Narita to Asakusa

Hello everybody,

I am a bit puzzled here, so I hope somebody can help me. My hotel is in Asakusa, where I need to get from Narita airport. While I do have a Rail Pass, I dont' want to activate it right away as after 3 days in Tokyo (+2 days for out of tokyo trips) I will be traveling to Kyoto and few other places. So I will have to pay for either NEX or Keisei.

What would be the most flexible package for me to take? I will be using Tokyo subway during my 3 days and I am thinking if "Skyliner & METRO PASS" worth it(will have to 3 more day after that and probaly have to get Suica anyways) or should I stick to NEX+Suica?

On the orientation side. I am accustomed to subways(NY, Montreal, Eastern+Western Europe), but I was wandering which if the lines is less confusing for a first time visitor and more picturesque(want to make some photos ;))?

Thanks in advance!

Asakusa is most easily accessed by Keisei. Some trains are direct. Some require an easy transfer at Aoto Station as explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html?aFROM=2027_3004

I would get a Suica card at Narita Airport, use it for the ride to Tokyo and the rest of your Tokyo transportation until the start date of your Japan Rail Pass. It is likely to come cheaper than a pass or package.

My hotel is in Asakusa, where I need to get from Narita airport.

Which Asakusa Station is close to your hotel, that on Asakusa Line, Ginza Line, Tobu Isesaki Line or maybe Tsukuba Express?
I am thinking if "Skyliner & METRO PASS" worth it

After NRT, Skyliner trains head for Nippori and (Keisei) Ueno on Keisei Main Line, skipping many stations.
One option to make use of this pass is to take a Skyliner, make a transfer from Keisei Ueno to Ueno on subway Ginza Line, which requires about 10 minutes, and take a train for Asakusa for about 5 minutes.
The whole route requires about 1 hour.

Uji: Asakusa is most easily accessed by Keisei.

This route includes sections on Keisei Oshiage Line and Toei subway Asakusa Line, which are connected at Oshiage.
Taking one or two trains without seat reservation, you can get from NRT to Asakusa.
With Narita Sky Access chosen at a Keisei station in NRT, the whole route requires about 1 hour and the cost in total is 1240 yen per adult.

The pass mentioned above is not good for this route.
: After NRT, Skyliner trains do not let you have a chance to take a train bound for Oshiage.
: A Tokyo Metro Pass is valid only within Tokyo Metro subway; it does not cover Toei subway sections.

which if the lines is less confusing for a first time visitor

Transfers are not always easy and simple, but names and symbol colors of lines, station codes, and signs given here and there, can lessen the risk of first-time visitors' getting lost.

Two operators are forming Tokyo subway network.
: Asakusa Line, Shinjuku Line, Mita Line and Oedo Line belong to Toei subway.
"Toei" (with "ei" pronounced as prolonged "e") means "operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Government."
: The other nine lines belong to Tokyo Metro subway.
: To change lines between the two, you have to exit one and enter the other.
A discount of 70 yen is given to the fares
if you correctly pass through the gates within 30 minutes using a transfer ticket or a PASMO / Suica Card.

Tokyo Subway Route Map:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/station/common/pdf/rosen_eng.pdf

Roughly speaking, if station codes are written apart on the route map, the way of a transefer is long.
For example, in Ginza to platforms of Marunouchi Line (M-16), those of Hibiya Line (H-08) are closer than those of Ginza Line (G-09).
http://www.tokyometro.jp/station/ginza/yardmap/pdf/index_pdf_01.pdf

Thank you very much for such a useful information! From my hotel description (Toyoko Inn - Asakusa senzoku), it is:

4 minutes walk from A2 exit of Asakusa station on the Tukuba express line (which I can't locate on Tokyo subway map for some reason).

12 minutes walk from the No.1 exit of Iriya station on the Hibiya subway line.
12 minutes walk from Tawara-machi station on the Ginza subway line.

So it seems like Asakusa station would be the most convenient. Interesting though, google map shows two Asakusa metro station, on near the river and another one on route 462 (closest to my hotel). So, If I understand everything correctly, I should take Skyliner to Ueno and then transfer to Ginza line to Asakusa and walk from there which seems a bit longer then 4 mins. Am I missing something?

Your hotel is located near the Asakusa station along the Tsukuba Express. Note that that station is located in a separate location from all the other Asakusa Stations. The simplified map on the following page shows the location of all the stations. Note that the Tsukuba Express station is located far away from the other ones:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3004.html

The hotel is about a 4 minute walk from the Asakusa Station of the Tsukuba Express, but I am afraid it is a 20-25 minute walk from the other Asakusa Stations!

