Taking Airport Limousine Bus in Tokyo: A Stress-Free Way to Get to Airports

The Airport Limousine Bus is a convenient and comfortable way to travel between Narita Airport (NRT) or Haneda Airport (HND) and central Tokyo – perhaps the most convenient and comfortable option for many travelers. And I say this as someone who always picks trains and taxis over local buses during all my trips to Japan. In this post, I will explain why travelers should consider the airport limousine bus service and share my recent experience.

Key Features

The Airport Limousine Bus operates scheduled services to major hotels, train stations, and key districts in Tokyo. One of the biggest advantages of the Airport Limousine Bus is its direct drop-off and pickup at major hotels and key locations, which eliminates the need for additional taxis or train transfers for many travelers. Unlike trains, it allows door-to-door access for those staying at hotels along its route, reducing a lot of hassle.

Another significant advantage is luggage handling. The staff assists with loading and storing passengers’ suitcases in the luggage compartment, making it a hassle-free option for those with heavy bags. It is not a fun experience maneuvering multiple suitcases in huge stations like Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station. Though it is doable and we did it before, I’ll take waiting for the bus at the hotel entrance over rolling my suitcases through massive crowds down five basement levels in Tokyo Station to catch the Narita Express.

So far, we have taken the Narita Express twice, once from Tokyo Station to NRT and once from NRT to Yokohama Station. On this trip, we were staying at The Westin Tokyo, which happens to be on the Airport Limousine Bus route. The bus only picks up from this hotel three times daily, and we saw that one of the departure times could work with our flight time so we thought, why not giving it a try.

Booking our tickets was very easy and straightforward. The official website allows online reservations, and after completing the purchase, they send a QR code via email as an electronic ticket. I’m not sure how far in advance you should reserve the tickets. We booked our tickets four days in advance, but since it was winter (low season), availability wasn’t an issue. If you already have a fixed plan, reserving early wouldn’t hurt.

The bus arrived just five minutes before the scheduled departure time. The driver came down to check our tickets, confirm our terminal, and count our suitcases. Each ticket allowed two suitcases per person, and since we had three in total, we were well within the limit.

As the driver loaded our bags into the undercarriage, we boarded the bus. The bus was not full but not too many seats left after all passengers boarded at The Westin Tokyo. Shortly after 13:50, we departed, making just one additional stop before heading directly to NRT.

The seats were quite comfortable and could recline, but I think they were slightly less spacious than those on airport express trains. If you are significantly larger than the average Asian body size, you may find them a bit cramped. For us, they were comfortable enough. Things looked clean inside the bus and there was even a toilet onboard.

Our bus made stops at Terminal 3 first, then Terminal 2, and finally Terminal 1, where we got off. These terminals are close to each other, so the entire process took only about 7–8 minutes from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. Upon arrival, the driver unloaded the luggage for passengers. So we arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule, and we were ready to check in at 15:15, four hours before our flight.

I’m glad that ANA checked us in immediately, and although I normally wouldn’t show up at airports that early, NRT has enough shops for us to spend our time (and money!). We took our time browsing and ended up buying a lot more snacks, souvenirs and cosmetics than on previous trips.

I admit that huge stations like Tokyo Station and Shinjuku Station always wear me out no matter how many times we have been to Japan. It’s the volume of people and the hectic atmosphere that always gets to me. Especially when it is time to catch a train to make a flight, It adds an extra layer of stress. This time, taking the Airport Limousine Bus directly from our hotel made the trip to Narita completely stress-free for me.

Check Bus Ticket Prices & Availability
Official site Klook.com

Overall, I highly recommend looking into this option when traveling from Central Tokyo to Narita Airport especially if your hotel is on the bus route and you have large or heavy luggage. Even if your hotel is not directly served by the bus, taking a short taxi ride to the nearest pickup location could still make it a convenient option. The only tricky part would be whether there’s a departure time that works well with your flight schedule.