First trip to Tokyo
May 13, 2017, 2:47 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Posts: 1,293
The important question would be where you are staying in Tokyo? I always stay in Shibuya and HAN is way more convenient than NRT. But, if I was staying in a different area, NRT might be better.
That said, the Narita Express to Shibuya takes about 90 minutes. If that is short or long is up to the person travelling.
That said, the Narita Express to Shibuya takes about 90 minutes. If that is short or long is up to the person travelling.
May 13, 2017, 7:02 pm
#18
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
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Unless you plan to stay in the Ueno/Ikebukuro area and maybe Tokyo Station, HND is infinitely easier to get in and out of than NRT - I cannot stand the fact NRT is basically 75+ minutes from most areas in Tokyo. You'll have plenty of chances to experience the Polaris hard product in the future and the 789 in J is a fine ride.
May 13, 2017, 7:15 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2014
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May 13, 2017, 8:48 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ, PDX
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May 13, 2017, 10:54 pm
#21
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Small town near RNO
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The fastest and cheapest of the express services is the Keisei Skyliner. It only stops twice at Nippori and Keisei Ueno in 37 minutes. The problem is that it doesn't always run every 20 minutes but there are a several 40 minute gaps between trains during the middle of the day. Also it's a walk to the JR Ueno station.
Nippori is the easiest transfer station to the JR Yamanote, Joban and Kehin-Tohuku lines. The Yamanote line connection is the fastest connection to Ikebukuro and Shinjuku and the Joban line is probably the fastest to Tokyo and Shinagawa. The Keihin-Tohuku line is the quickest to Akihabara.
The Narita Express (NEX) is slower(about 1 hour to Tokyo) since it makes more stops heading into Tokyo. The train divides at Tokyo which takes about 10 minutes and then is only a little faster than the rapid services inside the Yamanote line circle. If you're headed to Yokohama, Takao, Omiya, or taking a Shinkansen the NEX is probably the easiest way to head into town.
AS 764toHI noted HND is easier to get to everywhere except Ueno, Ikebukuro, and stations on the Yamanote line stations in between. It's also a lot easier to get to places south of Tokyo like Yokohama and the Tokaido line if you use the Keikyu (especially the limited expresses) and transfer to JR at Yokohama instead of Shinagawa or Tokyo.
Both airports have decent transfer/connection search engines on their websites. I usually figure about 45 minutes to get through Immigration and Customs as long as you aren't on the last flight in the afternoon bank of arrivals.
Nippori is the easiest transfer station to the JR Yamanote, Joban and Kehin-Tohuku lines. The Yamanote line connection is the fastest connection to Ikebukuro and Shinjuku and the Joban line is probably the fastest to Tokyo and Shinagawa. The Keihin-Tohuku line is the quickest to Akihabara.
The Narita Express (NEX) is slower(about 1 hour to Tokyo) since it makes more stops heading into Tokyo. The train divides at Tokyo which takes about 10 minutes and then is only a little faster than the rapid services inside the Yamanote line circle. If you're headed to Yokohama, Takao, Omiya, or taking a Shinkansen the NEX is probably the easiest way to head into town.
AS 764toHI noted HND is easier to get to everywhere except Ueno, Ikebukuro, and stations on the Yamanote line stations in between. It's also a lot easier to get to places south of Tokyo like Yokohama and the Tokaido line if you use the Keikyu (especially the limited expresses) and transfer to JR at Yokohama instead of Shinagawa or Tokyo.
Both airports have decent transfer/connection search engines on their websites. I usually figure about 45 minutes to get through Immigration and Customs as long as you aren't on the last flight in the afternoon bank of arrivals.
May 14, 2017, 12:38 am
#22
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US left coast
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Not sure about intuitive and easy judging from the puzzlement of so many people asking questions and never once understanding differences between JR rail, subway lines and private lines.
This map, for example, is not the most easily understood
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/...jorrailsub.pdf
This map, for example, is not the most easily understood
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/...jorrailsub.pdf
May 14, 2017, 3:04 am
#23
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 668
Sorry, couldn't resist.
May 14, 2017, 4:47 am
#24
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: HND, NRT
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Posts: 220
HND is more convenient x100. If you're doing HND one way and NRT the other, do the non-Polaris J seats first. You won't want to go from Polaris to the four across, no aisle access seats (says someone who's in J on a transpac almost never).
