Narita Airport to Kanegafuchi station

Hi everyone,

Our family will be visiting Tokyo in Dec 2016. Our hotel is near Kanegafuchi station. I'd appreciate very much if someone can help to answer these questions.
1) Fastest and most comfortable way from Narita airport terminal 2 to our hotel. We have 3 big luggages and 2 children.
2) A search at Hyperdia shows that we need to change at 2 train stations in order to get to Kanegafuchi station. Should I take the Tokyo shuttle bus instead?

This is our first trip to Tokyo and really hope to receive your reply.

Thank you.

Will the transfers be an issue? You have not explained this.

What ages are the children? Can one pull along a bag?

Where will the shuttle bus drop you off? Will you need to transfer again after getting off the bus?

Hi hakata14,
Thanks for your reply.
After thoroughly study the hyperdia again, I've found the most convenient way for the trip. However, we still have to make 2 train transits though.

You could possibly do with only one transfer at Asakusa. Please indicate your arrival date and time.

Hi Firas,
My arrival in Narita T2 is on 13/12 at 4.05pm.
My schedule right now for the trip from airport to hotel is :
Narita T2 to Oshiage to Hikifune to Kenagafuchi.

You can leave at 6:05 pm, with one transfer (again, at Asakusa).

Noted. Thank you very much Firas

Considering that you carry around big luggage pieces,
personally I do not recommend the Asakusa transfer from subway to Tobu,
because you have to walk with luggage or take a taxi on the ground.

Also, only Local trains make a stop at Kanegafuchi Station while other Tobu trains skip it,
and Asakusa Station does not have a platform exclusively for Local trains;
so, there you have to choose carefully your Tobu train to take.

Various routes are possible,
among which the route shown below sounds comparatively easy.

Nippori Stations of Keisei and JR are adjacent.
The both are equipped with elevators connecting the platforms and the concourse.
There can follow signs for JR lines,
pass through the Keisei-JR transfer gate and get down to the nearby platform.

Kita-Senju / Kita-senju Stations of JR and Tobu are in the same complex,
and they have gates located close to each other.

Kita-senju Station has the platform only for southbound Tobu Local trains,
and they all go beyond Kanegafuchi;
so, there you can take any train in service.

Entrance gate:
(Narita) Airport Terminal 2 Station {Keisei}
　 [Keisei Narita Sky Access Line]
Nippori Station {Keisei}
　: Transfer gate
Nippori Station {JR}: Track 4
　 [JR Joban Line]
Kita-Senju Station {JR}
　: North Gate;
　　Transfer to Tobu:
　　turning to the right,
　　passing by the Tsukuba Express gate,
　　going up the short slope beside the staircase;
　　http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e571.html
Entrance gate:
Kita-senju Station {Tobu}: Track 6 or 7 on the upper floor
　 [Tobu Isesaki Line [Skytree Line]: Local]
Kanegafuchi Station.

The transfer is not from subway to Tobu but from subway to subway.

Ah, no, it is Tobu. Toei and Tobu look too similar...

Thank you omotenashi for your clear explanation and detailed direction.

However, I just notice that the fare of your suggested route is almost double of that of my initial plan. It also requires 2 transfers. Travelling time is about the same.

What about my initial route of transferring at Oshiage and Hikifune? If I choose the correct departure time, I'll get direct train from Narita T2 to Oshiage. Would these 2 train stations be less complex and easier to navigate our way around? Oshiage to Hikifune and Hikifune to Kanegafuchi using the same Tobu skytree line, do we transfer at the same platform?
By the way, how long we need to walk in Asakusa station to get to Tobu skytree platform?

Travelling time is about the same.

When you catch a Keisei Skyliner train, where you have a reserved seat,
the route via Nippori is faster.

I just notice that the fare of your suggested route is almost double of that of my initial plan.

If you hope to save the cost on Keisei Skyliner,
you can take one or two slower trains instead, where you cannot reserve your seat.

(In your Question #1,
you are asking of a fast and comfortable way, not mentioning a cost;
that's why a Skyliner ride sounds to be a favorable option.)

What is your priority: speediness, convenience or saving the cost?
Are you ready to go up and/or down staircases?
How old will the two children be during this journey?

Should I take the Tokyo shuttle bus instead?

