[url=http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e]Narita Airport[/url] (成田空港 Narita-kūkō, IATA: NRT ICAO: RJAA), located nearly 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, is Japan's largest international airport. The airport is generally modern and efficient, but sometimes overcrowded (particularly at immigration). Security has been rather heavy, especially when coming in, due to continuing controversy over land expropriated for the airport - there are plans in the works, however, to relax the checkpoints at train stations and possibly the entry gates for vehicles as part of the first security overhaul since the airport's 1978 opening.
The airport has two terminals connected by both train and bus. Foreign airlines operate out of either terminal, with Japanese carriers ANA and JAL operating out of terminals 1 and 2, respectively.
The South Wing of Terminal 1 opened in June of 2006, and now most airlines in the Star Alliance (e.g. ANA, Asiana Airlines[url=http://www.flyasiana.com],United,]Air Canada, SAS) operate out of that section (although Air New Zealand operates from Terminal 2). Carriers in the other two major airline alliances are also grouped together: the Skyteam Alliance (e.g. Air France, China Southern, Delta, KLM, Korean Air) operates out of the North Wing of Terminal 1, and the OneWorld Alliance (e.g. JAL, American (Except fights to/form JFK in which they fly to Haneda Airport), British Airways, Finnair) operates out of Terminal 2. Check the airport's website just prior to your departure to determine the terminal you will arrive at. On the way to the airport, there are also lists (in English) posted near the doors of trains going to Narita.
There are Citibank cash machines that accept international ATM/credit cards once you leave customs on the arrivals floor of both terminals, as well as ATM machines operated by Japan Post. Recently, 7-Eleven affiliated Seven Bank ATMs accepting foreign cards can also be found throughout the airport.
There are many ways to travel between Narita Airport and central Tokyo. For a first-time visitor, suffering jet-lag, laden with luggage and holding a reservation for a major hotel, the easiest option is often to take the [[#By bus|Limousine Bus[/url]] direct to the hotel. A close second is taking one of the [wiki=47431540006779283b0433eb1aabe0ec]#By train|express trains[/wiki] to Tokyo or Ueno Station and then transferring to a taxi for the final leg. If taking the bus, note that traffic jams can cause you to reach your destination a lot later than you were told when you boarded.
When departing Narita, the better shops and restaurants are located in the check-in area before passing security and immigration, then all that's really available is expensive duty-free and some convenience store sundries. But remember that Japan restricts liquids in carry-on baggage, and plan to buy drinks for the plane after security.
If you're at Narita for a connecting flight, you may wish to use the dayrooms and showers inside the terminal, past security. Dayrooms are paid for by the hour; ¥1000 for the first hour and ¥500 for each additional hour. The dayroom consists of a bed and a bathroom with a shower. It's a great way to refresh yourself before your next flight. If you just want to take a shower, you can get a shower room for ¥500 for a half hour. Soap and shampoo are provided, but not things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shavers, and deodorant, so bring them in your carry-on with your change of clothes. Twin dayrooms are available for ¥1600 for the first hour and ¥800 for each additional hour. Dayroom reservations can be made up to a month in advance.
WiFi access is available throughout the airport. There are several WiFi desks located in both terminals which have 100-volt power ports and free Internet access. Elsewhere in the airport you can connect to the Internet with the SSID NRT-AIRPORT at a cost of ¥500 per 24 hours. In the near future, free WiFi will be available both in the departure counter area and the airside waiting area.
If you're really in a hurry (depending on your definition of the term), Narita Heli Express [url=http://www.heli-express.com/en/index.html]]will whisk you to or from Tokyo Heliport (in Shin-Kiba). The regular fare is ¥260,000 per flight, which means that a solo passenger would spend the cost of one night's stay at the average Tokyo hotel every minute during the 20 minute ride. But if you share the ride with four other willing companions (the helicopter seats up to five), it splits down to ¥52000 per passenger.
