When travelling to Tokyo, you’d either arrive in Narita International Airport or Haneda International Airport. On my recent trip to Tokyo, I opted for the Keisei Skyliner as my mode of transportation . It is an airport express train servicing Narita International Airport – Tokyo city.
Narita, being the newer airport out of the two, services most of the international flights and is located about 60 km from central Tokyo – which is about an hour drive away.\
Was I impressed with Keisei Skyliner? Yes and No.
Yes because it was convenient and easy to get to. No because the counter staff was not a happy camper. Lol.
My partner and I were initially torn between taking the Skyliner or the Limousine Bus (two great options). We decided to try the Skyliner due to the convenience of where our hotel is located for this trip.
When we arrived, the airport was undergoing renovations as they prepare for Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Anyways, our experience onboard the Skyliner was great. The train was spacious, comfortable and had a decent sized luggage area.
The Skyliner will only stop at 2 stations in Central Tokyo : Nippori Station and Keisei-Ueno with a travel time of 40 minutes and 45 minutes respectively.
Where you get off will depend on where your accommodation is located or wherever you want to go to / lines you want to transfer to.
We chose to disembark at Keisei-Ueno as it was easier for us to transfer to the line we needed to get to our hotel.
Keisei-Ueno is not the same as Ueno station. You will have to exit from Keisei-Ueno station and (thankfully) just follow the signs in the underground passage to go to Ueno station to catch the JR/Metro trains. So it’s not necessary for you to exit the station completely (as in go outside into the open air) to get to Ueno station. The underground passage is easy to navigate as long as you know which line you need to switch to.
Where can I purchase the Skyliner tickets?
There are 3 options that I would recommend:
- Directly from the Skyliner counter
- Online from the official website (open to non-Japanese travellers)
- From designated travel agencies / travel sites
If you have purchased your tickets from a designated travel site (like I did), you will need to first redeem the physical ticket in order to board the train.
How to redeem?
- With your e-voucher, head over to the Skyliner & Keisei Information Centre located at Level B1 at Terminal 1 Station.
- Make sure to have your e-voucher open on your screen and your passport (and passports of other passengers travelling with you).
- You will then be asked to select your preferred travel time as the ticket issued is valid for travel at the chosen time because of reserved seating.
- I recall that there was a train which is set to depart in 5 minutes but I decided against it and chose the one that was 15-20 minutes later. When I asked the staff how long was the journey to the platform, she said “3 minutes”. You would think that I had enough time to catch the earlier train right? Wrong! It took me more than that because of navigating and the fact that I had to lug my suitcase on an escalator through a stream of people. SO, please make sure that you select a more comfortable departure time unless you’re prepared to sprint.
After collecting your tickets:
- Check the details on your ticket. The important details you need to know is Departure Time, Car Number and Seat Number.
- Trains in Japan always leave on time so make sure you’re onboard way before the Departure Time.
- The Car Number will be where your allocated Seat Number is. When you arrive at the platform, you will be able to see stickers on the ground marking the location of the Car Number. Find the one with your allocated Car Number and queue there.
- When the train arrives, board the Car Number stated on your ticket and look for your seat.
We got off at Keisei-Ueno station, the last stop, and attempted to navigate our way to Ueno Station. As mentioned earlier, Keisei-Ueno station is different from Ueno Station. It is a bit of a walk (about 5-10 minutes) but the underground passageway makes it so much easier.
I’m not sure if this is done on every train ride but the one we were on gave us questionnaires to fill up and rewarded us with a 200-yen FamilyMart discount coupon each!
Unfortunately, the coupon is only redeemable at 3 stations – Narita Airport, Nippori and Keisei-Ueno, which is fair enough. We decided to immediately redeem it at the station that we got off at just in case we misplace or forget all about it.
Overall, the Keisei Skyliner is a great option if you’re looking to get to Nippori / Ueno area fast. The ride is very comfortable and the seats are forward facing which makes it even better. Plus, FamilyMart’s coupon was the icing on the cake!
