You want to keep the cost of getting to the airport as low as possible. Trains cost more than you’d expect, and hauling luggage around while transferring is a hassle.

If you want to get to Narita Airport cheaply, we recommend taking a budget bus!

This article introduces several budget buses connecting Narita Airport with central Tokyo.

Types of Limousine Buses to Narita Airport and What Each Service Offers

There are three main types of limousine buses to Narita Airport:

• Limousine Bus
• TYO-NRT (Tokyo Shuttle / THE Access Narita)
• Narita Shuttle

Let’s look at each in detail.

Limousine Bus

The Limousine Bus is a bus service operating between Narita/Haneda Airports and major terminal stations and hotels in central Tokyo.

It connects nearby stops directly to the departure and arrival floors of the airport, so there’s no hassle of transferring or moving between floors, and since it uses a reserved-seat system, you’re guaranteed a seat.

There are four ways to book tickets.

1. Online reservation
2. Phone reservation
3. Limousine Web membership reservation
4. Convenience store ticketing (Welnet)

Whether you book online or by phone, you’ll need to provide information such as your travel date, route, time, departure flight from the airport, your name, number of passengers, and phone number.

From central Tokyo, adult fares range from ¥2,800 to ¥3,900.

The trip takes 1 to 2 hours.

There are a huge number of pickup points around Tokyo, covering nearly the entire city, including Nihombashi, Ikebukuro/Mejiro/Kudanshita/Korakuen, Ebisu/Shinagawa, Shibuya/Futako-Tamagawa, Kichijoji, Shinjuku, Roppongi/Akasaka, Shiba/Shiodome/Takeshiba/Odaiba/Ariake, Haneda Airport, Asakusa/Kinshicho/Toyosu, the Nishi-Kokubunji area, and Tachikawa/Akishima.

TYO-NRT (Tokyo Shuttle / THE Access Narita)

TYO-NRT is a shuttle bus service jointly operated by eight companies, including Tokyo Shuttle and THE Access Narita.

The one-way fare is ¥1,000. Being able to travel between Tokyo Station and Narita Airport for just ¥1,000 is an incredible deal.

There are six pickup points: Tokyo Station, Ginza Station, Kajibashi Parking, Oedo Onsen, Shinonome Depot, and Shinonome Aeon. The trip from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport Terminal 1 takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m., there are about 9 departures per hour. Service continues at roughly one bus per hour until midnight, so you can time it to match your flight.

Narita Shuttle

The Narita Shuttle is a shuttle bus service operated by WILLER, Inc., running between Osaki Station and Haneda Airport/Shibayama-cho.

The fare is ¥1,000 one way if booked in advance, or ¥1,300 for the standard fare plan if booked 20 minutes before departure.

The boarding point is a 4-minute walk from JR Osaki Station.

There are 45 departures a day, or roughly 1 to 2 per hour.

Its benefits include:

• Full refund if you miss the bus due to a flight or train delay
• Free Wi-Fi
• USB ports
• Onboard restroom

Comparing Buses to Narita Airport

Here’s a comparison of the buses to Narita Airport.

Comparison Table

Here’s a summary comparison table.

Each option has its own advantages.

	Limousine Bus	TYO-NRT	Narita Shuttle
Fare	¥2,800–3,900	¥1,000	¥1,000 (with reservation)
Frequency	4–5 per hour (varies by stop)	About 8 per hour	1–2 per hour
Pickup	Various locations across Tokyo	Around Tokyo Station	Osaki Station
Benefits	Wide coverage areaUp to 2 checked bagsWi-FiRestroom onboard	Very cheapFrequent departures every hour	Refund guaranteeWi-FiUSB portsRestroom onboard

NearMe: A Flat-Rate Taxi to Narita Airport

NearMe is our own shuttle service.

It’s a flat rate starting from ¥5,980 per person.

The trip from central Tokyo to Narita Airport takes around 100 minutes.

Just like a hired car, it takes you directly from your home or hotel to Narita Airport, so you don’t have to lug heavy suitcases around on foot.

Other benefits include:

• Wi-Fi available
• Seats up to 9 passengers
• Online payment supported
• No extra charge for flight delays
• Japanese and English support at booking
• Professional drivers
• You can book your return trip at the same time

There are no fixed pickup points — as long as you’re within the service area, we’ll pick you up and drop you off wherever you like, whether that’s your home or the airport.

The service is currently available within Tokyo’s 23 wards.

If you’re interested, please book or ask questions via our service site.

Conclusion: Choose the Service That Fits Your Situation

It’s best to choose the service that fits your particular situation.

If you want to keep costs as low as possible, go with TYO-NRT; if you’re traveling from somewhere a bit further from central Tokyo, the Limousine Bus is a good fit; and if you want to head straight to the airport from home, NearMe is the way to go. The best option really depends on your circumstances.

What Other Transportation Options Are There?

Here are some transportation options besides budget buses.

Keisei Skyliner

This is an airport express train running between Ueno Station and Narita Airport Station.

It runs at the fastest speed of any conventional line, 160 km/h, and can cover the distance from Nippori Station to Airport Terminal 2 Station in as little as 36 minutes.

To ride, you’ll need a Liner ticket in addition to a regular ticket or an IC card such as Suica.

There are three ways to purchase a Liner ticket:

1. Ticketless boarding via a reservation website
2. Reserve online and get your ticket issued
3. Reserve and purchase at a station or travel agency counter

At Ueno or Nippori Station, go through the Keisei Line transfer gate and board from the platform dedicated to the Skyliner.

It runs about 3 times an hour, so check the Skyliner official timetable for details.

Narita Express

This train connects Narita Airport directly with major stations including Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Yokohama, and Omiya.

To ride, you’ll need a limited express ticket in addition to a regular ticket or an IC card such as Suica.

We’ve also compared the Keisei Skyliner and the Narita Express in this article.

If you’re interested in traveling by train, check it out.

There are three ways to purchase tickets:

1. Reserve and purchase via eki-net
2. Ticketless service via eki-net
3. Reserve and purchase at a Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket counter

The 22 stations you can board from are: Narita, Sakura, Yotsukaido, Chiba, Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Omiya, Kichijoji, Mitaka, Kokubunji, Tachikawa, Hachioji, Takao, Musashi-Kosugi, Yokohama, Totsuka, Ofuna, Narita Airport Terminal 2, and Narita Airport Station.

There are 2 to 3 departures per hour, so check the Narita Express official timetable for details.

Access Limited Express

This is an airport express train running between the Keisei Ueno/Mita Station area and Narita Airport Station.

It runs at a top speed of 120 km/h. The trip from Nippori to Narita Airport takes 59 minutes.

All seats on the Access Limited Express are non-reserved. No limited express ticket is required.

From Nihombashi to Narita Airport Station, the fare is ¥1,330.

There are 1 to 2 departures per hour.

Summary

In this article, we introduced ways to get between Narita Airport and central Tokyo, including budget buses.

It’s a good idea to choose the transportation method that best fits your particular situation.

If you want a comfortable ride straight from your home to the airport, we recommend NearMe, available at a flat rate starting from ¥5,980 per person — give it a try!