Well it appears I will be booking my first flight to NRT for March next Friday! Looking at the airlines it appears from SAT -NRT I will be on either AA/DL/ or UA out of SAT but looking at orbitz I would have option to connect in a hub to another carrier. Anyone have any recommendations?

I would say AA to DFW then JL to NRT. You still get to ride on 8-abreast 787 that way (Assuming you're flying in Y).

Second choice would be UA to IAH then NH to NRT. In general, always pick a Japanese carrier (JL or NH) on the long-haul (i.e. Any US "gateway" to NRT or HND) sector.

Yeah, whatever you choose, I would say make sure you get the Japanese carrier and the US to Japan segment.

Are you going to Tokyo? If so consider flights to HND also. Its much closer to city center than NRT.

Yes I will be staying in Tokyo at the Hyatt. So I guess that’s a good point . Is NRT quite a ways away. Would HND be the better option?

I visit Tokyo often for work and much prefer HND location. I can often be in my central Tokyo hotel in 30mins. NRT on the other hand often ends up being a 2-hour trip including wait time.

If Tokyo was my destination, I would also opt for HND.

From NRT basically what you have is a 1-hour Narita Express train to central Tokyo (Tokyo station) and then a bus/taxi from there to your hotel. Train also runs only every 30minutes so you might have to wait. Otherwise, there are buses to various areas in the city, but those tend to me more in the 90-min range, even longer during rush hour.

Enjoy your trip.

Wow I honestly had no idea!!! That information is def good to know. Which airline would u suggest going into HND

What would be the transportation option from NRT to the city?

I'd do SAT-LAX-NRT on UA and SQ. Definitely the best product to NRT right now.

While I fly for an airline that only serves NRT, my personal preference would always be HND if visiting Tokyo/Yokohama.

Yes NRT has a lot more US flights, but you'll easily add an hour or two(and cost) to your trip getting to/from NRT.

ryanrap1 wrote:

What would be the transportation option from NRT to the city?

I think mercure1 did a good job explaining below

mercure1 wrote:

From NRT basically what you have is a 1-hour Narita Express train to central Tokyo (Tokyo station) and then a bus/taxi from there to your hotel. Train also runs only every 30minutes so you might have to wait. Otherwise, there are buses to various areas in the city, but those tend to me more in the 90-min range, even longer during rush hour.

ryanrap1 wrote:

What would be the transportation option from NRT to the city?

You don't say which Hyatt you're staying at but I'm assuming one of the ones in Shinjuku. There is a direct Limousine Bus from both airports to both the Park Hyatt and Hyatt Regency. Other people are making things way too complicated. Yes, it is a bit longer from Narita, but it goes right to the hotel, no walking or transfers. It's about 80 minutes from Haneda and 2 hours from Narita.

Alternatively, if you really *wanted* to take the train, best bet is the Keisei Skyliner to Yamanote Line from Narita, or the Tokyo Monorail to Yamanote Line from Haneda. Both involve a transfer, the Haneda transfer involves more walking and both will take approximately the same amount of time. About 90 minutes total including the transfer.

I've done all this many times. Narita is definitely father away but it has faster trains to the city than Haneda does if you want to go that route. But after a long flight like that, if there's a bus directly to my hotel, you know I'm taking that.

I would avoid flying via a west coast airport. I would fly through IAH, DFW, or DEN. All three of those airports are good for connections. Going through IAH or DFW also has the advantage of connecting close to home. If something gets fouled up, it's pretty easy just to rent a car to get back to San Antonio.

Is the train from Narita to the city hard to get on? Is it just like a subway or something that requires advanced purchase?

Fly whichever airline/alliance you have the most miles with.

ryanrap1 wrote:

Is the train from Narita to the city hard to get on? Is it just like a subway or something that requires advanced purchase?

It's more like a subway. If you're riding either Skyliner (on Keisei Railway) or Narita Express (N'EX) you will need to get a seat reservation IIRC. Trains are usually not all THAT full, though, so you shouldn't have any problem getting a seat right at the airport. Alternatively, if you're paying out of your pocket, you can ride on regular commuter trains from NRT also. Of course those takes much longer, though.