So, If I understand everything correctly, I should take Skyliner to Ueno and then transfer to Ginza line to Asakusa and walk from there which seems a bit longer then 4 mins.

It is one option, but not the recommended one. It is more expensive, slower and requires an additional transfer of trains than the direct trains between Narita Airport and Asakusa which I mentioned in my initial post, and which are explained on the following page:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html?aFROM=2027_3004

Also with your solution, you will arrive at the Asakusa Station of the Ginza Line, which is a 20-25 minute walk from the hotel.

The direct trains from the airport arrive at the Asakusa Station of the Asakusa Line, which is also 20-25 minutes away from the hotel, but at least it is a direct train ride.

If you don't mind walking 20-25 minutes, I recommend to travel with the direct train and then walk to the hotel.

Otherwise, if you don't mind paying a little more for comfort, then I recommend to take the Skyliner to Ueno and then a taxi to your hotel.

Another option would be taking trains to the Asakusa Station of the Tsukuba Express, but that would involve at least two transfers along the way and is even more complicated than the other options.

The reason why the Tsukuba Express is not shown on the subway map is because it is not a subway line. It is operated by a separate company on its own.

Thank you very much Uji!

That makes more sense now. I just checked Hyperdia, and it is indeed quite a bit of station changes to get to Asakusa(Tsukuba). Narita-Nippori-Okachimachi-Shin Okachimachi-Asakusa. What a trip!

I am going to sleep on that, and since I don't have very heavy luggage I might opt in for some walking. But, I still need to get used to all those connections I think since I will be commuting to the University of Tokyo and few places around Tokyo for the next couple of days. But I think it will be much easier without extra weight.

From my hotel description (Toyoko Inn - Asakusa senzoku), it is: ....

Oh, "maybe" has turned "actually".... The hotel is located close to Asakusa Station of Tsukuba Express.

Toyoko Inn Tokyo Tsukuba Express Asakusa-eki:
http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00012/index.html
Tsukuba Express: Asakusa Station:
http://www.mir.co.jp/premises/no03.html

One route with simple transfers to get from NRT to this station is
to take a train on Keisei Main Line to Nippori then a train on JR-East Joban Line to Kita-senju then a Tsukuba Express train.
http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NARITA%20AIRPOR...
: At a Keisei station in NRT, passengers pass through both outer and inner ticket gates to take a train on Keisei Main Line.
: In Nippori, there is a transfer gate between Keisei and JR-East.
: Kita-senju Stations are on several lines, but JR-East and Tsukuba Express are neighboring each other.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e571.html

I will be commuting to the University of Tokyo and few places around Tokyo for the next couple of days.

If you mean Kashiwa Campus in Chiba Prefecture, it seems Tsukuba Express has a merit.
It is about 30 minutes from Asakusa Sta. to Kashiwanoha-campus Sta. on a Local or Section Rapid train.

If you mean another campus, it's worth considering switching to another Toyoko Inn hotel, though the rate may be higher.
http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00015/index.html

Thank you Omotenashi!

Regarding UofT campus, my registration email state that it is "University of Tokyo Sanjo Conference Hall", and Google gives me Hongo campus. Originally, I booked a hotel right near the Hongo campus, but the price was twice as much compared to Toyoko Inn at Asakusa, so I decided to save a bit in favour of extending my trip. Besides that, the area is too nice to pass up.

You made me wandering though, I will probably double check with conference organizing committee.

[Train times in Greater Tokyo to come back to the normalcy]

In Greater Tokyo, restraint of electric power consumption placed on railroad operators will be soon lifted, about two weeks earlier than it was initially planned;
by the 9th of September 2011, JR-East and some other companies will end using power-saving diagrams for weekdays in this area.
A route-finder software such as Hyperdia may apply power-saving diagrams of these companies for a while even to trains on the 12th of September and later.

(As to Narita Express, JR-East has been using the normal diagram since the 3rd of September.)

[Tokyo subway transfers with walking on the ground]

As to each of the following sets, the platforms of the two lines are located apart; to make a transfer between the two lines, there is no underground passage, so passengers have to walk on the ground.
: Hongo-sanchome Stations of Toei subway Oedo Line and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/hongo-sanchome/i/solid...
: Kuramae Stations of Toei subway Oedo and Asakusa Lines
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/stations/kuramae/i/solid_a.gif

Since you don't mind the walk, the Asakusa subway station is your best bet.
I have just posted in the Travel section, a complete list of all the trains from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport. They all stop at Asakusa subway station and you don't need to change trains at all.

This is how the signs on the front of the trains look.
http://dickh.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p850485979-2.jpg