The short answer: from Haneda, just take the Keikyu line (¥330, 15 minutes to Shinagawa) and stop overthinking. From Narita, pick by budget: the ¥1,500 TYO-NRT bus if you’re patient, the Skyliner if you’re not, the N’EX round-trip ticket if your hotel is on the Yamanote west side.
Which airport you land at was decided months ago by your airline. What’s still yours to decide is the next 60–100 minutes — and this is one of those choices where the “premium” option is sometimes worse. Here’s the whole picture, with 2026 prices (several went up this year; old blog posts are wrong).
Landing at Haneda: you’ve already won
Haneda is functionally in Tokyo. Two rail options, both cheap, both fast:
| Route | Price | Time | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keikyu line → Shinagawa | ¥330 | ~15 min | Almost always. Shinagawa connects to the Yamanote loop and the Shinkansen |
| Monorail → Hamamatsucho | ¥520 | ~18 min | Hotels on the east/south Yamanote; great bay views as a bonus |
| Limousine bus → Shinjuku | ¥1,400 | 40–60 min | Mountains of luggage, kids asleep, hotel is a bus stop |
With an IC card (sorted here) you just tap in — no ticket buying, no reservations. This is why we rate Shinagawa-side hotels for Haneda arrivals.
Landing at Narita: pick your fighter
Narita is 60–80km out. Four real options:
| Route | Price | Time | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT → Tokyo Sta./Ginza | ¥1,500 | ~65–90 min | Best yen-per-km in Japan. No reservation, just queue. Late-night runs cost ¥3,000 |
| Skyliner → Ueno/Nippori | ¥2,580 (¥2,310 online) | 41 min | Fastest into the city. Hotels on the north/east side (Ueno, Asakusa). Buy online, save ¥270 |
| N’EX → Tokyo/Shinagawa/Shibuya/Shinjuku | ¥3,140–3,330 one-way — but ¥5,200 round trip (tourist ticket, 14 days) | 60–90 min | Hotels on the west side (Shinjuku/Shibuya) and flying out of Narita too — the round-trip deal is the quiet winner |
| Keisei Access Express | ~¥1,310 | ~60 min to Ueno | Budget rail without bus queues; direct to Asakusa too |
The honest matrix: Asakusa/Ueno hotel → Skyliner or Access Express. Shinjuku/Shibuya hotel → N’EX round-trip. Tokyo Station/Ginza → the ¥1,500 bus and pocket the difference. Traveling at 5am or after midnight → the late-night bus is basically your only friend.
If it’s late, you’re jetlagged, or there are four of you
A pre-booked private transfer meets you at arrivals with your name on a sign and costs about the same as a taxi — roughly ¥20,000–30,000 from Narita, ¥8,000–12,000 from Haneda, for the whole car. For families and midnight landings it’s the sane option.
Skyliner and N’EX tickets can also be pre-bought on Klook, which saves the ticket-machine queue after a long flight.
Three mistakes we watch people make weekly
- Buying N’EX one-way at ¥3,330 when the ¥5,200 round-trip exists. If you arrive and depart via Narita within 14 days, this is a 22% discount hiding in plain sight
- Taking a taxi from Narita. ¥25,000–30,000. Unless there are five of you with a tuba, no
- Dragging three suitcases onto the Skyliner at rush hour. For heavy-luggage arrivals, consider the bus — or better, send the bags ahead from the airport counter (same-day to central Tokyo if you land before ~11:00) and ride any train like a free human being
FAQ
Is Haneda worth paying more for at booking time?
Usually yes — ¥30–50 more per ticket buys you back 60+ minutes each way and cheaper ground transport. For short trips it’s the single best upgrade in Japan travel.
Do I need to reserve airport trains?
Skyliner and N’EX: yes, seats are reserved (buy at the counter/machine/online on arrival — easy). Keikyu, monorail, Access Express: no, tap and board.
What about the “Narita Express is covered by the JR Pass” trick?
True — if you already have a JR Pass that makes sense. Never buy the pass just for the airport run.
The bottom line
Haneda: tap your IC card, ride Keikyu, done. Narita: ¥1,500 bus for value, Skyliner for speed to the east side, N’EX round-trip for the west side. Put the saved money where it belongs — your first proper bowl of ramen.
Prices as of August 2026 (several operators raised fares in 2025–2026; older guides quote stale numbers). Corrections via the contact page. Some links here are paid affiliate links.
Landing late, or with a family
A pre-booked private transfer meets you at arrivals with your name on a sign, for roughly what a taxi costs — and you do not queue for a ticket machine at midnight.
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