. It stops about 10 stations before reaching Nippori.

Keisei has a faster Skyliner service, which only stops once (or none depending on the time of day) to Nippori. The journey can be reduced to just less than 60 minutes.

The fare is 1,000 yen to Nippori on a limited express and double (about 2,000 yen) on a Skyliner.

The Yamanote Line is a circular line and there are two services, each going opposite directions, so you will get to Ebisu no matter which Yamanote line you take. But take the one designated as going to Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya. This is faster. Frequency, though depending on the time of day, is one in every two or three minutes. The journey time is about 30 minutes from Nippori to Ebisu. Ebisu is the one right after Shibuya.

The fare for Yamanote, from Nippori to Ebisu, is about 200 yen or less.

You can buy a ticket all the way to Ebisu from Narita at Keisei's Narita station counter. One ticket on a limited express + Yamanote combination. Two on a Skyliner + Yamanote combination, with the big one having to be given to the ticket examiner at Nippori.

The Yamanote line can be extremely crowded during morning and evening rush hours. I would suggest you avoid them during 7-9 a.m. and 5-8 p.m., unless you want to see a rather chaotic scene.

Keisei has a timetable and how to connect to JR at http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetud...esse/index.htm

[This message has been edited by Chiangi (edited 04-20-2000).]