Tokyo Airports experiences

[user 6862]

Which would be your choice to arrive at, Haneda or Narita, and why?

Thanks

 

[jiml]

If you're actually visiting Tokyo, HND is much closer. Narita involves a fairly long train or bus ride. It has a lot to do with your choice of airlines and their partners if connecting. In addition to AU, you might find some additional insight here: Japan - FlyerTalk Forums or in your airline of choice's forum. Many will have asked the same question.

 

[user 6862]

Thank you jiml, I'll go with your comment on distance to the city centre. We are not flying out of Tokyo or maybe not even flying if the Korea ferry is back in action so getting into the city is the priority.

Flyer talk looks overwhelming with the amount information available there, but what a resource.

Thanks again

 

[jis]

Thank you jiml, I'll go with your comment on distance to the city centre. We are not flying out of Tokyo or maybe not even flying if the Korea ferry is back in action so getting into the city is the priority.

Flyer talk looks overwhelming with the amount information available there, but what a resource.

Thanks again

There is a neat Monorail that connects Haneda to the general transit network. Worth a ride on it even if one is not flying.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Which would be your choice to arrive at, Haneda or Narita, and why? Thanks

Haneda is a modern and efficient airport with numerous landside connections right on Tokyo's doorstep. For anyone who plans on visiting the Tokyo area Haneda is the clear and obvious choice. Narita is larger and has an interesting history but its heyday has passed and it's far away from almost everything. On my last visit NRT’s impressive noise cancellation system was disabled and the HVAC was struggling to maintain comfortable temperatures and humidity levels. Most of Narita's tourist traffic was the result of restrictions on international flights at Haneda. Now that many of those restrictions have been lifted there are not many reasons to choose Narita over Haneda. That being said if Narita was significantly cheaper, allowed for a substantially superior airline/schedule/aircraft, or was being used as an international connection without entering Japan then I would have no problem choosing it.

 

[BCL]

Haneda is an easy choice. It also has far more connections to domestic routes. I've been through it once on a same-plane refueling stop.

Narita's history was of a modern airport with one long runway that was supposed to provide the majority of international flights to/from Tokyo. But Haneda's expansion has really changed that dynamic.

 

[user 6862]

We're booked, Haneda it is!

Thanks for all the wonderful help.

 

[user 1215]

Growing up there, I had to do Narita for most of my life. I'm thankful that Haneda has opened up to many more international flights. (I did fly out of there once in the 70s on China Airlines. Blech).

Haneda is literally in Tokyo. It's like Regan is to DC and Dulles would be like Narita.

The monorail is cool from Haneda but can be quite crowded. The experience is a lot of fun. From Narita, there are a couple of neat options for rail transfers. When I went in 2004, I took the N'ex, which is probably the most expensive option at around $28, but it's JR so the ticketing is most compatible with the Tokyo rail system. On the other hand, Keisei has been really vying for market share and has had remarkable improvements, making the time from Terminal 1 to downtown in as little as 45 minute's vs N'ex's 59 minutes, and costing about $2 less. The advantage, again, is that N'ex is JR, so the cost would be included in a JR Rail Pass.

The monorail from Haneda takes about 30 minutes but is only about $7. There are also new ways of getting from Haneda to downtown that I've never seen before. They keep building more and more railroads in that city!

If you know your ultimate destination in Tokyo, feel free to let me know and I can help you decide which way is best. My old stomping grounds, and I'm trying to plan a trip for next February.

 

[xzperu42]

I for one have always enjoyed taking the Nex train (Or Green Class on a double decker rapid train) to and from Narita. Are we not rail fans here? I have also taken advantage of the cheap Narita Hotel prices for my first night and then kick in the First Class JR Pass the following morning if not staying in Tokyo.

 

[jis]

I for one have always enjoyed taking the Nex train (Or Green Class on a double decker rapid train) to and from Narita. Are we not rail fans here? I have also taken advantage of the cheap Narita Hotel prices for my first night and then kick in the First Class JR Pass the following morning if not staying in Tokyo.

A true railfan would undoubtedly take the commuter train which originates at Narita and runs all the way to the city and then onto Yokohama as I recall. Takes a while, but depending on which route you take you get to see quite a bit of Higashi Kanto at true ground level.

Yes, I have stayed in Narita hotels too, catching JR the next day. You get more of an immersion experience that way too. There is also a very nice Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in town to visit too.

 

[user 6862]

Growing up there, I had to do Narita for most of my life. I'm thankful that Haneda has opened up to many more international flights. (I did fly out of there once in the 70s on China Airlines. Blech).

Haneda is literally in Tokyo. It's like Regan is to DC and Dulles would be like Narita.

