Here at WoWasis, we like to get out of airports and into the city as quickly and inexpensively as we can, and Narita Airport has a solution that’s pretty much seamless. You simply take Japan Rail (JR-East’s) fast N’EX train (Narita Express) from either terminal at the airport, and you’ll get off at either the Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Tokyo station in the city. As a foreign visitor, you’re also eligible to get a package deal for a N’EX ticket and a Suica card, an IC card that you can use for Tokyo subways, most trains, and also trains and subways throughout Kansai (central Honshu island, which includes Kyoto). You can even use it to buy food at some shops, mostly at railway stations.

We just loved the Suica card, and used it daily. It solved the mess of having to buy a subway or train ticket every time. The Suica card comes pre-loaded with 2,000 yen. When you run out, you put more money into it at a top-off machine near a subway or train gate. Suica always lets you on the train or metro. When your card doesn’t have full fare, the gate won’t let you exit, and friendly gate attendants will walk you through the charge-up procedure the first time. All machine instructions are in English as well as Japanese, so it’s really the easiest way to take transportation in the Tokyo-Kyoto metro areas.

When you leave Japan, you can either keep your Suica card or cash it in. You paid a 500 yen deposit when you originally bought the card, which you’ll get returned along with any unpaid balance. There’s a small service fee deducted, too. As of this writing, a one-way N’EX train and Suica combo ticket costs $3,500 yen, a great value (round trip is 5,500 yen, an even better value). To buy the package, just go to any tourist info kiosk in the arrivals lounge at Narita, and they’ll tell you how to do it. The card comes with a nifty 20 page booklet in English that tells you how the card works, too.