From NRT to Shinjuku (If that's the Hyatt you're staying in, there are like 5 or 6 Hyatts around Tokyo), Narita Express will go directly to Shinjuku Stn., although it takes longer than doing the Skyliner->Yamanote Line (at Nippori Station) route. On the flip side, it's still quite a hike from Shinjuku Stn. to either Hyatts (Park Hyatt and Hyatt Regency) in that area, though (I would say about 10-15 mins walk).

spacecadet wrote:

Alternatively, if you really *wanted* to take the train, best bet is the Keisei Skyliner to Yamanote Line from Narita, or the Tokyo Monorail to Yamanote Line from Haneda. Both involve a transfer, the Haneda transfer involves more walking and both will take approximately the same amount of time. About 90 minutes total including the transfer.

From HND it's quicker to use Keikyu Line and change to Yamanote Line at Shinagawa Stn. anyway if one is going the train route. Limo Bus is definitely the way to go, though.

I have to wonder why you are staying at one of the Hyatt's in Shinjuku? If it's a work trip and your office is near there, fine. But if you are going as a tourist, there's more to see on the East side of Tokyo. Ginza and Shimbashi are full of hotels and you will have easier subway connections to various tourist points.
Does AC fly out of SAT to YYZ? if so, that's another decent option for getting to HND.

IAHWorldflyer wrote:

I have to wonder why you are staying at one of the Hyatt's in Shinjuku? If it's a work trip and your office is near there, fine. But if you are going as a tourist, there's more to see on the East side of Tokyo. Ginza and Shimbashi are full of hotels and you will have easier subway connections to various tourist points.
Does AC fly out of SAT to YYZ? if so, that's another decent option for getting to HND.

AC does fly from SAT to YYZ, but it arrive way too late (1600) to connect to the HND flight (Depart at 1340).

As for Yamanote Side (Shinjuku/Shibuya/Ikebukuro) vs. "East Side" (Tokyo Stn./Ginza/Shimbashi/Ueno etc.) - it highly depends on the type of tourist you are anyway. For nightlife and shopping Shinjuku beats "east" side all day long. For touristy stuff (Asakusa/Skytree, Fish Market, Odaiba, Imperial Palace, etc.) or if you're an ultra-nerd, Akihabara, then yes, Tokyo Stn. area is somewhat more convenient (Shorter subway ride mainly). On the other hand, "East" side is also more convenient to get to either NRT or HND (At least until they eventually build the JR line into HND).

zakuivcustom wrote:

ryanrap1 wrote:

Is the train from Narita to the city hard to get on? Is it just like a subway or something that requires advanced purchase?

It's more like a subway. If you're riding either Skyliner (on Keisei Railway) or Narita Express (N'EX) you will need to get a seat reservation IIRC. Trains are usually not all THAT full, though, so you shouldn't have any problem getting a seat right at the airport. Alternatively, if you're paying out of your pocket, you can ride on regular commuter trains from NRT also. Of course those takes much longer, though.

From NRT to Shinjuku (If that's the Hyatt you're staying in, there are like 5 or 6 Hyatts around Tokyo), Narita Express will go directly to Shinjuku Stn., although it takes longer than doing the Skyliner->Yamanote Line (at Nippori Station) route. On the flip side, it's still quite a hike from Shinjuku Stn. to either Hyatts (Park Hyatt and Hyatt Regency) in that area, though (I would say about 10-15 mins walk).

spacecadet wrote:

Alternatively, if you really *wanted* to take the train, best bet is the Keisei Skyliner to Yamanote Line from Narita, or the Tokyo Monorail to Yamanote Line from Haneda. Both involve a transfer, the Haneda transfer involves more walking and both will take approximately the same amount of time. About 90 minutes total including the transfer.

From HND it's quicker to use Keikyu Line and change to Yamanote Line at Shinagawa Stn. anyway if one is going the train route. Limo Bus is definitely the way to go, though.

I have found the Narita Express to be very convenient. Buy your ticket upon arrival in the terminal and take an elevator downstairs to the station level. The platform is very well marked to let you know which spot to wait in to board closest to your seat assignment. However, Shinjuku Station could be confusing to the uninitiated even though there are many signs. Having said that, if you're bringing a lot of luggage you may still want to opt for the limousine buses which go directly to the major hotels--even if it is a slower ride, the convenience can't be beat.

