jib71

I think I would take Skyliner + Yamanote or cab if I lived in Ikebukuro.

Himeno

Skyliner to Nippori then Yamanote to Ikebukuro is faster then NEX to Ikebukuro...

evergrn

I've been doing NRT-Ikebukuro since childhood, and I will take NEx over Skyliner+Yamanote any day (all else being equal). The only time I take Skyliner is if I have to wait ~30+ minutes for the next NRT. When I have luggage in tow, it's a pain to change at Nippori and I hate taking Yamanote. It's not just about speed.

yamanote8

Skyliner>Yamanote is faster, but as evergrn mentions, not necessarily more convenient. I don't want to have to lug my stuff from the Skyliner platform all the way over to the Yamanote Line platform, cram myself and my stuff in with all the commuters, and have to lug my stuff up to street level again.

Cab works, but it takes over half an hour during rush hour. And all that time the meter is ticking away at an exorbitant rate.

I'm willing to pay a few thousand more yen and spend a couple more minutes tapping away at my laptop for station-to-station convenience. If I only had a carry-on I'd do Skyliner + Yamanote in a heartbeat though.

maltasr

Thank you everyone for your extremely helpful advice. All things considered, I think the wife and I will take the short train ride to Narita Town and have a good look-see there. Sounds as if there's plenty to do between the scenic train ride, bargain shopping at department store(s), and hopefully visiting the local temple. It sounds like fun and yet will allow us time to check out the JAL/AA First class lounges at the airport itself. A shower may be in order at that point. Can we shower together or is it segregated? And I assume there are no limitations on leaving and returning to the airport as we won't be carrying a Japanese passport/visa. Once again, many thanks for the multitude of advice from both of us newly retired senior citizen English teachers.

jib71

Yup. Fully understood your thinking. But MMMV - I simply couldn't bear to go sotomawari to Ikebukuro. It would be like drinking Earl Grey for breakfast (or at any time, frankly).

yamanote8

Good choice, given your limited time I'd rather spend a relaxing day near the airport rather than rush through one or two things in Tokyo.

I don't think I want to know what you plan on doing in the shower... but I believe the shower rooms are all located in one hallway. (I haven't had the chance of utilizing the showers in the F section yet- lounge questions are better directed to the respective airline forums I think)

You can enter and leave the airport itself as many times as you like- I think the passport checks at the entrances are still in effect?- but not sure why you'd have to do that. You can take the Keisei to Narita Station, then head off to the mall on a bus that departs from there.
I believe there are buses that go straight back to Narita Airport, but don't run very frequently, so make sure you get the schedule and time your shopping accordingly.

And it just crawls along between Tokyo>Shibuya>Shinjuku, as if to mock me. Almost there... but it's still gonna be another half-hour