Last edit by: muji
When posting a question, please be sure to list the following information:
- The airport(s) at which you are transiting
- The airline on which you are arriving
- The airline on which you are departing
- Your connection time in hours/minutes
- How you are connecting, whether international to international (Int-Int), international to domestic (Int-Dom), domestic to international (Dom-Int), or domestic to domestic (Dom-Dom)
- Whether you are traveling on a single ticket, or separately-booked tickets
The "Help! I have a connection in Japan!" Master Thread
#631
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 1,023
Hi everyone. My questions are a bit different to the usual transfer advice, so please bear with me while I explain (and apologies for not using the suggested post format)
---
---
- I arrive HND on Friday morning. Scheduled arrival is 5:15am but often is earlier, sometimes as early as 4:30am.
How long does it typically take to get through immigration & customs at that time in the morning? (I'm traveling in business and should be one of the first off the plane if that matters, I also will have one suitcase in checked luggage).
--- - My flight from NRT is at 6:30pm, so I have plenty of time to transfer. My preference is go via train and I have found via the "Access Wayfinding" link a through service (same train) that leaves at 6:37am from the international terminal. If the flight arrives on time, do you think I would be able to make it to the train on time?
--- - I plan to buy either a PASMO or Suica card at the airport train station. Which one would be better to get? (I will use the card for a few days when I return to Tokyo in a few weeks).
--- - With pretty much a whole day to kill once I've checked in at NRT for my flight, is it worth taking a trip from the airport to somewhere nearby? I thought I might go to the Aeon Mall, but perhaps there is something a bit more interesting to do.
---
Many thanks!
Many thanks!
Last edited by mgm; Jun 12, 2018 at 6:54 pm
#632
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
(1) If you take the through train, you'll be departing from the Keikyu station, where you can buy PASMO
(2) The deposit on a SUICA card issued by the Monorail company is only refundable at Monorail stations - not ordinary JR stations. (The stored value on the card is refundable at any JR station, subject to a modest transaction fee)
If you really want to go to NRT at silly-o'clock in the morning, I recommend that you confirm in advance that your airline will allow you to check luggage at that hour. After you have deposited your luggage, you could catch a train to Narita City and explore the temple and its gardens, visit an onsen, see the Aeon mall (oooh!), and eat some eel. Or you could go to Tokyo.
#633
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
As above, breaking the journey up is what I would do if it was me. And then I would be sad that I didn't have more time in Tokyo, but that's a digression.
I was trying to think of arguments or scenarios _against_ breaking up the journey since I am hesitant to give strangers absolute unqualified advice.
The best (only) reason I could come up with is if @mgm doesn't want to deal with figuring out intra-tokyo transportation with luggage in tow. With MGM's plan, he has exactly one train to find/deal with before his luggage is dropped off. Just in case that's the driving factor, I want to chime in that there are some transportation options that keep almost all of the simplicity and still allow for a leisurely stop in Tokyo. For example, limo bus Haneda to Shinjuku, locker for luggage, wander the area, limo bus Shinjuku to Narita. Lots of options.
I was trying to think of arguments or scenarios _against_ breaking up the journey since I am hesitant to give strangers absolute unqualified advice.
The best (only) reason I could come up with is if @mgm doesn't want to deal with figuring out intra-tokyo transportation with luggage in tow. With MGM's plan, he has exactly one train to find/deal with before his luggage is dropped off. Just in case that's the driving factor, I want to chime in that there are some transportation options that keep almost all of the simplicity and still allow for a leisurely stop in Tokyo. For example, limo bus Haneda to Shinjuku, locker for luggage, wander the area, limo bus Shinjuku to Narita. Lots of options.
#634
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
Hi everyone. My questions are a bit different to the usual transfer advice, so please bear with me while I explain (and apologies for not using the suggested post format)
---
---
- I arrive HND on Friday morning. Scheduled arrival is 5:15am but often is earlier, sometimes as early as 4:30am.
How long does it typically take to get through immigration & customs at that time in the morning? (I'm traveling in business and should be one of the first off the plane if that matters, I also will have one suitcase in checked luggage).
--- - My flight from NRT is at 6:30pm, so I have plenty of time to transfer. My preference is go via train and I have found via the "Access Wayfinding" link a through service (same train) that leaves at 6:37am from the international terminal. If the flight arrives on time, do you think I would be able to make it to the train on time?
--- - I plan to buy either a PASMO or Suica card at the airport train station. Which one would be better to get? (I will use the card for a few days when I return to Tokyo in a few weeks).
--- - With pretty much a whole day to kill once I've checked in at NRT for my flight, is it worth taking a trip from the airport to somewhere nearby? I thought I might go to the Aeon Mall, but perhaps there is something a bit more interesting to do.
