dyscover

After all you helpful folks vetted the itinerary, am mostly done with the hotel bookings. So now to specifics, such as the above.

We have decided to stay at the Citadines Apartment Hotel in East Shinjuku. Its a couple of blocks near the close to the Shinjuku Gyoen Park. It is approximately 4 minutes walk from the Shinjuku Gyoemmae subway station which is two subway stops from the Shinjuku station. Two things helped us decide, a very good introductory offer, and the facility of a kitchenette as I am totally vegetarian.

My question is, when we land at Narita, which of the following options make most sense :

a. Narita Express with Suica (which I can use on all subways and trains while in tokyo ?) to Shinjuku station and then taxi to the hotel (I think the distance will be about 1 km)
b. Limousine bus to any hotel in the Shinjuku area such as Century Southern Tower and then taxi to the hotel.

Thank you so much.

tokyosubway

a. works fine.
b. many hotels that services limousine buses are on the west side of Shinjuku (theres were the major big named hotels are).
But you can take a bus to Shinjuku Station then connect to a taxi.

If it were me and if I didn't have a ton of luggage that I was carrying (I don't know how much luggage you may have and if you want to be bothered by it or not):

option c:
Take the Narita Express to Shinjuku Station (assuming you purchased the Suica & NEX pass), use your NEX ticket to exit the JR ticket gates, walk down stairs one level and connect to the Marunouchi Subway Line (using your Suica card for the first time to enter the Tokyo metro gates) and ride two stations over to Shinjuku Gyoemanae Station. Then walk form the station to the hotel.

Thats what "I" would do and its an option for you if you chose to do it.

However, I can understand if you have luggage, not too familiar with Tokyo yet etc, then I would go for the Narita Express or Limousine Bus option to Shinjuku Station (as long as you get to Shinjuku Station) then you can take a taxi ride to the hotel. If you take the Limousine bus, then I would use the special Limousine Bus and Metro pass, which combines a limousine bus ticket with a 1 day Tokyo metro pass (since your hotel is near a Tokyo Metro station anyway, saving it for use the next day).

A taxi ride tip:
Print out the hotel map and have the hotel's telephone number ready (also print out the Japanese page with the japanese address http://www.citadines.jp/ )
Just in case there's any language barrier problems with the taxi driver, but I don't forsee any major problems if you do that.

citywalks

I'd recommend taking the limo/bus from Narita directly to your hotel, if it's on the route. I wound up taking the bus from Narita to Shinjuku station, but then I got completely lost in the vast and crowded Shinkuku station. I finally had to take a taxi to the hotel, which was just around the corner.

tokyosubway

OP's hotel is not on the Limousine Bus route and it is a bit of a walk from Shinjuku Station.

Therefore the best options are the ones I mentioned, taxi from Shinjuku Station, or train 2 stops over on the Subway, then walk. Taxi is probably the best option from Shinjuku with luggage.

dyscover

Thks so much guys, anticipate having some luggage, so I think I will do the NEX to Shinjuku and taxi thereafter, simply coz I think it will be faster. I see from the website that not all NEX trains stop at Shinjuku, so hopefully there will be one around the time we are ready to leave. Will keep the limo bus as Plan B, and the info you guys have shared will hopefully ensure we'll be fine either way.
I'v heard about how huge and confusing Shinjuku is. Is it really going to be that difficult to find the way to the taxi ranks ?

tokyosubway

dyscover, if you take the Narita Express, just go out of the SOUTH EXIT of Shinjuku Station, right outside of the South Exit you should be able to catch a taxi.

tokyosubway

Don't forget to print out the page I mentioned with the Japanese address and all, hand it to the taxi driver and there shouldn't be much problems at all in communication.

emtravel

We are also booked at Citadines apartment and I was pondering same question! Thank you for all info!
When are you going? We will be in Tokyo May 9.
Dyscover, if you go earlier, please post your report or email me privately [email protected]
I would also like to know some tips re: neigborhood, food nearby etc.
I emailed Citadines and they replied

"The best way to get our hotel from Narita airport is to take Airport Limousine Bus (No. 23, JPY1,200) and get off at JR Shinjuku station and then take a taxi to the hotel (JPY710-800). You could take a subway (Marunouchi line) from Shinjuku station to Shinjuku Gyoen Mae station but considering carrying your luggage all the way here I think its better to take a taxi from Shinjuku station. "

So all suggestions are right on target. We will be jetlagged, and have luggage, so we will take taxi from Shinjuki.
sophia

dyscover

Thanks so much guys, am better armed to tackle the hordes at Shinjuku now. Emtravel, am going to be in Japan end of this month for 3 weeks. There is another post with my itinerary. Will definitely report back on the stay.

emtravel

ok have a great trip!