By Shawn Gallagher
One of the popular options for getting to Downtown Tokyo from Haneda Airport is the Tokyo Monorail. It offers fast and frequent service and helps passengers get to many different destinations by transferring at the end station.
Let’s go over what the Tokyo Monorail is like, and how to ride it.
Upon Arrival At Haneda Airport
Once you clear customs, you’re going to want to head straight and follow signs that say “Monorail.”
On the left side, you’ll see ticket machines for the Monorail. Next to them are the fare gates.
Note that the ticket machines usually have lines like this. Give yourself a few extra minutes, or try getting a transit card on your phone and load money using your credit card. For iPhone users, you’d go into the Wallet app and add money via Apple Pay.
The Tokyo Monorail costs 520 yen from Haneda Airport Terminal 3 to Hamamatsucho Station. 520 yen is approximately $3.22 (1 USD to 161.60 JPY as of July 2, 2024).
Hamamatsucho is the station you probably want to go to, as it has transfers to several train lines heading to many destinations in Tokyo. It’s the last station on the system.
Related: Limousine Bus From Haneda Airport, A Full How-To Guide
The Monorail Ride
To go towards Tokyo, get on a train with the destination “Hamamatsucho.” The kanji is “浜松町.”
There are both local and express services on the Monorail. It doesn’t really matter which one you get on, as both go to Hamamatsucho. However, the express is quite faster as it goes nonstop from the airport to Hamamatsucho.
The express takes about 14 minutes, while the local takes about 21 minutes. Trains run approximately every 5 minutes.
There are several luggage holders like this throughout the train car. This is a big benefit of taking an airport service train, as it’s luggage and traveler-friendly.
The Monorail itself is spacious too. Some of the seats face the window and offer nice city views.
Upon arrival, transfers are available to destinations such as Shinbashi, Tokyo, and Ueno from platforms 1 and 2.
Shinagawa, Yokohama, Shibuya, and Shinjuku can be accessed with a transfer to platforms 3 and 4.
Bottom Line
The Tokyo Monorail is fast, frequent, and friendly for large luggage. The convenient transfer at Hamamatsucho to other train lines makes it a strong option for many travelers. If you aren’t sure of what to take when you arrive at Haneda, the Tokyo Monorail is a good place to start.
All photos taken by the author.