Welcome! Tokyo Subway Pass to Narita

Hello, my wife and I are stopping by Tokyo this summer, and I am looking at ideal airport transfers. We are travelling with our infant daughter so we want to make sure the logistics according to plan to minimize the hassle.

I found a hotel near Sengakuji station, which from my research, looks ideal since it wouldn't require any transfers if we take the train from Haneda or to Narita.

I am thinking of getting the Welcome! Tokyo Subway Pass at Haneda which includes the one-way ride to Sengakuji plus 72-hours of unlimited rides on Tokyo Metro/TOEI lines.

My apprehension comes with how we get to Narita. From Google maps, it seems there is a way to reach Narita from Sengakuji directly by taking the TOEI Asakusa line and then staying on the same train as it heads to the airport on the Keisei line (Narita SkyAccess?). If we do this, I don't suppose we will be able to use the 72-hour pass (which would still be valid at the time), will we? If not, what kind of ticket will we need to buy, and where should we buy it? At Sengakuji, before boarding?

if you go direct from Sengakuji to Narita, your pass will be valid from Sengakuji to Oshiage. If you stay on the same train until Narita, on arrival you will need to pay the fare from Oshiage to Narita (980 yen).

Thank you! So to clarify, we can just use the 72-hour pass to board the train on the Asakusa line, and then purchase the transfer upon arrival at Narita so we can exit, correct?

A related question about the Welcome! Tokyo Subway Pass, does the 72-hour window begin once we use the pass on the Keikyu line from Haneda to Sengakuji? Or does it begin on our first ride on a Tokyo Metro/TOEI line?

The Keikyu ticket and the subway pass are separate ticket, so the validity period of the subway pass starts when you first use it to use a subway line. However you still must start using it on the day of purchase.

hi there, in my experience the 72 hr. pass was a must buy for me, as I didn't wanted to pay every time for a single ticket, so with the pass u just go through the subway gates without any hassles, which was so convenient, I bought another one in Akihabara when my first one expired at the Laox store, and they already knew when I walked in I wanted one...so funny how they knew...lol

People do say you tend to miss all the sightseeing while you on the train seeing that you underground, but It didn't bother me at all.

enjoy your trip, Tokyo is awesome, I plan to come back in 2020.

Or does it begin on our first ride on a Tokyo Metro/TOEI line?

When you first pass through a Tokyo Metro or Toei Subway automatic gate at the entrance with your Tokyo Subway Ticket, the gate machine sets the time window of its validity and print the expiration date and time on its back side.

I guess that gate machines in the Keisei stations inside NRT cannot process Tokyo Subway Tickets.
In that case, in order to take a Toei-Keisei through train until NRT with your Tokyo Subway Ticket for the Toei Subway section, you on arrival have to show the ticket to a Keisei attendant and make a fare adjustment at a manned gate, though there might be a long queue of passengers.

A Tokyo Subway Ticket can save only around 200 yen (per adult passenger) on your way to NRT; so, if I were in your shoes, I would travel just with a PASMO Card through the leg .
(If time permits, you can return the PASMO Card for a refund at a Keisei counter in NRT.)

Please note that both Keisei Narita Station and (JR) Narita Station are outside the airport; you see the word "airport" in the names of the stations inside NRT.

taking the TOEI Asakusa line and then staying on the same train as it heads to the airport on the Keisei line (Narita Sky Access?)

By what time do you need to reach NRT?
Which NRT Terminal will your flight use?
(If your flight is to use NRT Terminal 3, you should take into account the time for getting from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3.)

Keisei has two routes between (Keisei-)Takasago Station and Narita Airport (Terminal 1) Station.
One is the Narita Sky Access (Line), where trains go faster but the one-way fare is a little higher; the other is the Keisei Main Line.

According to the current timetables, Toei-Keisei through trains departing for NRT from Sengakuji Station after 16:55 on weekdays and after 18:05 on the other days take the Keisei Main Line beyond (Keisei-)Takasago.

I found a hotel near Sengakuji station, which from my research, looks ideal since it wouldn't require any transfers if we take the train from Haneda or to Narita.

When you take a train from Sengakuji Station for your Tokyo trip, please check carefully whether the train is to make a stop at the station which you are going to.
(No train skips Sengakuji Station or the Keisei stations in NRT.)

Keikyu, Toei Subway and Keisei are offering many train services with different patterns of stops.
Even Japanese-speaking people may mix them up due to their confusing names, more likely in English because the names are not translated properly.

When you are not sure of stops for a specific train to make, please feel free to ask a station attendant.

�—Firas:
However you still must start using it on the day of purchase.

Is that correct?
I understand that there is a designated day by which a Tokyo Subway Ticket should be used, and that its holder can choose the timing to start using it as long as the time frame ends by that day.

Omotemashi, you are correct, its actually valid 6 months from the date of purchase if im not mistaken, u don't have to use it on the day of purchase you may use it anytime within the day, I use these passes and they were so great to have, hardly used JR at all.

Sorry I mean to say u can use it anytime during ur trip, but once its activated u have 72 hrs to go before it expires.

Thanks for the responses guys! A lot of good info to process so we can arrive at the best strategy for us.

From further research, it seems it might be good to just get a PASMO card and use it for everything. I can use that for the Keikyu leg from Haneda to our hotel, to go around the city, and to go all the way to Narita when it's time to leave, correct? One card for everything?

I figured I can save money by going for the 72-hour pass if we take at least 4 train rides around the city everyday during our stay (probable), but maybe the flexibility of getting the PASMO card trumps that?

No need to purchase a separate transfer at Narita, so we save some time...
Allows us to use JR lines in the city (and possibly to Narita as well, if we change our mind about using Keisei)...

Hi Bulers,

The Pasmo option is not a bad option at all, and is probably one of the most flexible options, but if u are doing Tokyo for About 4 days, I would most definitely recommend the 72 hr subway pass, its 1500 Yen which means its 500 yen per day if u see it like that, so its really not a bad price, if you taking 4 train trips per day minimum its about 170 yen per ride depending on distance, u do the math, it will cost more in the end if you paying for each train trip if u just in the Tokyo area.

Those are good points Frankie, thanks! I am definitely considering the 72-hour pass. It will probably depend on our final itinerary and where we end up staying. If we're going to be making a lot of trips, it certainly makes sense. But if we end up staying next to somewhere like Shinagawa station (where the most useful trains are on JR lines), we might not be using TOEI/Metro lines enough to make it worth it.

Good to know all the transport options I have though. Will be useful in choosing an optimal hotel location and planning our day-to-day stops.

Not a problem Bulers, glad we could help.

Have a great trip to Japan.