Narita Airport Guide: NRT Terminals, Trains and Transfers

Narita Airport (NRT) is Tokyo’s original international gateway and still its busiest for long-haul flights from Europe. It sits about 60 kilometres east of the city in Chiba Prefecture, with three terminals, two fast rail links and a fixed fare taxi system. Knowing which terminal you use and how you will get into Tokyo is most of the work.

This guide covers the terminal layout, the airlines in each building, every realistic way into the city with honest journey times, lounges, practical tips for a first arrival in Japan, and what travellers flying the Amsterdam route need to know. One note before we start: SilverDrive is an Amsterdam-based chauffeur company and does not operate in Japan. Our part of the trip is the Schiphol end, which we cover at the close.

NRT Airport at a Glance

Narita International Airport opened in 1978 and was, for decades, the airport for international flights to Tokyo. Haneda, much closer to the centre, has since taken a large share of long-haul traffic, but Narita remains the main base for low-cost carriers, a major hub for ANA and Japan Airlines, and the airport where a long list of foreign airlines still land.

Fact	Detail
Airport code	NRT
Location	Narita, Chiba Prefecture
Distance to central Tokyo	About 60 km
Terminals	1 (North and South Wings), 2 and 3
Fastest train	Keisei Skyliner, about 36 minutes to Nippori
Direct train to Tokyo Station	Narita Express (N’EX), about an hour

Narita Airport Terminals and Layout

Narita has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 2 are large, separate buildings each with its own railway station underneath. Terminal 3 is a newer, simpler building for low-cost airlines, a short walk from Terminal 2.

Terminal 1: North Wing and South Wing

Terminal 1 is split into two wings with a central building between them. The wings run their own check-in areas, so knowing your wing saves a walk in the wrong direction.

North Wing: SkyTeam airlines, including KLM, Air France, Korean Air and several Chinese and Southeast Asian carriers.
South Wing: ANA and most of its Star Alliance partners, including Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Air Canada.

Peach, the low-cost airline, moved from Terminal 3 into Terminal 1 in 2020, using the South Wing for domestic flights and the North Wing for international ones.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 is Japan Airlines’ terminal at Narita and home to most oneworld airlines, including British Airways, Finnair, American Airlines, Qatar Airways and Iberia, along with other international carriers such as Emirates.

Terminal 3

Terminal 3 is the low-cost terminal, used by airlines such as Jetstar Japan and Spring Japan. It is deliberately plain: running track style lanes on the floor guide you from Terminal 2, a large food court and few frills. It has no lounges and no railway station of its own, so if you are leaving by train you walk or take the shuttle to the Terminal 2 and 3 station.

A word on all of this: terminal allocations at Narita change as airlines join alliances, add routes or move buildings. Treat the lists above as the current picture, and confirm your terminal on your booking and on the airport’s flight information shortly before you fly.

Moving Between Terminals

Free shuttle buses connect all three terminals and run frequently from the arrivals level. Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 is also a signposted walk. A connection between terminals on separate tickets means leaving the secure area, collecting bags and checking in again, so give it at least the time your airline’s minimum connection rules suggest, and more if you are new to the airport.

Getting From Narita Airport to Tokyo

There is no single best route from Narita into Tokyo. The right choice depends on where you are staying, how much luggage you have and what time you land. Rail is fast and reliable; road is door to door but at the mercy of the expressways.

Option	Typical time	Best for
Keisei Skyliner	About 36 min to Nippori, about 41 min to Ueno	Ueno, Asakusa, northern and eastern Tokyo
Narita Express (N’EX)	About 1 hour to Tokyo Station	Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Shinkansen connections
Keisei Access Express and local trains	Longer, with more stops	Saving money with light luggage
Airport Bus TYO-NRT	About 65 min to Tokyo Station area	Budget travel, frequent departures
Airport Limousine bus	Varies by route, often 90 min or more	Direct drop at major hotels
Taxi (fixed fare)	About 1 hour in clear traffic, longer at peaks	Door to door, groups, heavy luggage
Pre-booked private car	Same as taxi	A named driver waiting at arrivals

By Train: Skyliner and Narita Express

The Keisei Skyliner is the fastest link, reaching Nippori in about 36 minutes and terminating at Keisei Ueno. Nippori connects to JR lines, including the Yamanote loop line, so it works well as a hub for much of the city. Seats are reserved, and luggage space is provided.

