So many choices Narita to Shinjuku area hotel

Konnichiwa minnasan!

I have been lurking for a few months trying to get answers to questions. Most answers have been found but can't seem to piece together the the following questions;

I'm arriving at Narita at 4:35PM on a Monday with a back pack and and one piece of luggage. I will have ordered a JRP and Pasmo card. Understandably I will want to get to my hotel in the Shinjuku area (Sunroute Plaza) a soon as possible. Is it worth the extra $26USD to get the limo bus from the airport to my hotel to avoid standing through the rush hour train traffic? Will my JRP or Pasmo get me a seat on another transportation mode in relatively the same amount of time?

doumo arigatougozaimasu!!!

You can use your Japan Rail Pass for the Narita Express (NEX) which goes to Shinjuku Station.

You won't encounter the rush hour train traffic on the NEX that you would on a regular Tokyo train route. I believe it is faster than the limo and you won't have to spend extra money for the limo as your JR Pass covers the trip.

I usually arrive at the same time as you will be arriving and always take the NEX into Tokyo.

Hope this helps :)

1. Whether you have to stand or not depends on whether you are first in line or not (non-reserved seating).

2. You have a JR Pass so can you not reserve your seats before hand.

3. If you really are against standing, you can just wait for the next train. Place your luggage on the floor while you wait by the bench. Your luggage acts as your personal queuer. No one will come and steal your luggage this being japan, especially in an area with high security like the airport.

In the decade I have been traveling to Japan, I have never once had to stand on an NEX train, EVER!

Ohara and Joshua,

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. the answers were very helpful! This is really a great forum! Thank you both again for your help!

Arriving around 4:30 p.m. you could aim for the 5:17 N'Ex. Arrives Shinjuku at 6:46. If you don't have too many delays getting bags etc. We did that on Monday and it worked fine, including picking up our pocket wireless. (Otherwise, I think the next direct to Shinjuku is an hour later.)

Limo bus not so bad.

NEX(JR's LtdExp train/not regular commuter train) using all reserved seat cars only
no standing no related evening rush but arr JR Shinjuku stn is very busy
and stn big makes u confuse for until ticket gate out.
http://www.ys-navi.jp/images/map.jpg (all railways part cotain JR lines : map center)
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e866.html (only JR part)
So Limo bus will be hotel front direct no need walk easiest no lost way and especially if rain.

Basically both fare not so big difference.
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/platform_searches/index/2/17
If want to see "Tokyo rush" scene take a NEX window side seat.
But evening rush is not so hard like morning.

However NEX can also avoid "evening traffic jam "
regular Mon is not so serious
if not calender date 5/10/15/20/25 or 30/31 of month end.

This is Tokyo traffic jam live/real time info of Google Map
(drivers cell phone GPS moving data based).
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shinjuku+Station,+Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6...
And this is not live/real info
but funny(?) for understanding Tokyo urban trains operate numbers and locate.
http://www.demap.info/tetsudonow/ (just timetable data based)

I don't think I've ever seen anyone stand on NEX the whole trip or any part of it, for that matter.

I've actually done the same thing on a Monday, arrived at 4:30pm and got on a NEX during rush hour. There were many rows where people had the both seats to themselves.

Limo bus is also a great idea as it goes directly to Sunroute but it's up to your budget and what experience you want to get from this.

Well you shouldn't be experiencing rush hour on the NEX considering it is a specialized (and expensive) airport Ltd express and not a commuter train. Wasn't that covered in the first post?

Thanks very much to all who replied! Since I'm getting a JRP will the Pasmo still come in handy when encountering non JRP transportation? Is it common to encounter non JRP transportation?

1) for a summary of what the rail pass covers and doesn't cover, why not look at the rail pass page of the main japan-guide forum?

2) unless you're planning to travel onwards that day (and I assume you're not, since you're going to a hotel - presumably to sleep the night), maybe think about whether it makes sense to activate your jr pass on that first day. As has been said, the limo bus will go straight to your hotel, so it's a lot easier. The only reason I can see to activate your pass on the day of arrival is if for some reason you're staying in Japan for fewer days in total than the length of your pass covers. Otherwise, activating the pass simply in order to take the NEX is quite an expensive way to take a NEX train.

The only reason I can see to activate your pass on the day of arrival is if for some reason you're staying in Japan for fewer days in total than the length of your pass covers. Otherwise, activating the pass simply in order to take the NEX is quite an expensive way to take a NEX train.

Not really, the N'EX trip is very often the second most expensive train trip a traveler will make (second to Shinkansen trips), so it makes perfect sense to have the pass cover it as well if possible. It is not necessary that the trip's duration is less than the duration of the pass, simply that the N'EX trip and (usually) two Shinkansen trips all fall within the validity of the pass.

