Haneda (HND) versus Narita (NRT)
Haneda sits on Tokyo Bay and drops many visitors into central wards within thirty to forty minutes — the kinder arrival after a long block, especially for Shinjuku, Ginza or Asakusa. Monorail and Keikyu trains are the usual rail options; taxis are expensive but simple late at night.
Narita lies farther east. Narita Express, Keisei Skyliner and coaches all work if your hotel is near a terminus. Some full-service fares still land here. A cheap NRT ticket plus a 22:00 arrival into a hotel that is not on the NEX is how Tokyo teaches patience. Confirm HND or NRT, not TYO, on the boarding pass. Door-to-door detail: Tokyo airport to city centre.
Non-stop versus a one-stop from Europe
From London, non-stops to Tokyo exist alongside one-stops via Helsinki, Istanbul, the Gulf or Seoul. A one-stop can win on price or bags; it loses if the layover is short and you have to change terminals with a self-transfer. From other European cities, one-stops are more common than non-stops.
Onward domestic hops (Osaka, Sapporo, Okinawa) should be on the same ticket if you can. A separate low-cost coupon after a long-haul into NRT is a different airport day, not a connection.
Cherry blossom, Golden Week and autumn colour
Late March–April blossom and November colour push both airfares and hotels. Golden Week in late April–early May tightens seats from across Asia. Shoulder weeks outside UK and Japanese school holidays often soften mid-week fares.
There are no live prices here. Compare a non-stop that lands in the morning against a cheaper one-stop that lands after the last convenient train from Narita.
NEX, Skyliner and Suica
From NRT, Narita Express toward Shinjuku/Tokyo Station and Keisei Skyliner toward Ueno are the two rail defaults. From HND, Keikyu and the monorail cover most central plans. Buy a Suica or Pasmo (or use a compatible card) at the airport — Tokyo rewards tap-and-go.
Late arrivals favour Haneda plus a taxi if the hotel is not on a main line. Dragging bags across multiple transfers after a 13-hour block is a bad first night. Shinjuku and Shibuya suit dense metro links; Asakusa slows the pace.
Bags per flight number
A generous long-haul allowance may not extend to a domestic or low-cost hop. Read baggage rules per flight number. Carry-on sizers at Japanese low-cost gates are real.
Use the Tokyo stays guide once HND or NRT is fixed — then Shinjuku vs Shibuya or Ginza vs Asakusa if the neighbourhood fork is still open. Book teamLab, Ghibli Museum or popular restaurants early. Related: London–Tokyo, Singapore–Tokyo, Tokyo–Bangkok.
Jet lag, wards, and why Haneda is kinder
Tokyo suits travellers who will use trains, pick a ward, and not try to “do the city” from a random cheap room near Narita. First nights are easier from Haneda into Shinjuku, Ginza or Asakusa. Narita is fine when the fare or schedule is clearly better and your hotel sits on NEX or Skyliner.
Cherry-blossom and Golden Week trips are date-led: hotels go first. A one-stop from Europe can be the right ticket if bags are included and you do not self-transfer. It is the wrong ticket if it lands after the last useful Narita train into a ward you cannot pronounce yet.