When making a journey-time comparison with other transport methods, one should take account of the time required to travel between one's point of origin and the heliport in Shin-Kiba and the time taken for travel between the helipad at Narita airport and the relevant terminal building. For a journey from the Tokyo station area to Narita Terminal 2, the time difference may be 20 minutes or less.
IF this tickles your interest, keep in mind that the helicopter also has service to [[Kawajima[/url]], [wiki=60c00ae40d7289b88eb6f45e765c75b0]Saitama[/wiki] prefecture in 30 minutes (¥235,000 per flight) and [wiki=ab1f896b9aec703ccb4c784c485563c4]Maebashi[/wiki], [wiki=d0096b533fd91ceeb11af28f611accf8]Gunma[/wiki] prefecture in 40 minutes (¥355,000).
Another helicopter service, Mori Building City Air Service, or MCAS [url=http://www.mcas.co.jp],]offers chauffeured helicopter services for ¥280,000 per flight each way. This includes a 15-minute trip by limousine from Narita Airport to the [[Sakura[/url]] Heliport, followed by a 15-minute helicopter ride to the Ark Hills Heliport in [wiki=a7709aaf6f8db831da554804d2a0d9f4]Akasaka[/wiki], and finally, a trip by limousine to any destination in [wiki=07e4138075f64c2def16833b1002f718]Chiyoda[/wiki], [wiki=333a0319af80e22f19046dea8186a322]Chuo[/wiki], [wiki=f975986510ff4f17d0b21b4e7657011a]Minato[/wiki] and [wiki=c58c2778fa766fdb6b5ee1fe43f3af61]Shibuya[/wiki] wards. A limousine trip to any other Tokyo ward outside of this zone incurs an additional surcharge. With five in the same party the trip costs ¥56000 per passenger.
There are three train lines from Narita and all will get you into [wiki=62413a57c5e3dc51177995fa175d3286]Tokyo[/wiki]. Note that if coming to the airport, each terminal has its own station and it is imperative that you get off at the right one. The stop for Terminal 1 is Narita Airport (成田空港), and the stop for Terminal 2 is, appropriately, Airport Terminal 2 (空港第2ビル), pronounced kūkō dai-ni biru, or literally, "Airport Number 2 Building". Lists of airlines and their terminals are posted inside the trains. As of July 2010, smoking is not permitted on any of these services.
The two premier reserved-seat train services that operate out of Narita Airport are the Skyliner and the Narita Express. As a general rule of thumb, Skyliner trains offer the fastest ride into Tokyo (36 minutes), while Narita Express trains offer direct one-seat connections to the bullet trains and most of Tokyo's major train stations, albeit at a slower pace (61 minutes).
If you are on a budget and plan to use any of the various commuter train services that run out of Narita Airport, using a stored fare card (Suica or PASMO) will prove to be convenient.
There is also a network of [url=http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/]Airport Limousine[/url] shuttle buses that serve most major hubs within Tokyo, stopping at major hotels, as well as some suburbs. Prices are comparable to the Narita Express train services (¥3,000/person), but are convenient for the first-time traveler as they take you directly to your hotel. The Airport Limousine is also one way to transfer to [wiki=cc2c166228790937e1caa4c2d0186af8]Haneda Airport[/wiki]; Access Tokkyu trains are cheaper, but Airport Limousines are much more frequent. The journey to most points in central Tokyo takes 90 minutes or so, but watch out in rush hour (especially on the way to the airport) as there may be traffic jams. The Airport Limousine buses make three pickup stops (Terminal 1 North Wing, Terminal 1 South Wing, Terminal 2) and two dropoff stops (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2).
Keisei offers a new bus service called the [url=http://www.keiseibus.co.jp/global/en/nrt00.html/]Tokyo Shuttle[/url] between Tokyo Station and Narita Airport. It costs ¥900 from the city to the airport, and ¥1,000 from the airport to the city. The buses leave hourly from the airport and a bus stop near the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station.
