Narita Skyliner

The Narita Skyliner is one of the many ways to get from Narita International Airport (NRT), into the heart of Tokyo. But with so many different ways to get into Tokyo from Narita airport, and back, it can be hard to pick which option is the best for you. In this article, we look at the positives and negatives of taking the Narita Skyliner to/from Tokyo. 

The Basics

The Narita Skyliner is an express train operated by the Keisei Electric Railway (Not Japan Rail). The service operates with approximiately 20-30 minute intervals between trains (depending on time of day), stopping at all of Narita Airports’s Terminal stations. Along the way, the Skyliner stos at Shin-kamagaya, Aoto, Nippori, with Keisei Ueno station being the start/end of trip.

The journey on the Narita Skyliner takes about 40 minutes to/from Ueno Station. The Skyliner is classed as a high speed train, and clocks about 150km/h on average in between stations. 

The Pros

Right from leaaving arrivals at the Airport, the Skyliner had great wayfinding, making it super easy to find where to go despite the masses of arrivals at the Airport. The same can be said at Keisei Ueno Station also. Tickets can be pre-purchased online with simple QR code redemption at the automatic ticket machine near the platform enterance, which just helped to speed up the process. All seats are reserved on-board, and there was fast and free wifi on board. There was plenty of overhead luggage storage, and dedicated luggage areas in each compartment. The chairs were comfortable, and reclined enough to be comfortable. 

The Downside

There was not much to complain about with the Narita Skyliner. The train is certainly older than some of the other airport transport options, but it was still quite nice. However, it should be noted that as the Narita skyliner is opeated by Keisei Electric Railway, the JR Pass can not be used to purchase or reserve tickets. If you don’t have a JR Pass, or if you are planning on activating your pass at a later date, this is the best value for money option for getting into Tokyo. 

Probably the biggest detractor for this service, is that the train doesn’t take you 100% of the way to Tokyo Station, and instead takes you to Keisei Ueno Station, which is about a 5 minute walk to JR Ueno Station, and just a handful of stops to Tokyo Station – not a big deal if you aren’t going to Tokyo Station.