Thanks very much to all who replied! Since I'm getting a JRP will the Pasmo still come in handy when encountering non JRP transportation? Is it common to encounter non JRP transportation?

Even if you do not use it at all for trains, a prepaid card like the Pasmo is still very useful to pay for small purchases, for example at combinis and vending machines, without having to scramble for change. (Note that the Pasmo is compatible with all other major cards such as the Suica and Icoca, so you can use it at any place which bears the Suica or Icoca logo, among others.)

Oh, and to answer the second question I have quoted, yes, non-JR transportation is very common in large metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and Osaka.

I would say that a PASMO card is a waste of time and money. SUICA is far more versatile and accepted, especially at not transport venues in the last few years, and absolutely - outside of Tokyo. The regional JRs all have their own *iCA- SUICA, TOICA, ICOCA, etc and they are transferable nationwide now. So Suica can be used from Nagasaki to Sapporo on JR lines and many private lines. PASMO is useless outside the Tokyo metro area. Suica cards can be used at alost every conbini chain - Lawsons, 7/11, Daily Yamazaki, etc as well as vending machines. AND - buying a 3500 \ Tourist SUICA at Narita nets you a 'free' N'Ex ticket to boot, you get the ticket at a 2000 \ credit on the card. It's a lot easier than a pocketful of useless Japanese coins.

-as others have said, if you're not traveling outside Tokyo immediately, you should wait to activate your JR Pass until the first day you make an inter-city trip. Activation can be done at the 'midori no madoguchi' (reservations office) in any major JR station - I usually get mine done up at Ueno or Tokyo the following morning after arrival. In-town JRP is useful but not saving much - crosstown trips are generally 160-320 ‰~ within Tokyo or Osaka anyways, but a one-way shinkansen or limited express ticket can easily be 10000‰~. So think of it in these terms - you need to make 2 long-distance roundtrips in a week to ensure you get your money's worth. If you're willing to get up early and spend all day, you can even daytrip to venues like Osaka or Kyoto from Tokyo, just make sure you catch the last train back ~8:30pm.

FYI -Keisei Skyliner is superior to N'Ex. Shorter trip, better seats and fewer stops. If you're on the west side of town however, it's not as convenient as KeiseiUeno is the terminus; but not every N'Ex run proceeds to Shinagawa or Shinjuku, most terminate at Tokyo Station anyways. But if you're staying near Ueno-Tokyo-Kanda-Akihabara on the east side it's a much better choice.

In general, Tokyo transit is somewhat similar to London transit, in that there are several 'hub' stations where cross-town and intercity traffic meet, and JR interconnects with private railways. All of them are linked by the Yamanote loop line, and most by the Tokyo Metro as well.

West - Shinjuku - JR, Odakyu, Keio - mostly commuter and express routes to Kanto and Kansai. The world's largest and busiest train station.

South - Shinagawa -JR & Keikyu - commuter and express routes to Yokohama, Yokosuka, only stop on the Tokaido (south) shinkansen in-town besides Tokyo.

East - Tokyo Station - the 'Grand Central' of Tokyo. Terminus of both south and north-bound shinkansen, accessible on nearly every commuter line.

East - Ueno - JR + Keisei - the original Tokyo main station, only a few miles north. Ueno is the terminus for most north-bound limited express routes to Tohoku (Gunma, Iwate, etc) It is also a Tohoku shinkansen stop.

North - Omiya - JR & Tobu - interconnect for many north and east-bound services to the Tohoku region, Saitama and Chiba prefectures.


There are dozens of other large stations where multiple JR lines and private lines interconnect, often on adjacent platforms or across the street between two stations. But these are the big ones. A HUGE help today if you have 3G/4G cellular access in Japan, or even just wifi is to use the scheduling websites Hyperdia or Jorudan which are both available in English, and have multiple iOS and Android apps that use them as well. They allow you to select routes from point-to-point based on speed, cost, timing or even JR Pass-eligibility (eliminating the restricted shinkansens)

http://www.hyperdia.com/
http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

Guest, your information is out of date.

1. The Pasmo is now fully compatible with the other major cards, just as well as the Suica.

2. The Suica + N'EX package has been discontinued.

3. All Narita Express trains continue beyond Tokyo station, although indeed not all go to Shinjuku. However, those which don't go to Shinjuku go to Shinagawa (and on to Yokohama) instead.

4. A (7-day) JR pass often pays off with only one long-distance round-trip, not two.

Also, Hyperdia does a terrible job at saying whether something is or is not covered by the JR Pass, so it should not be relied on in that regard.