Narita International Airport
Cost
free
Attractions > Other Cities and Areas > Other Attractions > Chiba
About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees
Narita International Airport Check In Lobby
About
Narita International Airport is Tokyo's main International airport which handles international flights as well as a small amount of domestic flights. It is approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) East and slightly North from Tokyo out in Chiba Prefecture near the city of Narita. Getting from Narita International Airport to Tokyo on an express train takes about 1 hour and riding a bus can take anywhere from 1.5 hours on average to 2-3 hours during heavy traffic hours/days. There are 3 terminals at the airport called Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are the main major terminals and have a railway station in the basement while Terminal 3 handles low budget airline flights but is connected to Terminal 2 by a pedestrian walkway. There is also a free shuttle that runs between all three terminals.
Having 3 Terminals and a mix of trains, stations and buses can make Narita International Airport confusing. When you arrive and exit immigration there are a variety of options to get into Tokyo, see our recommendations below. When you leave, make sure to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before departure (3 is better) and the most important thing to know is what terminal your flight will leave from. You don't want to get off at the wrong terminal and have to rush over to a different terminal. Check your flight and which terminal it will leave from in advance. If you do make a mistake and get off at the wrong terminal, don't stress out too much, it will only take you 15 min. or so to walk or ride the free shuttle to a different terminal.
Narita International Airport Transportation Options
Japan Rail Pass voucher holders: You can exchange your voucher for your real Japan Rail Pass at Narita International Airport. However, just be aware that as soon as you exchange your voucher, your pass time limit starts. From the airport you can ride the NEX Express into Tokyo with your Japan Rail Pass, just be sure to make a reservation for a seat on the NEX when you activate the pass. To exchange the voucher for you Japan Rail Pass, go to the "JR East Travel Service Center" (there is a service center at both Terminal 1 and 2, see image to right or below). This is the point of exchange for the JR Pass. You'll need both your passport and exchange voucher in order to activate the JR Pass. The JR Pass can be exchanged between 6:30 a.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Transportation Routes from Narita International Airport
Transportation Options from Narita International Airport
Day Trips
If your on a layover (half a day) or just a night in Narita you might want to consider taking a short side trip to a nearby attraction while your in Japan. Narita City and Naritasan (the main temple in Narita City) are very close to the airport and can be reached in 15 min. If you have 6 or more hours you can even bolt into Tokyo for a couple hours and rush to some cool attractions (see a full list of our Tokyo Attractions). If you are interested in seeing a traditional Country Town with old style Japanese buildings and atmosphere, you might want to consider heading out to Sawara which can be reached in about an hour from Narita Airport.
SIM Cards and Voice Communcation Options
Voice: Unfortunately only residents of Japan may actually sign up for a real voice plan so your options are A.) Use the voice plan from your home country, B.) Use a DATA SIM and talk through LINE, Facebook, Skype, etc. or C.) Rent a phone you can use for voice at Narita. More recently a very small amount of providers have been finding a round-about method of hooking up voice with data but it's a bit tricky. Talk with a provider at Narita and see if that is something you need.
DATA: Many people will just use their data/voice plan from their home country but if you need or are looking for a cheaper option, buying a SIM card at Narita is a good option. SIM cards are everywhere in Narita and you can even find them in vending machines. There are a variety of options such as amount of days you can use the SIM and how much data you are able to use. Be sure to read the instructions and if you don't know exactly what you are doing it would be better to purchase a SIM at a counter with a real human that can advise and help you out. Note that you can also buy SIM cards when you get into Tokyo as well, major electronic stores sell them at a slightly better rate than at the airport but buying at the airport is quick and convenient.
Narita International Airport History
When you arrive at Narita International Airport you will be astonished at how spotless clean, modern and efficient the airport is. However, you might also notice riot police and riot police buses/vehicles... which, as a visitor Japan, you might think are security measures against terrorism. Of course the airport has very high security to protect against terrorism BUT the main reason why the police continue a strong presence in and around Narita International Airport is because of the almost forgotten history of the airports construction and struggles it had with the local people. Although barely heard of outside of Japan and even forgotten by most younger Japanese, for decades the local people protested and fought against the government to build the airport where it is today. Many people were killed, thousands of protesters, forts and towers were built in the construction zone, major clashes... it was a huge mess for a long time. It's a very interesting part of Japan's history and you might be interested in reading about it more on Wikipedia, it's called the Sanrizuka struggle. A search on YouTube will also bring up many videos along with this mini-documentary The Extremely Violent History Behind Tokyo's Narita International Airport.
Access
Closest Train Station: Airport Terminal 2
1-1 Furugome
Narita-shi, Chiba 282-0004 Japan
Tel: 0476-34-8000
Please see the detailed directions described above.
Hotels & Lodging
Recommended
View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Narita International Airport.
Hours & Fees
Hours: Note that Narita Airport DOES close and you are supposed to leave... but, if you are stuck there with no where else to go, the guards will round up people and "may" let them stay in one section of each terminal on chairs/benches. We do not recommend
Closed: Determined by last flights (usually around midnight)
Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.
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