Getting to Narita for 9am flight

Hi Guys,

I need a little help. I have a 9am flight out of Narita Airport on the 4th August. I was planning to take the keisei electric railway. However the first train leaves Tokyo (where im staying) at 6.30am and arrives at 7.30am which is a little late. Is there a more suitable option?

Much Appreciated,
Dave

David,

You don't say where exactly in Tokyo you are staying, but the first JR "Airport" rapid service of the day (departing Tokyo station at 0504) arrives at Narita Airport at 0630, which is presumably early enough.
Other options would be to stay overnight at a hotel in Narita.

: the first train leaves Tokyo (where im staying) at 6.30am and arrives at 7.30am

That's not the "first train" but the "first Keisei Skyliner train."
Local trains are available to get to the airport earlier.
4 August 2009 is... a weekday.
http://210.174.167.207/time/time_menu_files/ltime/255d1...
- Train 1.
05:03 : Keisei Ueno Sta.
06:39 : Airport Terminal 2 Sta.
06:41 : Narita Airport Sta.
- Train 2.
05:23 : Keisei Ueno Sta.
06:58 : Airport Terminal 2 Sta.
07:00 : Narita Airport Sta.

Where in Tokyo will you be staying?
From Ueno, it must be better to get on Keisei than to wake up earlier and change JR trains at Tokyo Sta. costing 15 minutes or more....

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Im going to stay in a capsule the night before so location is flexible to an extent. These are book on the day, correct? Where do you think the best place to stay would be as regards to being near the best station to leave to the airport from?

Thanks for you help guys, much appreciated

If you have the extra $$$ at your disposal the best place to stay is at an airport hotel. That way nothing can go sufficiently awry for you to miss your flight.

...Or even look for reasonably priced accommodation in Narita (the town).

I stayed overnight at the Mercure, sandwiched between JR Narita and Keisei Narita stations (10 minutes by train from the airport) at the weekend. It cost 5,900 yen for a single room with breakfast (4,900 yen without), and the "single" room turned out to be a reasonably sized double room (not semi-double). There is also an Apa hotel right next to Keisei Narita station, which was advertising rooms for around 5,000 yen, although they are presumably similar in size to Toyoko Inn's - i.e. pretty compact.

I also stayed in Narita city at a pretty inexpensive hotel with breakfast included. The room was huge compared to Tokyo hotels!

Being so close to the airport, it was worth it, and I didn't have to deal with the massive rush hour crowds in Tokyo. There's plenty of places to eat right around all the hotels.

Stations such as Kinshicho, Ichikawa, Chiba are conceivable for the JR train, but if you miss the earliest JR train, a following one is to arrive at the airport around 07:30, which will be too late.

I searched a travel reservation web site (in Japanese, operated by a Japanese company) under the following conditions and it returned 18 accommodations: one night from 3 August 2009, in Narita area, one adult, up to 7,000 yen per room.

Before the first Keisei train from Keisei Ueno, another train is scheduled to leave Keisei Narita at 06:13 for the airport.
If you get on Keisei, be sure to take a train for Narita Airport. Some trains run in another direction from Keisei Narita.

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Thanks for your responses, I think I'd like to go with this...

- Train 2.
05:23 : Keisei Ueno Sta.
06:58 : Airport Terminal 2 Sta.
07:00 : Narita Airport Sta.

Early start but I'd like to stay in a capsule hotel and this night is the only chance I have! Now I know I'm going to sound pathetic here but can I just check - I need to be in a place in Ueno (for ease getting to the station), when I get to the station how easy is it for a western person with no knowledge of Japanese to buy a ticket, can I buy online in advance maybe?

So, you will check in at a hotel near Keisei Ueno Sta. on 3 August....
You'd better make sure of the route by the evening so that you can get to the station even if it's dark, cloudy or rainy in the early morning on the following day.
In that area, there are at least 3 stations which can be called "Ueno eki" in Japanese:
Keisei Ueno Sta., Ueno Sta. of JR, and Ueno Sta. of Tokyo Metro subway (on two lines).
So, hotels saying like "near Ueno Sta." are not necessarily very close to Keisei Ueno Sta.

: can I buy online in advance maybe ?

I checked it on the web site of Keisei Electric Railway: an ordinary fare ticket can not be solely purchased in advance.
It seems you have to buy your ticket at the station while you are in a hurry.

: how easy is it for a western person with no knowledge of Japanese to buy a ticket

I'm not checking signs in English all the time because I'm a Japanese native, but....
I guess it's not so difficult in your case because your ride is on one company's line and requires a fare ticket only.
I now conceive of two types of ticket vending machines, push-button type and touch-panel type;
all you have to do for your ticket is to throw in money, select the price, pick your ticket (and collect small change if any).
While the fare for your ride is 1,000 yen, I recommend you have another 1,000-yen note and a dozen of 100-yen coins.
Probably it's not unique to Japan: banknote checkers in vending machines may reject too wrinkleless or too dirty banknotes.
Not fresh, not shabby banknotes are rather acceptable, according to my experience.
(I suppose you can get through a gate machine with your ticket, putting it face up into the machine.)

I hope you are awake when your train reaches the airport.
If you ask a train conductor before departure and get on the car at the train tail, maybe the conductor OKs to give you a notice.
Check which terminal your flight is going to use, and have a good day.

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