Tokyo has two airports, and they could hardly be more different. Haneda (HND) sits right on the edge of the city — close, cheap, and quick to almost anywhere. Narita (NRT) is a full 60 km out in neighbouring Chiba, so it feels like it should cost a fortune to escape — but it doesn't have to. Sort out your route before you land and you'll glide past the queues at the ticket counters where everyone else is paying premium prices.

One thing first: get an IC card. Every route below is smoother when you can just tap through the gates. If you haven't read it yet, our Suica & PASMO guide covers exactly how — including adding Suica to an iPhone before you even arrive.

Which airport are you flying into?

It matters, because the playbook is completely different:

• Haneda — close in. The only real question is which cheap train you take. Hard to get this wrong.
• Narita — far out. The question is how much speed and comfort you want to pay for, and the gap between the priciest and the cheapest option is huge.

If you can choose when you book flights: Haneda is the locals' pick almost every time, purely for how little time and money it costs to reach the city.

Haneda Airport (HND) → central Tokyo

Good news: from Haneda there's no expensive "airport express" you need to buy. The two normal trains that serve the airport are cheap, frequent, and fast. Both run from around 5:00 am to about 11:30 pm, which covers nearly every flight.

The cheapest & most useful: Keikyu Line (from ¥300)

The Keikyu Airport Line (the red trains) is the local's default. Haneda to Shinagawa Station costs only around ¥300–330 and takes roughly 15–20 minutes. At Shinagawa you step straight onto the JR Yamanote Line, the loop that rings central Tokyo, for Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo Station and beyond.

Even better: many Keikyu trains run through onto the Toei Asakusa subway line, so you can ride directly to Shimbashi, Nihombashi and Asakusa with no transfer at all. Check the front of the train for its final destination — if it says somewhere central, just stay on.

The simplest to the west side: Tokyo Monorail (¥520)

The Tokyo Monorail glides over the bay to Hamamatsuchō Station in as little as 13 minutes for about ¥520, with trains every 4–5 minutes. At Hamamatsuchō you transfer to the JR Yamanote Line. It's a touch pricier than the Keikyu and adds a transfer for many destinations, but the ride is scenic and dead simple — and if your hotel is near the Yamanote's eastern side it's lovely.

What about the Airport Limousine bus or a taxi?

The Airport Limousine buses run from Haneda directly to major hotels and districts for roughly ¥1,000–1,400. They're worth it if you've got heavy bags and a hotel on the route, since you sit with your luggage and don't touch a single staircase. A taxi from Haneda to central Tokyo runs ¥6,000–8,000+ — only sensible late at night, splitting between a few people, or with a lot of luggage.

Narita Airport (NRT) → central Tokyo

Narita is far, but it's a solved problem — and the price you pay is mostly a choice about speed and comfort. Here are the four routes that actually matter, from fastest to cheapest.

1. Fastest to the north/east: Keisei Skyliner (~¥2,470, ~40 min)

The Keisei Skyliner is the speed champion — a sleek limited-express that hits 160 km/h and reaches Nippori and Keisei-Ueno in about 36–41 minutes for around ¥2,470 (IC fare), running every 20 minutes. At Nippori you cross to the JR Yamanote Line in seconds. If your base is on the north or east side — Ueno, Asakusa, Akihabara — this is the one. Tip: buying the Skyliner ticket online in advance is usually a little cheaper than at the counter. The full city end is in our Ueno Station guide.

2. Most direct, no transfers: Narita Express / N'EX (~¥3,070, ~60 min)

The Narita Express (everyone calls it the N'EX) is run by JR and goes straight to Tokyo Station, then on to Shibuya, Shinjuku and Yokohama — no changes, big luggage racks, reserved seats. It's the priciest mainstream option at about ¥3,070 to Tokyo Station and takes around 60 minutes. The case for it is simple: if your hotel is near one of its stops, you board at the airport and get off in the middle of the city without ever moving your bags. And if you hold a Japan Rail Pass, the N'EX is fully covered — making it the obvious free pick for pass-holders.

3. The local's value pick: Keisei Access Express (~¥1,300, ~60–75 min)

This is the one tourists miss. The Keisei Access Express runs the same fast track as the Skyliner but as a normal commuter train — more stops, no reserved seat — and it threads directly onto the Toei Asakusa subway line, reaching Asakusa, Higashi-Ginza and Nihombashi for only about ¥1,300, no transfer needed. It takes 60–75 minutes and you might stand part of the way, but you reach the heart of the city for less than half the N'EX fare. Very on-brand for travelling at local prices — just make sure the train says "Access Express" (アクセス特急), not the slower "Limited Express" that wanders the long way round.

4. Cheap, comfy, zero stairs: Airport Bus TYO-NRT (¥1,500)

If you'd rather not wrestle luggage through stations at all, the Airport Bus TYO-NRT runs to Tokyo Station and Ginza for a flat ¥1,500 (around ¥3,000 for late-night departures), several times an hour. You sit with your bags the whole way; the catch is traffic, so allow 70–90 minutes. For two or more people watching the budget who don't want stairs, it's hard to beat.

At a glance

If you remember only three things

• Flying into Haneda? Just take the Keikyu Line — about ¥300 and you're in the city in 15 minutes.
• Narita on a budget? The Access Express train or the ¥1,500 bus beat the famous expresses by more than half.
• Hold a Japan Rail Pass? Take the N'EX from Narita — it's already paid for.

The local bottom line

The airport run is the easiest place to overpay and the easiest place to fix it. From Haneda, the ¥300 Keikyu Line is genuinely all most people need. From Narita, decide whether you're buying speed (Skyliner), zero transfers (N'EX), or value (Access Express / the ¥1,500 bus) — there's a right answer for every budget, and none of them involve a ¥20,000 taxi. Tap in with your IC card, and the city's yours from the moment you land.