I usually avoid flying into Tokyo via Narita Airport. I much prefer to fly via Haneda, which is much closer to Tokyo. But sometimes, the price of flight to Narita can be much cheaper than Haneda to the point that it justisfies the extra hassle of traveling from Narita to Tokyo.
If you’re in this situation, you probably would be aware that Narita Express, a fast train that will take you from Narita Airport to major train stations in Tokyo, is one of the best choices to make that trip. And if you’ve looked into Narita Express (also known as N’EX), you would also be aware that they have two types of train car: Ordinary car and Green car. Lastly, you’ve probably wondered whether the green car is worth it or not.
Well, this post details my experience taking the Narita Express green car, so you can make the decision yourself!
Green car vs ordinary car: What is the difference?
Green car is the first class equivalent. It’s more luxurious and cost slightly more than the ordinary car. You can view a comparison of both cars here, but really, the only differences are that the green car boasts leather seat, carpeted cars and wider seat pitch (1,160 mm on green car vs 1,020 mm on ordinary car).
Based on that description alone, to be honest, I was not convinced that the green car is worth the extra premium. The ordinary car seemed good enough for me. But I decided to try it anyway, because hey, that’s why you’re reading this blog, right? 😁
Cost of N’EX green car vs ordinary car
The cost of N’EX ticket depends on distance between the station you want to go to, from Narita Airport. In my case, I was going from Musashi-Kosugi station in Kawasaki to Narita Airport Terminal 1. Going from Shibuya, Shinjuku or Tokyo station would cost a little less, though not by much.
In general, green car costs about 770 yen more than ordinary car for a one way journey. Here is the price comparison for one-way from Kawasaki to Narita:
| Type | Ordinary Car | Green Car |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (>= 12 years old) | 3,420 yen | 4,190 yen |
| Children (6 to 11 years old) | 1,710 yen | 2,740 yen |
| Children (0 to 5 years old) | Free* | Free* |
* Children 5 years old and younger travels free on both cars, provided they will be sitting on the lap of an adult.
Buying N’EX ticket
There are several options for purchasing N’EX ticket:
1. Via Klook
I bought my ticket via Klook. It was really easy to understand. Simply select the Narita Airport terminal you’re going to, and the station closest to your accommodation. Then, choose the timing that you want. I recommend arriving 2 hours before your flight.
Klook has an instant confirmation feature for Narita Express. After going through payment, there was a slight delay for confirming the ticket. But it was not long – when I refreshed my booking page a few minutes later, the seat was already assigned. I booked 4 tickets and our assigned ticket were the within the same 2 rows, which will allow us all to sit together.
2. Direct from JR East
If you’re traveling with many children, check and compare with buying directly here from JR East. While I find that the cost of adult ticket between Klook and JR East is the same, you can book children ticket through JR East.
In my case, I still went with Klook despite traveling with one child as the Klook interface was easier for me to understand than the JR East website, which requires member registration.
3. N’EX Round Trip Pass
However, if money is a concern, you can save more by purchasing a round trip pass for ordinary car, which can be as low as 5,000 yen per adult and 2,500 yen per child. Click here to find out more about the N’EX round trip pass.
Please note that this pass is not available for green car, and has the validity period within 14 days. The pass gets activated when you use it, so make sure you’re planning to fly out of Narita Airport within that time period.
Luggage storage on N’EX
We were traveling as a family and between us, we had a lot of luggages – 3 regular sized check-in luggage, 1 carry on luggage, a small box and a baby stroller. Turns out, it’s not an issue because N’EX has a dedicated luggage storage area for big suitcases.
You can even lock your luggage if you’re concerned about safety. Though on my train, most people did not bother to lock theirs.
And the stroller? For the first and last row of the train, there is an extra space where the stroller could fit just nicely.
There is also another storage you can use, which is the overhead storage on the top of your seats. I only put my backpack there, but it was large enough to fit a carry-on luggage.
Toilet on N’EX
Yes, you will be glad to know there is a toilet onboard Narita Express. And the toilets are not just any regular toilet. They are spacious, with all the bells and whistles that you can think of from a Japanese toilet (Yes, of course there is bidet!).
The restrooms are only available on certain cars. On the train I took, it was available on car 1, 6, 7 (ordinary cars) and 12 (green car).
Is the green car worth it?
To recap, the green car costs us 16,760 yen total for 3 adults and 1 child. For comparison, the ordinary car would have costed us only 11,970 yen due to the cheaper ticket and the price of child ticket.
So is the 4,790 yen difference worth it?
Given that it was just a 1 to 1.5 hours ride, I think most people would have been fine with the ordinary car. For me personally, I did enjoy the exclusive feel of the green car, and the fact that the toilet is just right next to the car. I also enjoyed the touch of exclusivity – there was hardly anyone else on the green car. We were the only one boarding the green car from Musashi-Kosugi station, and there was only one other passenger in the car.
I thought the price difference between green car and ordinary car was not too bad, so I wouldn’t be opposed to taking the green car again in the future. However, I can assure you that you’re really not missing out much by taking the ordinary car.
I hope that helps! As usual, please feel free to leave a comment down below if you have any questions. I love reading your comments and always try to reply.
And if you’re visiting Tokyo, please do check out my Tokyo itinerary, where I tell you my favorite ways to enjoy the city. I also have many Japan-related travel tips and itinerary here. I’ve written a lot about Japan, you can find all my Japan-related posts here.