---
Many thanks!
Many thanks!
As others said, maybe find a location in central Tokyo to store your luggage and spend a few hours there. This will of course get you in to some rush hour flow, but the time spent will be so much nicer than in Narita and surroundings.
#635
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
#636
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
#637
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 1,023
Thanks for the feedback everyone.
I've done the bus trip from HND to NRT before, during the afternoon, and frankly found it incredibly long and tedious. My thoughts on taking the train would be that it should be pretty much straightforward, guaranteed to arrive at the scheduled time and be somewhat more interesting given the variety of stops along the way (not everyone's cup of tea I realise). Of course, the possibility of a morning crush is not good but I thought I might just miss it with the train I was looking at.
I might rethink my plan and look at heading to somewhere in Tokyo, store luggage and do a bit of exploring.
Thanks again.
I've done the bus trip from HND to NRT before, during the afternoon, and frankly found it incredibly long and tedious. My thoughts on taking the train would be that it should be pretty much straightforward, guaranteed to arrive at the scheduled time and be somewhat more interesting given the variety of stops along the way (not everyone's cup of tea I realise). Of course, the possibility of a morning crush is not good but I thought I might just miss it with the train I was looking at.
I might rethink my plan and look at heading to somewhere in Tokyo, store luggage and do a bit of exploring.
Thanks again.
#638
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
I've done the bus trip from HND to NRT before, during the afternoon, and frankly found it incredibly long and tedious. My thoughts on taking the train would be that it should be pretty much straightforward, guaranteed to arrive at the scheduled time and be somewhat more interesting given the variety of stops along the way (not everyone's cup of tea I realise). Of course, the possibility of a morning crush is not good but I thought I might just miss it with the train I was looking at.
I might rethink my plan and look at heading to somewhere in Tokyo, store luggage and do a bit of exploring.
I might rethink my plan and look at heading to somewhere in Tokyo, store luggage and do a bit of exploring.
Even large suitcase size lockers are likely to be available in large stations early in the morning.
If not, there's this place:
http://www.sagawa-exp.co.jp/ttk/engl...ter/basta.html
Trains are not guaranteed to arrive on time, btw. Not any more than Limo Bus in my experience.
Would've been nice if mjm had responded to mgm.
Trains are not guaranteed to arrive on time, btw. Not any more than Limo Bus in my experience.
Would've been nice if mjm had responded to mgm.
#639
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Nova Scotia
Programs: SPG Lifetime Gold
Posts: 92
- The airport(s) at which you are transiting NARITA to HANEDA
- The airline on which you are arriving AIR CANADA
- The airline on which you are departing ANA
- Your connection time in hours/minutes 3 HOURS
- How you are connecting, whether international to international (Int-Int), international to domestic (Int-Dom), domestic to international (Dom-Int), or domestic to domestic (Dom-Dom) INTERNATIONAL - DOMESTIC
- Whether you are traveling on a single ticket, or separately-booked tickets SINGLE TICKET
#640
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
- The airport(s) at which you are transiting NARITA to HANEDA
- The airline on which you are arriving AIR CANADA
- The airline on which you are departing ANA
- Your connection time in hours/minutes 3 HOURS
- How you are connecting, whether international to international (Int-Int), international to domestic (Int-Dom), domestic to international (Dom-Int), or domestic to domestic (Dom-Dom) INTERNATIONAL - DOMESTIC
- Whether you are traveling on a single ticket, or separately-booked tickets SINGLE TICKET
Do they also have moving boxes shipped separately? As that can add to the time at customs as well.
Overall, I would look for a longer connection.
#641
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
#642
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Nova Scotia
Programs: SPG Lifetime Gold
Posts: 92
No they will have everything with them.
I thought that it might be tight. At this point, their only option is to overnight in Haneda and catch the next flight in the morning. Where this was an authorized connection from AC they would be protected on the next ANA flight?
I thought that it might be tight. At this point, their only option is to overnight in Haneda and catch the next flight in the morning. Where this was an authorized connection from AC they would be protected on the next ANA flight?
#644
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Nova Scotia
Programs: SPG Lifetime Gold
Posts: 92
If he is taking up residence, his residence card will be issued in the airport and immigration does take extra time. Based on this, I will say 3 hours is not enough. It is a quite tight run to begin with and extra immigration time can quickly make it impossible.
Do they also have moving boxes shipped separately? As that can add to the time at customs as well.
Overall, I would look for a longer connection.
Do they also have moving boxes shipped separately? As that can add to the time at customs as well.
Overall, I would look for a longer connection.
Thanks for the input above.
#645
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
Glad to hear it!