First things first, understand WHERE in Tokyo you’re flying into. Similar to other large cities (i.e. New York), there is one airport, Haneda, closer to the main area of Tokyo (typically more expensive flights) and another airport, Narita, that’s about an hour bus drive away. We chose to fly into Narita (I’ll give details on how simple, efficient and cheap the bus route is). Using Google Flights online, we decided to fly Air Canada. This was great because we were granted the benefits of an international flight right off the bat from Orlando.
Departed June 5, 2018 Orlando -> Montreal ->Narita
Returned July 10, 2018 Narita -> Calgary -> Montreal -> Orlando
NOTE: The flight time is RIDICULOUSLY long (around 17 hours with one stop/layover). Since it’s an international flight, you are provided with backseat entertainment and food. I recommend bringing a book, snacks, Chapstick, tooth brush and face wipes (trust me, it will be refreshing to have this after you’ve been in the air for that long).
So, you land, get your luggage, go through customs and are shuffled out of the room quickly to then be overwhelmed and unaware of where to go. Take a deep breath.
Remember that Pocket WIFI that we purchased? Let me first say it was SO STRESSFUL to find the pickup spot for the pocket WIFI. The email I received gave me a map of the terminal and first told me to go to this specific counter, which according to the Help Desk was in another terminal…. last thing a bunch of college girls wanted to hear after 17 hours of traveling. Thankfully we eventually, we found out it was in the post office on the fourth floor.
After settling our Pocket WIFI search, we exchanged some USD for Yen. This is a necessary step for the bus ride to central Tokyo. With 1,000 yen in hand, walk to Bus Stop 19 (specific for Narita Terminal 2). Every 20 min a new bus shows up to transport travelers to the Tokyo station (6 am – 11pm). Attached is a link to the specific bus system to use.http://www.keiseibus.co.jp/inbound/tokyoshuttle/en/
The bus ride lasts around an hour, so it’s a perfect time to catch up some sleep OR view your surroundings on your way into the city.
NOTE: This is the same system on the way back to Narita. Be sure to have 1,000 yen in hand and go to Tokyo station Bus Stop 3. Leave with adequate time in case of traffic or any other event.