Adding more information for Transport (Assuming you're flying into NRT for now):

Limo Bus (to Shinjuku): (2nd Page is English) - Time is usually about 2 hr, cost 3100yen/person.
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/area/uplo ... le_for.pdf

Train:
There are two companies that operate trains from NRT to Central Tokyo, Keisei Railway and JR.
Keisei:
Skyliner: 2470 Yen to Nippori Station (~40 mins). From Nippori Station it's about 20 mins on Yamanote Line to Shinjuku (200 Yen). This is the quickest option and is cheaper than the train.

If you want to save even more money, the regular Keisei Train (You want to take the Keisei Main Line Train, as the "Access Express" usually goes to HND via a subway line rather than towards Ueno/Nippori (You can change train at Aoto or Keisei-Takasago Station, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not extremely familiar with Tokyo train system). It's 1230 Yen and takes about 1.5hr to Nippori. Again, you can change to Yamanote Line at Nippori Station.

Skyliner Information: http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/ ... /index.php
Regular Commuter Train from NRT: http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/ ... arita1_kml

JR:
Narita Express: About 1.5hr, 2000yen each way if you get the Round Trip Ticket (Normally it's 3190 Yen). No need to change train riding N'EX, although you'll have to be careful which car you're in, since the train split into two, with one half going to Shinjuku while the other half goes to Yokohama.

Of course, you can take the regular commuter train from NRT on JR Line also. Going to Shinjuku involved changing train, though (at Kinshicho Station, to "Chuo-Sobu Line" which is an all-stop service that runs parallel with the "Sobu (Rapid) Line" that goes to NRT), so I don't really recommend this option. It's 1490Yen and takes about 2 hrs.

N'EX Info: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex/
Round Trip Ticket: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/nex_round.html

global2 wrote:

However, Shinjuku Station could be confusing to the uninitiated even though there are many signs.

Haha. On the other hand, even Japanese get lost within the "maze" of Shinjuku Station, since it's easy to lost track of which direction you're heading when you're inside the underground arcade.

(Double Post)

zakuivcustom wrote:

Limo Bus is definitely the way to go, though.

Yeah - you are right about the N'EX (which I've taken only once; for one reason or another it just never works out for me) but either way I would just avoid trains altogether after that flight unless you are just really a railfan. And I can understand that since I am myself, and I've gone out of my way to take trains in Japan too, but it's just the wrong time to do it IMO. Unless you're flying first class, you will be dead and dirty after that flight and probably in no mood to do anything but get to the hotel and at least take a shower before doing anything else (and for many people on their first trip there, the next thing will be taking a nap because of jetlag).

If you do want to take a train, though, then I think the N'EX to Shinjuku from NRT is probably better than *any* option from HND. You can take a taxi from there to the hotel if you want; it shouldn't be expensive. It's hard to overstate how annoying it can be trying to navigate the Japanese rail and subway system while carrying large luggage. Trains can be incredibly crowded and you will likely have to stand on the Yamanote line, there will be nowhere to stash your bags on the train and there can be a lot of walking between platforms/stops (though I've never done the Keikyu to Shinagawa and transferred there, so not sure if it's just a platform swap or if there's more walking involved).

At least with the N'EX, it's one train and you're guaranteed a seat. You just need to figure out Shinjuku station on the other end and then either walk to the hotel or grab a taxi. I'd still take the Limo Bus, but then I've ridden N'EX already so I don't feel a need to see it again even as a railfan.

For you guys pushing the airport bus versus train, the same buses are available from HND and far quicker than NRT to areas like Shinjuku.

For example, a 4:10pm departure from NRT arrives at Hyatt Regency in the Shinjuku area at 6:25p. In comparison at 4:35pm departure from HND arrives at the Hyatt Regency at 5:30pm. A huge difference in transit time - 2:15 vs 0:55!

You really cant beat HND for bulk of metro Tokyo.

Getting from NRT to central Tokyo especially late afternoon/early evening is about as much fun as visiting the dentist.

With HND you are almost in central Tokyo when you land!