The Narita Express, run by JR East, takes about an hour to Tokyo Station and continues to Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and beyond on some services. It is the better choice for the west side of the city, or if you are changing at Tokyo Station for a Shinkansen. Seats are reserved and there is luggage storage at the ends of each car.

Cheaper Keisei services, including the Access Express, run along the same corridors with more stops. They are a fine choice with a backpack and time to spare, and a poor one with two large suitcases at rush hour.

By Bus

The Airport Bus TYO-NRT runs frequent departures between Narita and the Tokyo Station area in about 65 minutes in normal traffic, and is the low-cost option for most visitors. The Airport Limousine buses run longer routes to districts such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Asakusa and Akasaka, many of them stopping at the doors of major hotels. Journey times vary considerably by route and traffic, so check the timetable for your stop before choosing it over the train.

By Taxi

Narita taxis offer a fixed fare system to Tokyo: the price is set by the zone of the city you are going to, rather than by the meter. Expressway tolls are added on top, and a surcharge applies late at night and early in the morning. Ask for the fixed fare at the taxi rank before you set off. Given the distance, a taxi from Narita is one of the more expensive airport rides in the world, and it makes most sense for a family or a group sharing the cost, or for anyone arriving with more luggage than a train can comfortably handle.

Ride-Hail Apps

Uber works in Tokyo, but mostly by dispatching licensed taxis rather than private cars. The Japanese GO app operates in a similar way and offers flat airport fares on some journeys. Neither changes the basic economics of a 60 kilometre ride, so compare the app price against the fixed fare taxi before you book.

Private Car Service

A pre-booked private car or hire car with a driver meets you in the arrivals hall, handles the luggage and drives you to the door. In Tokyo traffic the honest drive time is about an hour to central districts when the roads are clear, and 90 minutes or more at peak hours or when the Shuto Expressway is congested. Pick a local operator that tracks your flight and includes waiting time after landing, because immigration queues at Narita vary with how many wide-body aircraft arrive together.

Lounges at Narita Airport

Narita’s lounges are concentrated in Terminals 1 and 2, with none in Terminal 3.

Terminal 1, South Wing: ANA’s lounges, including the ANA Suite Lounge for first class passengers and the ANA Lounge for business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members.
Terminal 1, North Wing: lounges used by SkyTeam carriers. Check with your airline which lounge your ticket gives access to, as arrangements for partner airlines change.
Terminal 2: Japan Airlines’ first class and Sakura lounges, used by JAL and oneworld premium passengers and elite members.
Pay-per-use and card lounges: both Terminals 1 and 2 have lounges that accept certain lounge membership programmes or sell entry at the door. Opening hours are often shorter than at European hubs, so check before relying on one for a late departure.

Practical Tips for Narita Airport

Fill in Visit Japan Web before you fly. Japan’s online service lets you register immigration and customs information in advance and generate QR codes for arrival, which can shorten the paperwork on landing.
Send your luggage ahead. Luggage delivery counters in the arrivals halls can forward suitcases to your hotel, usually arriving the next day. It turns the train from a struggle into a pleasant ride.
Buy an IC card or use a mobile one. Rechargeable IC cards work on most trains, metros and buses in Tokyo, and in many convenience stores.
Know your wing. In Terminal 1, the North and South Wings are a real walk apart. Read your terminal and wing together.
Allow time on departure day. Narita is an hour from most hotels. Plan the journey back around the check-in deadline, with a margin if you are travelling by road during the morning or evening peak.
Keep cash for small purchases. Card acceptance in Japan has improved a great deal, but some smaller shops and older machines still prefer cash.