From NRT, the train is the most comfortable and spacious—assuming you're getting one like NEX, with reserved seats—but the bus can be extremely convenient, depending on where you want to go—they head to various stations, depending on the bus and some do hotel routes. (The main bus terminal, TCAT, is *not* convenient to many places tho). And, while not as spacious as the train, the bus is far more comfortable than any bus you're likely to ride in the US. (They don't call them "Limousine Buses" for nothing). It's cheaper too—tho' if you're in J, a difference of a 1000–1500 is probably not a concern.
And with the bus, which takes roughly the same amount of time (they're really good at planning ahead for traffic and switching expressways or using surface streets to avoid traffic jams), you walk out of customs and the bus counter is right there. Then you walk out the doors of the airport and walk along the front to your boarding "platform," which in my case is usually just a couple bus-lenghts from the door. So you're outside in the fresh air in 10ish minutes from clearing customs (unless there's a line) and then on a bus. It's a different view from the train but it's still a nice view. And from the left side of the bus (heading in from the airport) you can see the ocean on and off. With the train, you have to snake underground for about 10 minutes to get to the train and, it's been a while, but as I recall, the lines for tickets are often long. If you can sort out the machine, which should be bilingual by now (but you prob need to know the PIN on your credit card) you can save a little time.
From HND, if you're coming to Yokohama (where I live), the bus is almost certainly quicker and more convenient. For Tokyo, I suspect the train is more convenient to pretty much anywhere.
From NRT, the train is the most comfortable and spacious—assuming you're getting one like NEX, with reserved seats—but the bus can be extremely convenient, depending on where you want to go—they head to various stations, depending on the bus and some do hotel routes. (The main bus terminal, TCAT, is *not* convenient to many places tho). And, while not as spacious as the train, the bus is far more comfortable than any bus you're likely to ride in the US. (They don't call them "Limousine Buses" for nothing). It's cheaper too—tho' if you're in J, a difference of a 1000–1500 is probably not a concern.
And with the bus, which takes roughly the same amount of time (they're really good at planning ahead for traffic and switching expressways or using surface streets to avoid traffic jams), you walk out of customs and the bus counter is right there. Then you walk out the doors of the airport and walk along the front to your boarding "platform," which in my case is usually just a couple bus-lenghts from the door. So you're outside in the fresh air in 10ish minutes from clearing customs (unless there's a line) and then on a bus. It's a different view from the train but it's still a nice view. And from the left side of the bus (heading in from the airport) you can see the ocean on and off. With the train, you have to snake underground for about 10 minutes to get to the train and, it's been a while, but as I recall, the lines for tickets are often long. If you can sort out the machine, which should be bilingual by now (but you prob need to know the PIN on your credit card) you can save a little time.
From HND, if you're coming to Yokohama (where I live), the bus is almost certainly quicker and more convenient. For Tokyo, I suspect the train is more convenient to pretty much anywhere.
May 14, 2017, 5:22 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: RDU
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May 14, 2017, 6:04 am
#26
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 7
+ 1 this - I did XYZ - NRT a few days ago.
Though somehow we ended up next to a young man who was hunched over, clearly struggling to breathe. After a couple of minutes he actually collapsed onto his face and lay motionless on the floor.
We were terrified the guy was dying but no one else seem flustered or tried to help. .... There was no panic button, no conductor and we had no phone coverage. Locking lips with with a young Japanese man was not in my itinerary. So we sat back and watched the situation develop like everyone else.
The guy slowly peeled himself off the floor and sat back on the seat. Then he dropped a newspaper at his feet and could not for the life of him pick it up. It was like watching a baby T-Rex. Or maybe Godzilla since we were in Tokyo (go see that in Shinjuku btw).
Wheezing, hunched in some sort of seated fetal position, his arms flailed like a baby T-Rex. Shouldn't someone call for help we wondered out loud. Apparently not. We accepted that item #1 on our Tokyo trip was to watch someone die. ^
And then it happened. The guy's head reared back, eyes rolled into his skull and then his head fell forward, limp. He then proceeded to projectile vomit at his feet. I would call it a courteous public spew - if there is such a thing. Despite being in a terrible state, he managed to control the vomit into a smallish circle, which he covered with the newspaper. After another 10 minutes his stop arrived and he stumbled off the train.
I assume he was so drunk he missed his stop first time round and ended up at the airport. It happens.
