Anyone taken the train to Osaka Namba Station from Narita lately? I've got a Deadhead and was considering this option next week, but I haven't personally done it before. Is there a first class option in the evening?

Thanks!

PM sent. Very easy. Bullets run every 10-15 minutes pretty much all day. Looks like the last one is 2123L. I think FC is always an option. That's called the green car.

You gotta do the Narita Express 1st Class AND the green car!
fbh

Here is the gouge someone posted before on jetflyers.

NRT-KIX Bullet Train

-Get late checkout @1200 (or 0915 or 0745) from Hilton.
-Catch the 1220 (or 0930 or 0800) A/P bus to Terminal 2.

-At Term 2, take escalator or elevator down 3 floors to (1B) Trains.

-Go to Narita Express ticket counter (Red). You will arrive here @0+20 from hotel departure. Tell them you want the following:
-Ticket #1: 13:18 (10:18 or 8:53 or next available) Narita Express to Shinagawa within a Green Car (First Class) this leg is 1+05 block.
-Ticket #2: 14:37 (11:37 or 10:17 or next available provides a 0+15 turn = ample time) Nozomi Bullet Train (fastest, up to 270km/h or 168 mph) to Shin-Osaka (Green Car, ask for a "D" row window seat (16D preferred) if you want to be on the Mt Fuji side. This leg is 2+29 block with a 17:06 (or 14:06 or 12:43) arrival.

-Charge to your FedEx Crew M/C. Cost= ¥23,330 ($230.06 @101.41 as of 6/30/14). You will end up with three green tickets and one green receipt.

-Walk to gate (red signage). Use your basic fair ticket for the Narita Express, labeled "Narita Airport Terminal 2-Osaka City Zone" only (not your Shinagawa ticket) to get through the turnstile. Then down escalator one level to Narita Express (green signage) find your car (most likely #6 right turn at bottom of escalator) loading point & wait for your depart time. You will get to this point with about a 25 (or 10 or 25) min wait.

-Stay on Narita Express train through Tokyo until following stop at Shinagawa Station (14:22/11:22/10:02)

-At Shinagawa Station stop; get off and escalator up one level, go left to Shinkansen Line for the Nozomi train Put all three of your ticket stubs through the turnstile (one at a time), it should keep the one from the Narita Express. Grab a Japanese box lunch or Starbucks sandwich if desired before going down the escalator to Track 23 or 24 (Car 8-10). Current best estimated for the abeam point of Mt Fuji is ~0+34 from the Shinagawa Station departure. I only saw it on the first trip and did not get the time-marker for it. If anyone gets it, please let provide it back to me via [email]and I shall update this. That also goes for anything else you find in need of correction and/or refinement.

-At Shin-Osaka Station, escalator down one and out turnstile. Put all remaining ticket stubs (one at a time) through the turnstile (it keep them all). Then down one more level. Follow signs to Subway, (a jog right then left ) go left past McDonalds on your left and go to the ticket kiosk buy a ¥280 Midosuji Line (Red Line) to Namba Station ticket (M13 to M20), go through turnstile and take escalator to the right to "Namba" (Red) board #1 train on your right side at the top of the escalator. This last leg take 0+33 from the time you disembark the Bullet Train to arriving at the Swiss Hotel front desk.

-Get off at M20, go left to the elevator, up one level, and out turnstile (eats your ticket/receipt). Go South (straight ahead) and follow center walkway for about 300 yards following the red Takashimaya signs to escalators (x3) up to Swiss Hotel lobby.
or Exit #4 up to street level walk two blocks to Swiss Hotel lobby.

Thanks guys!

Also, if you are operating in, the ramp agent can and will walk you down to buy tickets before you get in the car to the Hilton. This way you can just show up after the layover and jump on the train. Just email them prior with a heads up and they'll take care of you.

Good point. This is a really good practice in general. I have usually avoided train wrecks (so-to-speak) by keeping the applicable ramps in the loop on deviation plans. The Japanese are especially appreciative of any efforts made in this area. At least partly because apparently the shore passes are station specific and have to indicate your travel plans correctly.

Last year, due to a revision after I got to the KIX hotel I ended up with a DH out of KIX. I deviated and chose to train to NRT and DH out of there instead. That required a completely new shore pass that had to be delivered to the Swisshotel before I could leave for NRT.

Wow, I'll keep the ramp in the loop for sure. Thanks for the heads up!

I did this exact deviation this past Christmas/New Year's timeframe (2015). The detailed instructions in the post are spot on, and the whole thing is super easy overall. Two things I would mention- 1. The Narita ramp agent (while nice and super helpful) was aghast that we were taking the train at that time of year. Said we'd NEVER get a seat. The trains were empty. So, if something special is going on you should still not have a problem... There's so many trains running. 2. Follow the instructions exactly when you get to the mall/Swisshotel area. Easy to get turned around/lost in the underground mall.


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Walrus is dead on with his advice. I've done it that way numerous times. Key points to highlight 1). Change trains at Shinagawa station, a much smaller and easier to get around station. 2). Take a N (Nozomi train). Least amount of stops and faster door to door. 3) you can go online to the Japan rail central website (yes it is in English) and get the current timetables and fares. 4). They do sell food on the train but I recomend getting it in the station before you board.