Flying Between Narita and Amsterdam Schiphol

KLM is the only airline flying nonstop between Amsterdam Schiphol and Tokyo, and it flies to Narita, not Haneda. The flight takes roughly 13 to 14 hours eastbound, depending on routing and season, and KLM operates it from Terminal 1, North Wing. Aircraft and departure times vary through the year, so check the current schedule when you book.

There are, at the time of writing, no nonstop flights between Amsterdam and Haneda. Travellers who prefer Haneda, or who need a different time of day, typically fly one stop via another European or Middle Eastern hub. That is a matter of preference rather than necessity: from Narita, the Skyliner and Narita Express make the extra distance largely painless.

At Schiphol, Tokyo flights depart from the non-Schengen part of the terminal, which means passport control after security. Our Schiphol terminal guide explains the departure halls and piers, and the wider Amsterdam Schiphol airport guide covers the airport as a whole.

SilverDrive’s Role: The Amsterdam End

We do not drive in Tokyo, and we will not pretend otherwise. What we do is the European half of the same journey. For a Tokyo departure, a SilverDrive chauffeur collects you at home, at your hotel or at your office anywhere in the Netherlands, with the flight already tracked and the timing planned backwards from the check-in deadline. Our airport transfer service runs to Schiphol 24 hours a day at a fixed price agreed when you book.

When you fly home from Narita, the same applies in reverse. Your chauffeur follows the actual landing time, 60 minutes of waiting after touchdown is included, and you are met in the arrivals hall with a name board. After 13 hours in the air, that matters more than it sounds. Our guide to how a Schiphol chauffeur pickup works explains the meeting point, and if you would rather skip the terminal queues entirely, the Schiphol VIP Centre is an option we arrange regularly.

Planning Your Narita Airport Journey

Narita Airport rewards a little preparation: know your terminal and wing, decide between the Skyliner, the Narita Express and the road before you land, and give the return journey the hour it needs. For the Amsterdam end of the trip, book your Schiphol transfer with SilverDrive and the European legs are settled before you pack.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Narita Airport from central Tokyo?

Narita sits in Chiba Prefecture, roughly 60 kilometres east of central Tokyo. That distance is why the fast trains matter: the Skyliner reaches Nippori in about 36 minutes and the Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station in about an hour. By road, expect about an hour in clear traffic and noticeably longer at peak times.

Is Narita or Haneda better for flights from Europe?

Haneda is much closer to the centre, so if fares and times are equal it usually saves time on the ground. But the only nonstop between Amsterdam and Tokyo, KLM's, flies to Narita. Arriving at Narita is not a hardship: the rail links are fast and frequent, and the airport is calmer than its reputation suggests.

Which terminal does KLM use at Narita?

KLM flies from Terminal 1, North Wing, alongside its SkyTeam partners. ANA and most Star Alliance airlines are in the South Wing of the same terminal, and Japan Airlines and its oneworld partners use Terminal 2. Allocations are revised from time to time, so check your booking and the airport's flight information before you travel.

Should I take the Skyliner or the Narita Express?

Choose by where you are staying. The Keisei Skyliner is the faster train and suits Ueno, Asakusa and the north and east of the city. The Narita Express runs through to Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya and Shinjuku, which suits the west side and anyone changing to a Shinkansen at Tokyo Station.

Can I use Uber at Narita Airport?

Yes, but in Japan Uber mainly dispatches licensed taxis rather than private drivers, and the local GO app works the same way. From Narita the fare reflects a long journey, so many travellers compare it with the fixed fare taxis, which charge a set price by destination zone in Tokyo with expressway tolls added.

How do I get between terminals at Narita?

Free shuttle buses link Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and Terminal 3 is also reachable on foot from Terminal 2 along a signposted walkway. Terminal 3 has no railway station of its own, so travellers heading for a train walk or ride to the Terminal 2 and 3 station. Allow proper time for any terminal change.

How early should I arrive at Narita for an international flight?

Most airlines advise arriving about three hours before an international departure, and Narita's distance from Tokyo means the journey to the airport is part of that calculation. Plan your train or car around the check-in deadline, not the departure time, and add a margin if you are travelling by road at rush hour.