The monorail is cool from Haneda but can be quite crowded. The experience is a lot of fun. From Narita, there are a couple of neat options for rail transfers. When I went in 2004, I took the N'ex, which is probably the most expensive option at around $28, but it's JR so the ticketing is most compatible with the Tokyo rail system. On the other hand, Keisei has been really vying for market share and has had remarkable improvements, making the time from Terminal 1 to downtown in as little as 45 minute's vs N'ex's 59 minutes, and costing about $2 less. The advantage, again, is that N'ex is JR, so the cost would be included in a JR Rail Pass.

The monorail from Haneda takes about 30 minutes but is only about $7. There are also new ways of getting from Haneda to downtown that I've never seen before. They keep building more and more railroads in that city!

If you know your ultimate destination in Tokyo, feel free to let me know and I can help you decide which way is best. My old stomping grounds, and I'm trying to plan a trip for next February.

What a nice offer, thank you. At the moment I know we arrive February 8th 2023 and will remain in Tokyo for 4 days +/- before moving on but haven't made any further arrangements as yet.

So yes please, I'll pm you next week if I may to get a few pointers on using Tokyo public transport, when do you expect to be there?

I for one have always enjoyed taking the Nex train (Or Green Class on a double decker rapid train) to and from Narita. Are we not rail fans here? I have also taken advantage of the cheap Narita Hotel prices for my first night and then kick in the First Class JR Pass the following morning if not staying in Tokyo.

On arrival we'll be about 3 weeks into a longer journey and are travelling with bags, so an easier route into Tokyo centre would be an advantage, what we're looking for. Once we have left our bags at a hotel we wont be off public transport for days.

My excuse anyway.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Haneda is literally in Tokyo. It's like Regan is to DC and Dulles would be like Narita.

To equal an unrestricted Haneda you'd have to bulldoze National and build Dulles on top.

I for one have always enjoyed taking the Nex train (Or Green Class on a double decker rapid train) to and from Narita. Are we not rail fans here?

I think the N'ex is fine but I would not consider it a reason to choose Narita over Haneda.

 

[user 1215]

Aaaand, this just happened. Can LOL because no injuries. A very rare derailment of Keisei's commuter train along the same route the Skyliner uses:

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20221117-71490/

 

[camachinist]

What a nice offer, thank you. At the moment I know we arrive February 8th 2023 and will remain in Tokyo for 4 days +/- before moving on but haven't made any further arrangements as yet.

Long time reader, noted mention of FlyerTalk and I was a mileage runner there and visited Japan a fair amount on runs over the years. I found the hotel concierges to be excellent support. They arranged Shinkansen tickets, gave us tips on using the subway and often would print or write out instructions in Japanese to hand to train personnel and taxi drivers.

I mention this since you're staying for four days, I presume in a hotel. Over the years we stayed in Osaka (right after they built the new airport), Yokohama and Tokyo. Blossom season is breathtaking, though your stay is a bit early for that. Have a safe trip!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I found the hotel concierges to be excellent support. They arranged Shinkansen tickets, gave us tips on using the subway and often would print or write out instructions in Japanese to hand to train personnel and taxi drivers.

In modern usage Japanese language leans heavily on inferred context which can make it difficult to translate in clear and obvious terms. A hotel concierge can be an important intermediary but even when you're far from your hotel bringing a pen and notepad can make a difference.

Japanese citizens tend to have a stronger command of (and willingness to engage with) written English over spoken English.

When it doubt, write it out.

(and then hand the pen and paper over so they can write a response)

 

[railbuck]

A true railfan would undoubtedly take the commuter train which originates at Narita and runs all the way to the city and then onto Yokohama as I recall. Takes a while, but depending on which route you take you get to see quite a bit of Higashi Kanto at true ground level.

Yeah, I did that once because the commuter train was leaving right away and the next Skyliner was a half hour later. Halfway to the city we held at a station while the Skyliner whizzed past. Oops!

 

[jis]

Yeah, I did that once because the commuter train was leaving right away and the next Skyliner was a half hour later. Halfway to the city we held at a station while the Skyliner whizzed past. Oops!

I would never take a commuter train to try to get to the city before the next Skyliner or N'ex gets to the city. The commuter trains are slow as heck. The Rapides are a little faster.

 

[user 1215]

Yeah, I did that once because the commuter train was leaving right away and the next Skyliner was a half hour later. Halfway to the city we held at a station while the Skyliner whizzed past. Oops!

Yes. This is what I'm trying to advocate for Brightline. Express needs to mean faster times, premium service, and passing the trains that left earlier.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Some updates to this topic...

Looking at the map below when entering through Haneda (or another airport) you'll be expected to provide an approval code or message at stages 1, 2, & 5. The codes are obtained from the website Visit Japan Web located at https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp. There is no offline app at this time. If you do not have the appropriate codes or messages (on a phone, tablet, or printout) you will be taken aside or down another path that could further delay your arrival. My hope is that they work to further streamline the process in the future.



