World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Narita Airport (NRT)
Tel: (0476) 322 802. Fax: (0476) 301 571.
Website: www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e/index.html

Narita Airport (also known as New Tokyo International Airport) is located 66km (41 miles) east of central Tokyo and is the main gateway to Japan, with 47 airlines operating out of its two terminals. The airport is for international flights only; all domestic flights (and China Airlines flights to Taiwan) use Haneda Airport (see below).

Major airlines: JAL (tel: (03) 5460 0511; website: www.jal.co.jp/en) and ANA (tel: (03) 5435 0333; website: http://svc.ana.co.jp/eng/index.html) are Japan’s two main international airlines. Other major airlines include: Air China, Air France, Air India, Alitalia, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Continental Ailines, Garuda, Korean Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Northwest, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai International, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Airport facilities: These include bureaux de change, ATMs, travel agent, tourist information, numerous restaurants and souvenir shops (including duty-free shopping), left-luggage service, luggage delivery service, showers and day rooms, children’s play room, clinic, post office and car hire from Avis and Hertz.

Business facilities: Copy and fax facilities are available at TEI Lounge, situated both in terminal one (tel: (0476) 329 450) and in terminal two (tel: (0476) 348 781). Internet access is available in both terminals (website: www.e-airport.jp/en/p_internet/index.html).

Arrival/departure tax: There is no arrival tax. The departure tax of ¥2040 is included in the airfare.

Transport to the city: Japan Railway’s Narita Express (tel: (03) 3423 0111; website: www.jreast.co.jp/nex/index.htm) and Keisei Railway’s Skyliner (tel: (0476) 328 505; website: www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/accesse) provide fast, very frequent services to the city centre 0600–2200. In addition, both companies run cheaper regular services. The journey time is 60–90 minutes and tickets cost ¥1000–3000, depending on the type of train and destination within Tokyo. Airport Limousine buses (tel: (03) 3665 7220; website: www.limousinebus.co.jp) run several times an hour 0700–2200, serving major hotels in central Tokyo, Haneda Airport and Yokohama. The journey time, depending on traffic and destination, is about 90 minutes and tickets cost approximately ¥3000. Taxis to the city centre are notoriously expensive, costing about ¥25,000. The journey time is about 90 minutes, depending on traffic.

Haneda Airport (HND)
Tel: (03) 5757 8111.

Haneda, Tokyo’s domestic airport, is conveniently located 16km (ten miles) south of central Tokyo. Confusingly, Haneda continues to be officially known as Tokyo International Airport, despite the fact that all international flights, other than China Airlines flights to and from Taiwan and those carrying high-ranking official visitors from overseas, now use Narita Airport.

Major airlines: All major domestic airlines, including JAL (tel: (03) 5460 0522; website: www.jal.co.jp/en) and ANA (tel: (03) 3490 8800; website: http://svc.ana.co.jp/eng/index.html), operate from Haneda Airport.

Airport facilities: Facilities include ATMs, travel agent, restaurants and souvenir shops, left-luggage service, luggage delivery service, post office and car hire from Nissan and Toyota.

Business facilities: None.

Arrival/departure tax: There is no arrival or departure tax.

Transport to the city: The Tokyo Monorail Co. (website: www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english) connects the airport to Hamamatsu-cho Station on the JR Yamanote loop line, the city’s major transport artery (journey time – 22 minutes). The monorail operates between 0500 and 2400 and tickets cost ¥470. The Keihin railway (website: www.keikyu.co.jp/english/haneda/index.html) runs to Shinagawa Station (journey time – 19 minutes) and other stations in the centre of the city, operating daily 0530–2400. The fare is ¥400. Airport Limousine buses (tel: (03) 3665 7220; website: www.limousinebus.co.jp) run to major Tokyo railway stations. Tickets cost approximately ¥1000. Taxis to central Tokyo cost approximately ¥7000.

Approximate flight times to Tokyo: From London is 11 hours 40 minutes; from New York is 14 hours; from Los Angeles is 11 hours 40 minutes; from Toronto (via Chicago) is 14 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 9 hours 30 minutes.