Questions about Narita Express?

Question

I will arrive at Narita at 8:20 in the evening. Count the immigration/luggage/customs ritual and me exchanging $ to yen and getting my JR pass at the airport. Do you all think there is any chance for me to catch the last Narita Express for Tokyo on that night? Is there a need to reserve for Narita Express?

On another topic, how many hours should I be at the Tokyo Station if I have to take a shinkansen? Is there any rule for this?

Answer 1

The last Narita Express train out of Narita airport is at 9:40pm or so. You should be able to get on that train, and the airport is unlikely to be crowded at that hour, so you can probably get your train ticket on the spot no problem. The train should arrive in Tokyo a little past 10:30pm, so there will still be some time to get around.

Tokyo station can be a maze to get around the first time you're there, so getting there with half an hour to spare might be a good idea. It's not a big deal if you know exactly where to go and what to do, but the crowd will slow you down, and if you have big luggage, that will slow you down too.

Answer 2

Where are you going for from Tokyo by Shinkansen?

The last Narita exp is departured from the starion of  terminal 1 at 9:43pm or terminal 2 at 9:45pm.

You have enough time to purchase ticket at the window.

It is arrived to Tokyo at 10:36pm but there is no Shinkansen connecting train except bound for Takasaki, Nasu-Shiobara or Mishima. Not for Osaka, Kyoto or Nagoya etc there is no overnight Shinkansen service.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes from Narita express platform very bottom of underground to 2nd floor's Shinkansen platform. It is not straight simple way but quite complicated one to get there with many English indications.

Aain, after 10pm, not many Shinkansen service are available from Tokyo. You must know it very carefully first

http://www.shinkansen.co.jp/jikoku_hyo/e...

p.s. There is no Shinkansen trains going for Kyoto after 9:10pm from Tokyo.

Answer 3

I agree with Leftcoast here, being on one of the last flights in for the day you are likely to get through the formalities quite quickly. In the unlikely event you missed the last NEX you could still use your rail pass to get into Tokyo on a local train through Narita station-but obviously that would be a hassle. You could always bring some yen with you. You can show up for a Shikansen the moment before it leaves and you will get on it, but of course you need time enough to find your platform etc.

Answer 4

The last NEX leaves Narita at 21:43.

The exchanging of your exchange voucher to the real JR pass takes about 10 minutes. You will need to show your passport. You can get your ticket to the shinkansen at the exchange office at the airport.

You don't mention where you are traveling to, but there is a Shinkansen to Kyoto which leaves Tokyo station at 23:10. You will have plenty of time to catch it.

Exchange $ to Yen BEFORE you go on your trip. You will invariably need local currency at the airport. This will also save you time.

All seats on the NEX are reserved seats. There is NO nonreserved seating car on that train.

If it is the first time for you to go to Japan, plan on about one hour to get from the debarkation point at Building #2 to through customs and immigration, which are located in Building #1. You will have to take a free shuttle train(5 min) from the one building to the other.

You should have just enough time to catch the last NEX if your airplane is on time; if it is late, your other option will be to take a slow local train.

To catch a shinkansen, you can arrive at the platform as late as one minute prior to departure, IF you know which car your seat is in.