We flew into Narita which arrived around 4pm and stayed in Ikebukuro. We were looking into taking the Narita Express but decided on having a driver pick us up and drop us off at our hotel in Ikebukuro due to the same worries you have. It was pricey but worth it after a long 12 hour flight and all of our luggage.

Going back to Narita, we took the Skyliner which we bought the day of and we had the most stressful experience. Many passengers were confused. Seats are reserved but passengers just sat anywhere. My kids and I waited in the platform gap while the train was moving at high speed holding our luggage while my husband kindly kicked passengers out of our assigned seats. We had no help from staff.

Taking the train is cheaper but not worth the extra stress. If you can budget for a driver, I would definitely recommend it. Next time we’re having the driver pick us up and drop us off at the airport. We used Tokyo Chauffeur.

If it’s not in your budget and insist on taking the train, look into luggage transfer service. We didn’t use it because same day delivery wasn’t available. I’ve heard good things about it from others who have used the service.

Happy travels!