And that's how I got to witness first-hand one of Tokyo's 'salarymen'. I had actually heard about these guys before coming to Tokyo. As socialising with your colleagues/bosses is a really important to your career in Japan, women actively encourage their husbands to stay out for after-work drinks. And they drink hard. What I witnessed was the end product. Those interested should do a Google image search for 'drunk salaryman tokyo train'.
Though I doubt you will get the full Tokyo experience we had - I would still recommend the train from Narita.
*Importantly, even though we were close to this guy - the train wasn't that crowded so we weren't in danger of being sprayed or inhaling any funky fumes.
Though somehow we ended up next to a young man who was hunched over, clearly struggling to breathe. After a couple of minutes he actually collapsed onto his face and lay motionless on the floor.
We were terrified the guy was dying but no one else seem flustered or tried to help. .... There was no panic button, no conductor and we had no phone coverage. Locking lips with with a young Japanese man was not in my itinerary. So we sat back and watched the situation develop like everyone else.
The guy slowly peeled himself off the floor and sat back on the seat. Then he dropped a newspaper at his feet and could not for the life of him pick it up. It was like watching a baby T-Rex. Or maybe Godzilla since we were in Tokyo (go see that in Shinjuku btw).
Wheezing, hunched in some sort of seated fetal position, his arms flailed like a baby T-Rex. Shouldn't someone call for help we wondered out loud. Apparently not. We accepted that item #1 on our Tokyo trip was to watch someone die. ^
And then it happened. The guy's head reared back, eyes rolled into his skull and then his head fell forward, limp. He then proceeded to projectile vomit at his feet. I would call it a courteous public spew - if there is such a thing. Despite being in a terrible state, he managed to control the vomit into a smallish circle, which he covered with the newspaper. After another 10 minutes his stop arrived and he stumbled off the train.
I assume he was so drunk he missed his stop first time round and ended up at the airport. It happens.
And that's how I got to witness first-hand one of Tokyo's 'salarymen'. I had actually heard about these guys before coming to Tokyo. As socialising with your colleagues/bosses is a really important to your career in Japan, women actively encourage their husbands to stay out for after-work drinks. And they drink hard. What I witnessed was the end product. Those interested should do a Google image search for 'drunk salaryman tokyo train'.
Though I doubt you will get the full Tokyo experience we had - I would still recommend the train from Narita.
*Importantly, even though we were close to this guy - the train wasn't that crowded so we weren't in danger of being sprayed or inhaling any funky fumes.
May 14, 2017, 1:06 pm
#27
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
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https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...0/default.aspx
May 14, 2017, 2:15 pm
#28
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hoboken, NJ, US
Programs: United 1K
Posts: 200
Doesn't the 789 have much better cabin pressurization making for less dehydration and fatigue over long-haul trips?
If you do split the equipment types each way, I'd be interested to see if you feel/notice a difference. It's supposed to be significant I believe.
If you do split the equipment types each way, I'd be interested to see if you feel/notice a difference. It's supposed to be significant I believe.
May 14, 2017, 2:42 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,547
I just got back from my first trip to Tokyo and flew into NRT, I didn't mind the ~1hr ride on the NEX, but I stayed within walking distance of Tokyo Station, so it wasn't bad. The last thing I would have wanted to do was schlep luggage through a completely packed Shinjuku station after a 14 hour flight.
This, so much. If I didn't have data and Google Maps transit directions, I don't think I would have ever left my hotel out of fear of not being able to find my way back given the fact I know exactly zero words of Japanese. With all the different options and operating companies, I found the mass transit system confusing as hell, but Google made it easy to navigate. T-Mobile's free international data works well enough for it, no need for a local SIM if you have T-Mobile. Get a Suica or Pasmo. There might be cheaper day/weekly passes, but again, with all the operating companies, I wasn't sure what worked where. Suica and Pasmo work everywhere.
This, so much. If I didn't have data and Google Maps transit directions, I don't think I would have ever left my hotel out of fear of not being able to find my way back given the fact I know exactly zero words of Japanese. With all the different options and operating companies, I found the mass transit system confusing as hell, but Google made it easy to navigate. T-Mobile's free international data works well enough for it, no need for a local SIM if you have T-Mobile. Get a Suica or Pasmo. There might be cheaper day/weekly passes, but again, with all the operating companies, I wasn't sure what worked where. Suica and Pasmo work everywhere.
