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Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/13 21:46
Hi everyone, I will be taking a taxi from Yotsuya-Sanchome station to Shinjuku Station to take the first morning Narita Express to the airport. Where shall the taxi stop me that is easiest and fastest for me to walk to the NEX platform?

If I am not mistaken looking at the NEX schedule, the first train is at 5:55am. I also need to know what time do they open the doors to the station so I can access to the platforms.

Thank you in advance for your help
by idoblu  

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 10:00
If it was me, any of the east entrances would be fine, but the "New South Gate" is actually closest to the N'Ex platform.

First trains are before 5 a.m. (more than an hour before your train) and the station is open before then.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 10:24
Previously they stopped in front of "Koshu kaido gate", means road side.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e866.html
But from Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal(Bus-ta Shinjuku) opened,
taxi drop off point changed to Bus-ta Shinjuku 3F.
http://shinjuku-busterminal.co.jp/en/floormap/3f.html
JR ticket gates are just under, 2F.
http://shinjuku-busterminal.co.jp/en/floormap/2f.html
This is a video of the same road(Koshu kaido, ave), but it comes from "West" opposite the station.
https://youtu.be/EFQxmyvyyas
(Subway, Not JR)Yotsuya-Sanchome station is located east of Shinjuku station.

Anyway, you can easily understand by this map and photo.
http://shinjuku-busterminal.co.jp/en/access/
https://i.imgur.com/7FOBn5h.jpg
by HT (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 11:35
Thank you HT, this is very helpful. I didnt realize taxis cannot stop on the main street. So I need to stop and level 3 and go down to level 2. Enter the Koshukaido gate then go down to the platform 5/6

Thank you again
by idoblu rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 11:58
according to this map - the koshukaido gate only opens at 5:45am and the first NEX train is at 5:55am
i guess 10mins should be enough :)

https://www.shinjukustation.com/shinjuku-station-map-finding-your-way/
by idoblu rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 12:02
New South Gate is open from 5:45 am;
it is closed for the earliest hour when some trains are already running.

When you take a taxi to Busta Shinjuku,
which is a large complex of expressway bus and taxi terminals,
MIRAINA TOWER Gate sounds best.

In Busta Shinjuku,
the taxi arrival space is around the northeast corner of the floor,
closer to MIRAINA TOWER Gate
than to Koshu-kaido Gate and New South Gate.

- Map of the 3rd floor of Busta Shinjuku
http://shinjuku-busterminal.co.jp/en/floormap/3f.html

When your taxi goes smoothly from Yotsuya-Sanchome Station,
you get to Busta Shinjuku in about 5 minutes,
and the taxi fare is estimated at around 800 yen per car.
You may need 5 to 10 minutes more to get to the Narita Express platform.

(1) Your taxi arrives to Busta Shinjuku, on the 3rd floor.
(2) Walking along the taxi lane, you turn to the right,
then pass by a few elevators seen on your left.
(3) You turn around counterclockwise to the escalator.
(4) You go down by escalator to the 2nd floor.
(5) You turn around clockwise,
then walk until you see MIRAINA TOWER Gate on your right.
(6) You turn to the right, then pass through the gate.
(7) You go down by elevator or escalator
to the platform for Tracks 5 and 6.
(8) Your Narita Express train (for NRT) departs at Track 5.

- Map of (JR) Shinjuku Station
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e866.html
: In this map, the north is about the right.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 12:13
the koshukaido gate only opens at 5:45am

It seems all the three mentioned gates are open from 5:45 am.

I recommend you will pick up a taxi by around 5:20 am.
Hopefully your hotelfs clerk can call you a taxi.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 13:04
Hopefully your hotelfs clerk can call you a taxi.

Or you can use the handy JapanTaxi smartphone app.
by ... (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/14 13:45
omotenashi - thank you. Your post is very helpful to me

I got one more task. I bought return NEX tickets. I supposed I will need to go to some JR counter to exchange and also reserve my seats. Where is this JR counter located and what time do they open?

Thank you once again everyone
by idoblu rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/15 13:13
If you are at Yotsuya-Sanchome station, why not just get the subway to Tokyo (13 minutes) and transfer there - it's a simple transfer and probably going to be less hassle than navigating Shinjuku station and giving instructions to a taxi driver about a precise location to be dropped off.

Also, getting to the platforms from the other Shinjuku east entrances is not hard - there are many many signs within the station that make it clear.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/15 15:06
@JapanCustomTours
Cause the first train can only reach Shinjuku at 5:35am and I got 10mins to rush and search my way thru Shinjuku Station with 3 bags and one kid. I rather take a taxi at 5am and reach way before time and just camp out at New South Exit for the gates to open at 5:45am
Thanks for your suggestion anyway
by idoblu rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/15 18:07
N'EX also changed the ticketing rules, previously we had to book a seat before getting on,
but now we can sit on the day train without having to book a seat. (no penalty)
N'EX 1 will not be full usual, it is enough to explain in English when the conductor came,
(s)he will tell you the seat is not booked, no worry.
But if a other passenger who has a seat ticket before the conductor comes,
you have to move to another vacant seats quickly, be careful.

From Shinjuku to Tokyo station is 6 cars, the front car No.6 is Green car,
left 5 cars are ordinary reaserved, the conductor is in the end car, so it would be safer to stay in car No.1.
However, N'EX will stop soon at next Shibuya station,
so (s)he will come in about 15 minutes to the next stop Tokyo station.
http://www.eki-net.com/pc/jreast-shinkansen-reservation/english/wb/com...
At Tokyo Station, N'EX connect other N'EX coming from different directions
and then oparaete to Narita Airport as 12 cars total.

And, basically, it is also possible to book the seat without having it on the day.
Not limited to Shinjuku Station, it is possible to do it anywhere in Japan
if the JR station with "Midori no madoguchi(ticket office, counter) is available.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/ticket/purchase.html

If you have enough time, you can book seats with "Reserved ticket" vending machine,
https://youtu.be/E45gTvFB5dc
but ticket counter staff's operating are really fast and safer.
If you can not speak Japanese, they can understand English,
but it is the easiest if you show a memo or screen of cellphone or mobile PC.
When you receive a ticket, please check whether the contents are correct, don't forget it.
In JR, for foreign travelers they will print tickets containing English letters.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/ticket/examining.html
by HT (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Best Shinjuku entrance to NEX platform? 2018/11/15 18:38
@HT thank you
Good idea, I will reserve a seat before the actual date. That way I can gain some time and also familiarize myself with the gates
by idoblu rate this post as useful

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