Narita airport to Tokyo
 

Hey all,
I need a lil advice on getting from Narita airport to downtown Tokyo. It looks like the Narita Express is the way to go. Looks like that will run us about $26 US one way each and they run every hour on the hour or so. There will be 5 of us and we will have suitcases as we are just spending the night in Tokyo then flying on to Beijing the following night.

If we were to leave our bags in NRT, are the lockers big enough to hold the bigger rollerboard bags?

Will Japan charge us any taxes etc to leave and go to Beijing?

Any suggestions / recommendations?
Thanks much!! :)

there are lots of hotels around the airport...how about staying there and taking the train into town??? might save on wear and tear...

There are baggage service companies at NRT where you can store your stuff overnight. It is 500 yen per piece per day, IIR When you come into the arrival hall, turn left and you will see the baggage services. They will have your bags ready for pick up when you return the next day.

Depending on where you are staying it might be better to take an airport bus. They go to lots of the large hotels, door to door. Pretty much a no-brainer. It would be easy to take your luggage with you, if you wanted to.

OTOH, the N'Ex is a more comfortable ride: while the bus is stopping and going and turning and bumping, the train is nice and smooth. And it will operate on schedule, so it is more reliable than the bus. It is a reserved-seat train so it might be difficult getting 5 seats together. Probably should get your next-day return ticket when you get your ticket to Tokyo.

You can reserve your seats for the Narita Express here:
http://www.world.eki-net.com/

Staying at an airport hotel might be ok if you can find one that will take your bags from the airport while you head on into the city. The problem is timing. Flights from N. America typically arrive around 3PM or 4PM. The last Narita Express back to NRT is at 8PM from Tokyo. The last local leaves before 9:30 PM.

rhkkmk and mrwunrfl,
Thanks so much for the suggestions. I think staying at a hotel at NRT is probably our best bet.

We will probably then go into downtown on the N'Ex early the next morning, spend about 5 hours there and hike it back to the airport to catch our flight to PEK. Basically just gonna go downtown for lunch. Kinda stinks but I don't want to spend our layover in a hotel room!! :)

Thanks again for all your help!!!

Climber- Narita is a town in its own right, so you will be able to experience Japan there as well.

With only 5 hours in Tokyo, you'll want to plan your day carefully if you want to see specific sights. Its a BIG city! Buy the round trip ticket, and don't forget how to tget back to the station - or which station it is. You don't want to miss your Beijing flight!

Icuy,
Thanks for the advice! I agree, we might just visit Narita instead.

Thanks again