There are roughly seven steps to submit your information. You register as a traveler first and then register each trip separately. There are timeouts and one-way decisions so be aware that stopping in the middle of a stage could create problems and you may not be able to change some answers if you make a mistake. Once submitted there is a review period so complete all steps a few days before departing.



I have attached the December '22 version of the Visit Japan Web manual. There are nearly 100 pages and links to sub-manuals so you might want to make some coffee or tea before you sit down to familiarize yourself. Most aspects are spelled out well enough so you should not have to read the whole thing but pay attention to answers that cannot be reversed, when to keep going to avoid a timeout, and what to do when auto-find fails. On arrival you'll want international roaming or to have previously saved your approval codes/messages as screen captures. For most steps the approval code or message was enough but at least one step wanted me to show other details.

 

[user 6862]

Thank you Mr, does every visitor to Japan have to go through this procedure?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Thank you Mr, does every visitor to Japan have to go through this procedure?

Technically nobody has to do any of this. However, if you show up empty handed you will be pulled aside to be questioned by staff. Because the first step to be checked is the last stage to be approved you will be held back shortly after disembarking. At best you'll be delayed while they question you but at worst you risk being sent down a physically separate path from everyone else. I believe the alternate path leads to even more paperwork and testing with the possibility of being quarantined if a test comes back positive. Japan does not mess around with border protocols and I did not want to risk being denied entry so I filled everything out and hoped for the best.

 

[user 6862]

Technically nobody has to do any of this. However, if you show up empty handed you will be pulled aside to be questioned by staff. Because the first step to be checked is the last stage to be approved you will be held back shortly after disembarking. At best you'll be delayed while they question you but at worst you risk being sent down a physically separate path from everyone else. I believe the alternate path leads to even more paperwork and testing with the possibility of being quarantined if a test comes back positive. Japan does not mess around with border protocols and I did not want to risk being denied entry so I filled everything out and hoped for the best.

Thank you DA, I have always valued your opinions and will set this up.

As an aside not connected to Japan directly but may have a bearing on us getting there. We have to get out of central France before we can get on the plane at Heathrow.
Our local area is getting rare heavy snowfall over the next 4 days, from Wednesday evening there is a French General Strike for 36 hours. We are due to leave here on our way to London early Thursday morning, driving our camper. Almost all French transport systems will be blockaded maybe even the ports, no one knows until the day arrives but they have history on doing this.

So will we get on the plane in London to head east on Sunday? It has always felt like an adventure from the beginning of the idea as there has not been enough time to do much real planning for any of our destinations, none of them have we visited before except Mexico.

The adventure may start the moment we try to drive out of our gate...

 

[user 6862]

Just a further question re Visit Japan Web.

I have completed the first and second person forms individually including that each was travelling with a family member (each other) and brief details of the other.
I have also uploaded the Covid Vax Certificates for both. For the first and second person I have now recieved these messages :

This message is from the Quarantine Documentation Center (QDC) in Japan.
We have received and accepted the image(s)

followed by links to the VJW login page.

Do you know where the QR codes we require for 'fast track' appears from?

Thanks

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Do you know where the QR codes we require for 'fast track' appears from?

This can be confusing because the example images show a QR code and the manual is rather vague on this specific detail. In my experience the QR code for Fast Track did not appear on the approval page as viewed on a phone but did appear if printed. The important factor seems to be that the border/banner color changes from red/pink to blue and includes an approval message (in Japanese).



In the first screen above you'll want a blue border with Japanese text in each of the white boxes. In the second screen you'll want a blue banner with "Review Completed" at the top. In the last screen you'll want "Review Completed" and "Not Required" for the certificate and test result steps. The Customs (aqua bar) and Immigration (yellow bar) screens are not shown here but did include visible QR codes that needed to be scanned. I have included a link to the sub-manual for the Fast Track portion of the process. Hope this helps!

https://teachme.jp/111284/manuals/18991086

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Thank you DA, I have always valued your opinions and will set this up.

As an aside not connected to Japan directly but may have a bearing on us getting there. We have to get out of central France before we can get on the plane at Heathrow.
Our local area is getting rare heavy snowfall over the next 4 days, from Wednesday evening there is a French General Strike for 36 hours. We are due to leave here on our way to London early Thursday morning, driving our camper. Almost all French transport systems will be blockaded maybe even the ports, no one knows until the day arrives but they have history on doing this.

So will we get on the plane in London to head east on Sunday? It has always felt like an adventure from the beginning of the idea as there has not been enough time to do much real planning for any of our destinations, none of them have we visited before except Mexico.

The adventure may start the moment we try to drive out of our gate...

GOOD LUCK!