It's probably my 2nd time flying out of Narita Airport in Japan. It's not surprising given that I had lived in Osaka pre-pandemic, and moved to Tokyo during the COVID times. Kansai Airport is the airport in Osaka and that's where I usually fly before and, it's easy going there from Osaka station. So now, that I am living in Tokyo, I just know how to get to Narita Airport by shuttle bus. Taking the train, I have no idea. A friend who keeps coming back to Tokyo for vacation recommended NEX to me. So hmm, why not?



Photo by Ving N on Unsplash

Actually, I was so tempted to take the bus because it's cheaper than taking the train, and it's not an ordinary train - it's the Narita Express. The bus is only 1,300 yen (around 9.6 USD) while Narita Express is 3,250 yen (around 24.2 USD) for a cheaper seat. I'm not rich, and if you check my wallet, I only have a few bills left til the next payday. 😅

Few days left til my flight and I was still confused about what to take. Should I go for the long and cheaper route or the comfortable and expensive one?

The deciding factor was actually the rules of each transport. The bus leaves from Tokyo station, and it's fine because I can take the subway directly to go there but what's not fine is I have to carry 2 suitcases, 1 backpack and, 1 sling bag. I know, you probably think I'm leaving Japan for good but no, it's just a vacation. 😄 And so, I read the rules of the bus and it says only 1 luggage per customer. My boyfriend could have taken the bus to the airport with me but nope, he has work in the afternoon and he'll get lost going back to the city. 😂

NEX trains run every 30 minutes. I booked my train leaving at 10:08 AM the day before my departure from the machines outside the JR station. There's an English translation which I haven't used but my friend said the booking was smooth. The machines usually have fewer people lining up compared to the booth where you talk to the staff and buy the ticket from there.

Inside the Narita Express

Alright, fast forward to Sunday - here I am, in the Narita Express going to Narita Airport, NEX is what it's called. There are 2 types of seats, the green car seats, and the normal ones. The green car seats are not colored green if you're curious. I think they're leather-type and have a wider seat than the normal ones. The legroom is big for both so there's no problem with that. I heard there's a small pillow attached to the seat, that acts as a headrest in the green car seats.

Seats in the ordinary car

I took the normal seat. As I've mentioned, I don't have a lot of money. This vacation flushed my funds. 😌

Bye boyfie, see ya after 3 weeks

My boyfriend was kind enough to tag along to the platform. He lacked sleep (and so am I) but he was so kind and sweet for bringing one of my luggage. The platform is accessible if you're inside the JR station so he was able to send me off. insert teary eyed wittyzell here

I boarded the NEX train from JR Shinjuku station, and it's the best decision because after Shinjuku, the luggage compartment was almost full. The next stop from Shinjuku is Shibuya and when people got on the train, they were surprised there were few vacancies in the compartment.

Luggage compartment has locks for security
Luggage compartment located at both ends of the train cars

You can even secure your luggage with this lock feature. So cool!

Few passengers on board

There were few people which is nice. It's not yet the peak season I guess. I'm guessing there will be more once Golden Week starts in Japan. Golden Week is a series of holidays in Japan, that starts on April 29.

Getting comfortable LOL
Me riding the Narita Express
Wide legroom, right? Also lowkey flex of my kicks LOL

I specifically chose the last seat of this car so I don't have to be bothered by curious eyes. 😆 I paid for this comfort - which isn't bad at all! Traveling should be stress-free!

View from the window

I'm not sure what's the view on the other side but on this side, it looks nice - you can see the tall buildings of busy Tokyo and the quiet but thriving countryside area of Chiba. I couldn't remember if we passed by a tunnel but I guess we did, only for a few seconds I think. I think both sides have great views.

After Shibuya, the NEX stops at Shinagawa station and Tokyo station. Then it's a long journey to the airport.

Arriving at the Narita Terminal 2&3
Arriving at the station

There are 2 stops in the airport, Narita Terminal 2&3 and, Narita Terminal 1. I was alert not to miss my stop and so should you if ever you'll take this train. It might be a hassle if you need to transfer between terminals because you got off at the wrong stop.

Thanks for the ride~
Waiting room on the left
Elevator and stairs to exit?
Since I have 2 luggages, let's take the elevator 😁

Narita Express is like the bullet train of Japan. It's actually a limited express train. I arrived at the stop at 11:24 AM and after exiting the train station, the airport terminal is just on my left. It's so nice that I wouldn't have to walk so far.

They have this note so passengers won't get confused
After this JR station exit, it's already the airport terminal

The ride was comfortable indeed. I just remembered a tagline that goes like this Once tasted, always wanted and that's exactly how I felt after riding this train. It's costly but for comfort, I think I would go with this ride, hopefully from now on if I have extra funds. If only I will return to Japan within 14 days, I could have availed of the round trip ticket discount which is just 4,070 yen (around 30.3 USD). That's really a lot of savings!

https://youtube.com/shorts/EBIaOoxxgto?feature=share

Hmm, should I ride it again when coming back to Japan? 🤔😉
How about you? What do you think of this train? Would you ride it too?

Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！

All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.