Keisei Skyliner Review: How to get from Narita airport to Tokyo QUICKLY

Trying to find out exactly how to get from Narita airport into Tokyo? We have found out exactly how to do it, and very quickly too. The answer: the Keisei Skyliner. The ride is only 41 minutes and feels a whole lot faster, so it’s hardly surprising that this is the second fastest train in Japan - after the Shinkansen (bullet train) of course. We’ll give you a full review below, but to sum it up: it’s awesome. You can book your Keisei Skyliner ticket here. 

So first up, there are several ways you can get into central Tokyo. Yes, you can take a car, and yes, it will be expensive - probably even more so than you expect. There are also various trains available to take to the CBD, but nothing is more straightforward than the Keisei Skyliner.

You can book your tickets beforehand here, which is exactly what we did. Tickets cost roughly US$15 and we picked them up from the Keisei Skyliner desk, which was right there after you got into the clearly labeled train station, after leaving via the airport basement. Don’t worry if things look a little confusing; the staff are super friendly, helpful, and they spoke excellent English. 

As for the train itself, it was very clean and efficient. The seats were what I’d call extremely roomy; particularly for those of us that had just gotten off a six hour flight from Bangkok. We had space to keep our baggage at our feet (completely our choice, there was also space up the front to store larger luggage pieces), and both of us fit comfortably in our seats. The seats are all assigned, and you’ll find your seat number clearly on your ticket. The windows on the train were huge which offered excellent views during the entire route into town.

Now, about those views. We absolutely loved them. At first, things were more country-like, as we passed the occasional field, but the moment we reached the city, things started looking a whole lot more like the Japan you normally see in the media. Picture close-together houses and the cleanest streets you can possibly imagine. It looked perfect. And all the better from that oh-so comfortable Keisei Skyliner chair.

Okay, so now you’ve  successfully completed part one of the plan; you’ve bought your tickets for the Keisei Skyliner and successfully boarded the train. What next? It’s time for your transfer, of course!

Naturally, it all depends on where you’re going. For us, we were heading to the Kabukicho area so we aiming to get to Shinjuku. For us, we used one of the machines to purchase a Suica card (it offers cheaper fares), changed lines, and arrived successfully at Shinjuku. Because you won’t necessarily be traveling to the same part of Tokyo, I’m going to give you a couple of big tips.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We did this a couple of times while using the trains in Japan, and it was really helpful. People were so friendly and pointed us in the right direction more than once.
2. Google Maps. Honestly, I don’t know how we could’ve done this without Google maps! It helped us out a LOT! You can either download it beforehand so it’s available offline, or you can purchase a SIM card online or from the airport when you arrive.

And that’s it! you’re all set for your journey into Japan. Remember to prebook your Keisei Skyliner tickets here so you’re all prepared for your trip. Happy travels! Train and otherwise!