You can utilize the Access Narita bus service (#1)
(unless all the available buses happen to be packed)
until Ginza,
go on to Kita-senju by Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line,
make a quick transfer (inside the gates) to Tobu
then take a Local train to Kanegafuchi.
The one-way cost is about 1400 yen per adult.
One demerit of this route is that it needs more time than routes mainly by railroad.
#1: http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/

In Kita-senju Stations,
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Tobu Isesaki Line (#2) are jointed,
and all the through trains are Local trains.

The Oshiage rail complex is
composed of two station buildings and the concourse which connect them.
In one building,
Keisei Oshiage Line and Toei Subway Asakusa Line is jointed.
In the other building,
Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line and Tobu Isesaki Line (#2) are jointed,
and the through trains run as Express or Semi Express trains on the Tobu part.

#2: This line is partly nicknamed as Tobu Skytree Line.

What about my initial route of transferring at Oshiage and Hikifune?

When trains are available in normal services,
this route may be easiest as for changing trains.

However, one hidden possible weak point of this route is
that the Tobu operation of the section Oshiage -- Hikifune may be suspended
when a trouble occurs on Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line or Tobu Isesaki Line (#2).

This Tobu section is used only by Metro-Hanzomon - Tobu-Isesaki through trains.
When the through train service is cancelled
(so that a trouble on one line should not affect much the operation of the other),
there are no trains available on this Tobu section.

What is more,
a conductor of your Keisei train would not tell you this fact
when the train approaches Oshiage Station,
because Keisei is the third party as for the Metro-Tobu through train services.
(This actually happened to me a few years ago,
when I was informed of the Tobu partial suspension after getting to Oshiage by Keisei,
which resulted in consuming much time to make a detour.)

how long we need to walk in Asakusa station to get to Tobu Skytree platform?

There you walk not inside one station, but between two Asakusa Stations.

A young adult may make this transfer,
from platform to platform without luggage, in around 10 minutes.
You walk with big luggage, and two children travel together, so you may need more time.

Note
: You will get to Asakusa highly likely after the sunset.
: It may be rainy outside the station buildings.

The only barrier-free exit of Toei Subway Asakusa Station (A-18) is Exit A2b.
This exit is around the gate which is further to the Tobu entrance.
It is about 400 meters on foot from this Toei Subway exit to get there.

When you choose the other Toei Subway gate,
that is closer to the Tobu entrance,
but you have to use some staircases to go out to the ground.

Thank you so much omotenashi for your time and patience in answering all my questions.
I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the possibilities and the complexity of the train stations now.
At first, I just thought of getting to the hotel ASAP after a long flight until I realised that the fare difference can be a lot, especially when we don't use any of the JR passes. Furthermore, with your explanation of the train station floor plan, I need to take in consideration of how to get to the right platform in an easy way as well. My children can help with the luggage but going up staircase with big luggage is not a comfortable task even for adult.

I've summed up what I understand after thoroughly reading all the posts above as follow. Please correct me if I'm wrong at any point.
1) In either choice I make, train or bus, transferring at Kita-senju Station is the best option in term of short walking distance, easy navigation and facilities in the station.
2) Looks like taking bus is not a good option so I'll opt this out.
3) If a transfer is made at Oshiage, we need to walk to the other building of the station to get to Tobu Skytreeline for Hikifune.
4) Thanks for sharing your experience about Hikifune station. However, with such a developed transport system in Japan, I hope those hiccups would not happen often .

Finally, I've come up with these 3 options :
1) Narita T2 to Nippori (using Keisei Skyliner for Keisei-Ueno/ Track 1) to Kita-senju: fastest and most expensive
Keisei Skyliner timetable: http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/ae_timetable/skylin...
2) Narita T2 to Nippori (using Keisei mainline ltd. Exp. For Keisei-Ueno/ Track 3): slower but reasonable fare
I can't find timetable for this line. Appreciate if you could provide the link.
3) Narita T3 to Oshiage (using Keisei-Narita Sky Access Exp. bound for Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal/ Track 1) to Hikifune: slow but reasonable fare
Again, I can't find timetable for this line. Appreciate if you could provide the link.
I'll consider all the pros and cons and see what I can compromise on to decide on my choice.
Thank you very much in advance for your reply.

Hello, again.

The Nippori - Kita-senju routes include a detour;
so, when you choose not to use Keisei Skyliner,
you can discard Options #1 and #2, I suppose.

I suggest another option, which could be your Option #4.

