JR Narita to Shin-Koiwa

Hi,
My husband and I will visit Tokyo in late November for the first time and are planning for our trip. I looked up transportation options and found that we could use JR Narita straight from NRT to our hotel near the Shin-Koiwa station. Could you please advise if it's the best option during peak hours 5-7pm? Since we'll each have a checked bag, a carry - on, and a personal bag, would the luggage be troublesome that we should hang around at NRT after peak hours? We'll greatly appreciate your recommendation!

This seems like the best option to me. The downside is that there are only hourly departures.
Most of the train has longitudinal seating, except I think cars 9-11 which have semi-cross seating and the Green Car, which has forward-facing seats. However, there is surprisingly little space for large luggage in the Green Car, except behind the last seat of rows. Overhead shelves in the Green Car are found only in the small sections at the end of each car but not in the 2-level section. In ordinary cars, you have overhead shelves in most areas, but there is no dedicated space for large suitcases.

As for crowds, you will be traveling in the opposite direction of rush hour, so it should not become too crowded.

There is a direct JR train, should take around an hour. Fortunately, for the time you want to travel, there are extra trains on that section rather than the hourly service in the middle of the day.
https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/timetable/00004636/0000016...
There are some other transit options using Keisei trains, but I would not recommend the transfer at Yawata as it would be a bit confusing for a first time traveller.
Shin-Koiwa is a slightly odd place to head to/stay, but I find it has a nice local vibe if you want to experience somewhere outside of central city. Depending where you are going, the local bus service is pretty good, and central Tokyo is not that far away. Disney is a simple single transfer away as well.

I forgot to mention regarding luggage. You will most likely have to hold your cases. Many people heading to/from the airport on the local trains do so, so you will not be unusual or out of place. I see this all the time because I use those trains for Narita access from my house.

Thank you y'all very much for your feedback! I picked a hotel near Shin-Koiwa station because of its location just 170 m from the station. We're an older couple, who most likely rent a car and drive in the US and Canada when we travel. However, we wouldn't take risks driving on the left ☺️

�gI picked a hotel near Shin-Koiwa station because of its location just 170 m from the station.�h

I obviously know what you plan to visit while im Tokyo, but while the hotel might be close to the station you might need to stand on the train and you�fll need to change trains frequently to get to sightseeing places.

There are many more central hotels that are also very close to train or subway station. But obviously it might also be a budget consideration.

Hi LikeBike,
We would spend a little more for hotel accommodation $800 - $1k for 10 days. We plan to go to the most popular tourist attractions, e.g. Imperial Palace, Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, Meiji Shrine, Shibuya, and a day trip to Lake Kawaguchi. I think it would be better to stay in the Akasaka area. However, we haven't found a hotel, not hostel, within our range of budget. I'm not sure if we need to increase the price range when searching for hotel or Airbnb. I'm really open for suggestions and appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you!

I will repeat my comment that Shin-Koiwa is a slightly odd place to head to/stay. For me, relatively speaking, it is not so far from where I live, and I go there occassionally (most recently - earlier this month as I was looking for something from the local mom&pop produce stores.)
Staying in that area could be tricky (I am thinking about meals, not so much dealing with the commuter trains) compared to something even slightly closer to central Tokyo given the mix of restaurants or lack of English. Even Ryogoku a few stops further along the Sobu line might be a better option (I know several of the hotels around Ryogoku work ok for English speaking visitors and have stayed in that area a few times).
Still, places like the local Smile Hotels are cheap in Shi-Koiwa, and it will give you a different experience staying in a small, local neighbourhood.

Thank you, JapanCustomTours! Since we have several months to plan our trip. I'll broaden my search of hotel choices.