The Access Narita is a bus that connects Ginza Station and Tokyo Station with Narita International Airport. The bus takes about an hour and 10 minutes to its destination and stops at Narita International Airport Terminal 3, Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 in order.

The biggest feature of The Access Narita is its low price of 1,000 yen. That's about half the price of many other bus companies and express trains.

In addition, all the buses have 20 to 30 non-designated seats that don’t require advanced reservations. Even if one bus is full, the next bus comes in about 30 minutes, so as long you arrive early you shouldn’t have much trouble getting on board.

You can make reservations on their website, however the reservation page is currently only available in Japanese.

The Access Narita makes its rounds 142 times a day and during peak hours there's a bus every 15 minutes. The first bus to Narita International Airport is at 5:30 a.m. and the last is at 6:00 p.m. From Narita International Airport, the first bus to Tokyo Station is at 7:25 a.m. and the last is at 10:45 p.m.

At any given point in the day, the bus is likely to be popular, so we recommend getting on as soon as possible if there are seats available.

The only point of concern is that unlike trains, the road conditions and traffice can cause delays. However, according to BE-Transse Group, the operator of The Access Narita, there are very few cases of cancellations or major delays, and the only time they cancel are when the expressway is closed due to heavy snow. Just keep in mind that your arrival time may differ depending on the road situation so make sure you give yourself extra time.

The Access Narita is reasonably priced. Because of this, there are of course some luggage limits. Below is a simple outline of the restrictions.

One suitcase per person. For carry-ons, one bag per person - as long it fits on the shelf in the bus or on your knees. Large items such as surfboards, skis, instruments, or golf bags, are not allowed aboard.

Let’s hop on The Access Narita and head to Narita International Airport!

We boarded the bus at Ginza Station bus stop, which you can find right outside the elevator between exits C5 and C7. Walking towards Tokyo Station from Sukiyabashi Crossing police box, you will see a roofed bus stop with a blue sign showing "Narita Airport". There should be a member of staff wearing a vest asking whether you have a reservation. If you don’t have one, you'll have to get in line. If you have a reservation you can skip the line and head straight to the front!

The line starts to form from about 15 minutes prior to departure. We took the bus at around 10:00 a.m. on a weekday, but regardless of the time it's not unusual for the Ginza Station bus stop to be packed.

After the bus arrives, people with reservations can board first. As to be expected with Japanese customer service, the staff will load your luggage for you!

If you don’t have a reservation you will have to pay 1,000 yen when boarding the bus. You can also use an IC card such as Suica or PASMO. These cards will allow you to board the bus without worrying about having cash on hand.

There are no designated seats on the bus, so take your pick! The large bus runs smoothly and we didn’t feel many bumps on our way. The seats are relatively small and your shoulder might touch the person next to you, but with the high ceiling and big windows, it doesn’t feel cramped. With such a comfortable ride, there were even a few passengers who nodded off!

The monitor in front displayed notices in 4 languages including English, Chinese (simplified), Korean and Japanese. It's easier than you think to get off at the wrong terminal so make sure to double check. Safety first - you're required to keep your seat-belt on at all times.

Some buses offer free Wi-Fi, and those that do will have instructions by your seat. There is also a restroom at the back of the bus. Please be careful on your way back to the restroom when the bus is in motion!

On your way to the airport you can see iconic locations of Chiba and Tokyo, such as Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Bay. Don’t miss your last opportunity to snap some shots of Japan!

After riding the bus for an hour down the express way, we arrived at Narita International Airport. Make sure you keep track of which terminal to get off at. Once we arrived at the terminal, the staff helped us retrieve our bags from the trunk.

When you enter the airport from the bus terminal, the departure lobby will be right in front of you. So you don't need to worry about lugging your suitcases about!

You can also go the other way - from Narita to Tokyo! You can go directly to the bus terminal in Narita Airport and take it from there. Although there are no reservations available from the airport, you can purchase designated tickets at the Third Terminal bus ticket counter.

The Access Narita is not just affordable, but also offers a very smooth service. If you're not in a rush, it's an unmissable deal!

Written by Ran Tanaka