A taxi to central Tokyo is extremely expensive, on the order of ¥30000 if you hail one directly by yourself (equivalent to a few nights stay in the average Tokyo hotel), and you are more likely to get stuck in a traffic jam than save any time. Flat fare taxi cabs to Tokyo go for around ¥17000-19000 from special taxi ranks, but even so, if you're in a hurry, it's generally much faster and cheaper to take the Narita Express or the Skyliner, and change to a taxi upon arriving in Tokyo or Ueno. If you're not in a hurry, consider the airport limousine bus.
[url=http://www.tokyomk.com/eng/e_sky.html]Tokyo MK Taxi[/url] and [url=http://www.charterbus-limousine.com/]Cab Station Ltd[/url] offer advanced bookings for taxis in English. Their prices are more or less equivalent to the flat-fare prices noted above, once additional fees are figured in.
A small, well equipped ryokan with two dorm rooms, shared toilets and kitchen. All brand new and well taken care of. Situated in a small street right behind the Omotesando main street. Run by a very nice couple with sufficient English skills. Please bring cash in Yen to pay on arrival.
Center Hotel Narita, 922 Hanazaki-cho, Narita (Short walk from Keisei Narita and JR Narita stations), 476-23-1133 (FAX: 476-23-1134), [url=http://www.c-hotel.jp/english/index.html].]Free Continental Breakfast. Non Smoking Room. Stamp Card. VOD service.
*Comfort Hotel Narita, 968 Hanazaki-cho, Narita (Short walk from Keisei Narita and JR Narita stations), 476-24-6311 (FAX: 476-24-6321), [url=http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfoGeneral?hotel=JP026[/url].]Check in 3PM, Check out 10 AM. Singles from ¥5800, Twins from ¥6800, Doubles from ¥6500. Free continental breakfast. From Narita Airport, take the Keisei Line Tokkyū train (about 3 departures per hour) to Keisei Narita station. Take the east exit, walk across the overpass, and the hotel will be on the left side. Facilities include complimentary broadband Internet.
*Mercure Hotel Narita, 818-1 Hanazaki-cho, Narita (Short walk from Keisei Narita and JR Narita stations), 476-23-7000 (FAX: 476-23-3911), [url=http://www.mercure.com/mercure/fichehotel/gb/mer/5487/fiche_hotel.shtml[/url].]Offers good, reasonably priced accommodation, with friendly staff, happy to speak English. It has a small but good selection of restaurants, and there's also a good bar, with TV, Pool Table, Internet Access etc.
*Radisson Hotel Narita, 650-35 Nanae, Tomisato City (Shuttle bus from airport or JR or Keisei Narita stations), 476-93-1234, [url=http://www.radisson.com/narita-hotel-jp-286-0221/jpnarita[/url].]488 room deluxe-resort hotel, all guest rooms with complimentary high speed internet access, 15 min. from Narita Int'l Airport and Narita Stn. & downtown, complimentary hotel shuttle bus provided. 60-70 min. from/to Tokyo Stn. by JR Highway Bus, 16 round trip a day scheduled with excellent upscale bus (1420 JPY one way). 13 hectares of beautiful green landscape makes your stay more comfortable and relaxing. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at California Restaurant, Coffee and snacks at Coffee Corner, Vista Lounge with spacious & beautiful pool view, Nice & cool decoration sports bar, SuperStars.
*Richmond Narita, 970 Hanasaki-cho, Narita (Short walk from Keisei Narita and JR Narita stations), +81-476-24-6660 (FAX: +81-476-24-6661), [http://richmondhotel.jp/en/narita/?hotel_id=45[/url]. From Narita Airport, take the Keisei Line Tokkyū train (about 3 departures per hour) to Keisei Narita station. Take the east exit, walk across the overpass, and the hotel will be on the left side. Free Airport Shuttle. Free Wi-Fi and Wired Internet access. VOD service. Refrigerator and electric kettle in room. Trip Advisor Travels Choice 2012 Winner - Bargin with singles from 5500 JPY. Restaurant onsite. Non-smoking hotel.