- Keisei: Indexes of timetables for trains of Narita Airport accesses
　http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/timetable/index.php

##: Keisei Takasago and Keisei Sekiya Stations are often called without "Keisei" in their names.

[Oshiage option]

My arrival in Narita T2 is on 13/12 at 4.05pm.

After 16:15 [4:05 p.m.] on weekdays,
the first Keisei train for Oshiage is scheduled to depart at 18:05,
which is a Limited Express train bound for Haneda Airport
to run by Keisei Main Line until (Keisei) Takasago (##).

Probably you can catch an earlier Keisei train;
in that case, you will change trains to get to Oshiage, so you will make 3 transfers.

A Keisei-Tobu transfer in Oshiage is short and simple,
but since you will get there in a weekday evening (highly likely during a rush),
the concourse may be crowded with commuters and Tokyo Skytree Town visitors.

- Tokyo Metro: Map (in Japanese) of Oshiage Station(s)
　http://www.tokyometro.jp/station/yardmap_img/figure_yardmap_oshiage.gi...
: The Keisei and Toei Subway tracks are on the first basement [B1F];
　your Keisei train will arrive at Track 1 or 2.
: The concourse is on the second basement [B2F].
: Exit B3 is good to have a close view of Tokyo Skytree.
: The Tokyo Metro and Tobu tracks are on the third basement [B3F];
　your Tobu train will depart at Track 4.

[Sekiya-Ushida option]

I have confirmed
that you can take a shortcut by making a transfer
from (Keisei) Sekiya Station (##) to Ushida Station.

Once I put this option aside
because Ushida Station of Tobu has a staircase near its gate,
but a station guide map which is offered by Tobu tells
that there is a barrier-free way inside the gate.

Keisei trains other than Local trains do not make a stop at (Keisei) Sekiya (##);
so you will make two transfers,
first between a Keisei Limited or Access Express train and a Keisei Local train
then between Keisei and Tobu.

- Keisei: Map of Keisei Sekiya Station
　http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/stationmap/pdf/us/107.pdf
: Your Keisei Local train will arrive at Track 1.
: You see in the map
　a set of staircase and slope between the concourse and the ground.
- Tobu: Map (in Japanese) of Ushida Station
　http://railway.tobu.co.jp/guide/station/insidemap/1110.html
: Your Tobu Local train will depart at Track 2.

Directions in these two maps differ;
the above-mentioned Keisei staircase and the Tobu gate
actually face each other across a road.
There is a short pedestrian crossing between the two stations.
(Convenience store chain FamilyMart
and fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's
each has a shop nearby.)
- Google Maps: Around Ushida Station of Tobu
　https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Ushida+Station,+1+Senjuakebonoch%C...

Time to make the transfer there is estimated by HyperDia at 3 minutes,
but that sounds to short.
You may need at least 5 minutes to get from platform to platform;
also, if you hope to avoid staircases and escalators,
you may have to wait for all the three elevators.
In the evening at Ushida Station,
Tobu Local trains for Kanegafuchi are available at intervals of about 10 minutes.
　http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NARITA%20AIRPOR...
　http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NARITA%20AIRPOR...

[Transfer in Keisei Takasago Station]

In (Keisei) Takasago Station (##),
you can change your trains via one same platform;
your two trains may use either the same track or the two tracks beside the platform.

NOT: [4:05 p.m.]
BUT: [4:15 p.m.]

NOT: by Keisei Main Line until (Keisei) Takasago (##).
BUT: by Keisei Main Line until Aoto.

Aoto Station is next to Keisei Takasago Station.

Hello omotenashi,

I've to admit that it took me a while to read the note and compare it with the maps. However, I now have a very clear image of all the possible routes and confident to get to the hotel with ease. It showed that a lot of efforts and time have been put in for those simple, straight forward step by step directions and all the links. It's not only helpful with the trip to the hotel but with our traveling in Tokyo as well.
I can't tell you how grateful I am for that.

The Sekiya and Ushida stations look simple enough to get around, together with the plus point of changing train in the same platform at Takasago station make this option even easier.

I think I'll stick to the last 2 options. If we can make it to the departure time of 17.30/17.57, we'll transfer at Sekiya and Ushida. Later than that, we'll take the Oshiage route and hope the peak hours would have passed when we reach there.

I'll print out all your directions and maps to bring along during the trip.

Btw, your last 2 links taught me how to use the Hyperdia pass 1/2/3 options which I totally have no idea about before :).

Thank you very much once again.