The Tokyo Traveler

Most international flights arrive at Narita International Airport which is located approximately 60 kilometers from the city.

Flight times vary due to the time of the year but can ranges from 8 ½ hours (From Honolulu) to 14 hours (from New York). On top of the flight you also have to deal with the time difference and the resulting jet-lag. Tokyo is ahead of Honolulu by 19 hours and New York by 14 hours.

Once you arrive and get through customs you can arrange to have your luggage shipped to your hotel or residence for between Y1690 and Y1950 ($15-20 USD) per bag. This is a good solution if you plan on taking the train into the city as it will be very difficult to get your luggage across the terminals and on to the trains. Also, if you have to transfer to any of the commuter lines in Tokyo large luggage is generally not permitted. Delivery is usually the next day so you will want to make sure you have what you need with you in your carry-on bag. If you want to take advantage of this service just look for the counters at the airport.

Now that you’ve decided what to do with you luggage you have some options on how you will get into the city:

By train: Multiple options with travel time ranging anywhere from 53-83 minutes and cost ranging from Y1,000 – Y4,430 ($10-45 USD).

By Bus: 80-110 minutes at Y3,000. ($30 USD)

Taxi: 90 minutes at Y25,000 ($250 USD)– yep, it takes longer and it’s more expensive but you can bring your luggage with you!

For more information on your transportation options from the airport check out the transportation page at Yes Tokyo!.

Photo credit: flickr, A300B4-600(JA8162) approach

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