While we're at HND vs. NRT. Options from getting from HND to Shinjuku Area:

Bus:
~70 mins. Takes you directly to either Hyatt near Shinjuku (Again, I'm not sure which Hyatt you're staying in...). 1230 Yen/ppl.

Timetable: http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/area/uplo ... le_for.pdf

Train:
Again, two companies operate trains into HND. One is Tokyo Monorail, a monorail line that goes to Hamamatsu-cho Station (It's partially own by JR). The other is Keikyu, a commuter rail line that continues onto the subway, with some train going all the way to NRT.

Keikyu:
エアポート快特 (Airport Limited Express) or 快特 (Limited Express) are the fastest train (Although both only run during the Middle of the day, during Rush Hour it'll be エアポート急行 "Airport Express", taking about 5 mins longer), getting you from HND Intl Terminal to Shinagawa Station in about 12 mins. Once at Shinagawa Stn., it's a relatively quick change to JR Yamanote Line, and it's about 20 mins on Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Stn. Total Time is about ~35 mins, cost 610 Yen (410 Yen on Keikyu, 200 Yen on JR).

Monorail:
About 15 mins on the "Express" Train to Hamamatsu-cho Station. You can then, again, change to JR Yamanote Line, or, alternatively, take a short walk to Daimon Station nearby and get on the Toei Oedo Subway Line. It's 490Yen from HND to Hamamatsu-cho, and 200 Yen for JR vs. 220 Yen for Toei Subway. The advantage of using Toei Subway, especially if you're staying at Hyatt Regency in Shinjuku, is that you can just get off at Tocho-mae Station (The station after Shinjuku), as the hotel is literally connected to the subway Station (From Shinjuku Station, again, it's about 10 mins walk to the area where both Hyatt are in). Total Time is about ~45 mins or so.

But either way, yes, HND will be closer to central Tokyo no matter what. You'll have to most likely connect at LAX or SFO, though. I mean, there's a reason why airlines try to get as many HND slots as they could

Another key thing about using the train (vs. bus) - no congestion using the train, although depend on what time your flight arrived, you can experience the infamous Tokyo sardine cans

I was staying at the one in Shinjuku because I read reviews that its a very tourist friendly location, and was rated high.
I was looking for a place that was in the city, close to night life, eateries, etc. However; I will be doing a lot of tourist attractions during the day.

SAT- IAH - NRT on UA/AA

or SAT - LAX - NRT on UA/SQ if you primarily build miles with star alliance.

SAT-LAX-HND on DL is the way to go. DL by far has the best intl economy product among the US majors.

ryanrap1 wrote:

I was staying at the one in Shinjuku because I read reviews that its a very tourist friendly location, and was rated high.
I was looking for a place that was in the city, close to night life, eateries, etc. However; I will be doing a lot of tourist attractions during the day.

Nothing wrong with staying at Shinjuku anyway. There's a reason why there are so many hotels around there . It's definitely a much more "happening" place than the "old downtown" (i.e. Tokyo Stn.) area, especially during nighttime. (Unless you want to hang out with all the "gaijins", then you'll just hop over to Roppongi for that ).

TransWorldOne wrote:

SAT-LAX-HND on DL is the way to go. DL by far has the best intl economy product among the US majors.

Except DL schedules are not the most convenient. As currently published one has a 4+ hour layover in LA on outbound and over 9 hours on return from Japan connecting back to SAT.

It doesn't matter which airport is "closer" to Shinjuku. What matters is what offers the fewest transfers and a guaranteed seat. I guess that wasn't made clear enough earlier.

we are always talking about hows the MSP-HND doing, here is someone who could benefit from it.

Random date in March:

1DL 1639 F9 P9 A9 G9*SATMSP 8 610A 902A 717 B 0 DCA /E
W9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9
2DL 121 J9 C9 D9 I1* HND 1224P 255P‡1 772 D 0 DCA /E
Z0 F0 P9 A9 G9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9

Or the A359 from DTW to NRT

3DL 1632 F9 P9 A9 G9 W9*SATDTW 8 700A 1110A 717 B 0 DCA /E
Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9
4DL 275 J9 C9 D8 I0 Z0* NRT 141P 350P‡1 359 D 0 DCA /E
F0 P9 A9 G9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9

*Tons of Skymiles and MQMs either way