Take the Keisei Skyliner if your hotel is in Ueno, Asakusa or anywhere on the north and east side of Tokyo: it reaches Nippori in as little as 36 minutes and Ueno a few minutes later, with an adult fare of ¥2,580 (). Take the Narita Express (N'EX) if you are staying near Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shibuya or Yokohama, because it runs straight there without a change, and the 14-day N'EX Tokyo Round Trip ticket at ¥5,200 brings each leg close to the Skyliner fare ().
Narita Airport is about 60 km east of central Tokyo. Both express trains leave from the stations under Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and passengers arriving at Terminal 3 (used by most low-cost carriers) walk or take the free shuttle to the Terminal 2 station. The two trains end on opposite sides of the city: the Skyliner at Nippori and Keisei Ueno in the north-east, and N'EX at Tokyo Station before splitting towards Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa and Yokohama.
Your situation
Better starting choice
What to check before choosing
Hotel in Ueno, Asakusa, Nippori or Oshiage
Skyliner
Discount e-ticket for overseas visitors
Hotel near Tokyo Station, Ginza or Marunouchi
N'EX
Round Trip ticket if you fly home from Narita
Hotel in Shinjuku, Shibuya or Yokohama
N'EX
Whether your train runs through on 6–8 November 2026
The Skyliner runs on its own high-speed line between Narita Airport and Keisei Ueno, stopping at Nippori. The fastest trip from Terminal 2 to Nippori is 36 minutes, and trains run about every 20 minutes for most of the day (Ekitan). Every seat is reserved, and each car has space for large suitcases.
The adult fare from the airport to Nippori or Ueno is ¥2,580: a ¥1,280 base fare plus a ¥1,300 Skyliner fee. Children pay half. You can buy at the Skyliner counters and machines in both airport stations, by credit card, up to a month ahead. Boarding without a reserved ticket adds ¥300 to the fee. Keisei also sells discounted Skyliner e-tickets online and a Skyliner + Tokyo Subway Ticket that adds 24, 48 or 72 hours of subway rides; check the Keisei Skyliner page for current prices and who can buy them.
Nippori connects to the JR Yamanote Line, so you can change there for Ikebukuro or Shinjuku, but with luggage that transfer adds time compared with N'EX.
N'EX is a JR East limited express. The fastest train reaches Tokyo Station in 53 minutes, and Shinjuku takes about 1 hour 24 minutes (JR East N'EX). Trains run roughly every 30 to 60 minutes, about 50 a day, so check the timetable before you head to the platform (Ekitan). All seats are reserved; Ordinary Car reservations are free and can be made up to a month ahead, including at the passport-reading machines in the airport stations.
One-way Ordinary Car fares from the airport are ¥3,140 to Tokyo, ¥3,330 to Shinagawa, Shibuya or Shinjuku, and ¥4,480 to Yokohama. Children aged 6 to 11 pay half. The N'EX Tokyo Round Trip ticket costs ¥5,200, is valid for 14 days and covers the trip between the airport and Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya and nearby areas (JR East N'EX tickets).
Because of tunnel works, the Yokosuka Line is closed between Tokyo and Shinagawa from 6 to 8 November 2026, and some N'EX trains run only between Narita Airport and Tokyo Station on those days. If you land then and are heading to Shinjuku, Shibuya or Yokohama, expect to change at Tokyo, or compare the Skyliner via Nippori (JR East notice).
For a one-way trip, the Skyliner at ¥2,580 is cheaper than N'EX at ¥3,140 to Tokyo or ¥3,330 to Shinjuku. If you also fly home from Narita within two weeks, the ¥5,200 Round Trip ticket works out at ¥2,600 per leg, almost the same as the Skyliner, and drops you closer to hotels on the west and south sides of the city.
The deciding factor is usually where you sleep. From Ueno or Asakusa, the Skyliner is faster door to door. From Shinjuku or Shibuya, N'EX avoids a transfer at Nippori with bags, which is worth more than the time on the timetable.
Keisei's regular Access Express and Limited Express trains use the same lines as the Skyliner for a lower fare, but they take longer, have commuter-style seating and get crowded at rush hour. Airport buses to Tokyo Station and major hotels are another budget option, though road traffic makes timings less certain. Both suit travellers with light bags and no fixed schedule.
Decide your train before you fly, so you can buy the Skyliner e-ticket or the N'EX Round Trip online and skip the counter queue. Note your terminal: Terminal 3 passengers need extra minutes to reach the Terminal 2 station. If you arrive late in the evening, check the last departure for your train; when you miss it, see our guide to Narita after the last train.
A co:sim data-only eSIM can be installed before departure so maps and transfer apps work as soon as you land. It provides data only, without a Japanese phone number, so keep your home SIM active for SMS codes if your phone supports two lines.
Pick the train that ends closest to your hotel, then compare co:sim for the rest of your Japan trip.
#What are the common questions about the Skyliner and N'EX?
To Nippori and Ueno, yes: the Skyliner takes as little as 36 minutes to Nippori. To Tokyo Station, Shinjuku or Shibuya, N'EX is usually quicker overall because it needs no transfer.
If you arrive and depart through Narita within 14 days and stay near a N'EX station, yes. At ¥5,200 it costs about ¥2,600 per leg, compared with ¥3,140 or ¥3,330 for single tickets.
You can ride either train with a ticket and no data. Data helps with booking e-tickets, checking the next departure and finding your way from the station to the hotel.
A co:sim data-only eSIM provides data without a phone number, calls or SMS. You can set it up before departure and use it as soon as you land. Compare network and validity details on co:sim's Japan plan page before choosing.
co:sim Team
