Nagano Transportation

Using our JR pass, we reserved tickets on the Nagano Shinkansen to and from Tokyo to Nagano.

From Tokyo to Nagano, we used the Asama 509 train that departs at 0840h and reaches Nagano City at 1022h.

From Nagano back to Tokyo, we used Asama 532, leaving at 1458h and arriving at Tokyo at 1632h.

The one-way journey is about 1 hour 30 minutes, and I strongly recommend taking this trip to Nagano (not too far away from Tokyo, but the vibes and feel of the place is very different).

going to Hakuba, Nagano, Japan

Thanks for sharing your experience
I took your advice and went ahead for the Chuo-taxi
from Narita to Hakuba, Nagano, ~ 5 hrs, with 4x 10-15min breaks
whereas my friends took the train ~ almost 5hrs, but had to change trains, buses, and need to 'hurry' / buy tickets/ carry lugguage, to catch the connecting train/bus
... rather tiring
Price was similar
I guess I d strongly recommend this form of transportation if heading from Narita to Nagano

its the 15th day of the new Lunar New Year, so,
we can still say
Happy New Year
thanks again

There is an excellent Taxi service available between Nagano and Narita or Haneda Airports in Tokyo and also Nagoya Airport.
Nagano Chuo Taxi will pick you up at your door and take you directly to the airport saving you the hassle of carrying your luggage on and off trains.
The ride takes 4-5 hours and costs 8500 Yen per person.
Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling 026-282-7777. This company also offers a service to Nagoya for 6500 Yen. It is a higher cost than the one from Matsumoto because Nagano is further away.
Alpico Taxi is the company with the Nagoya service from Matsumoto and Shiojiri. The cost is 4500 Yen. Reservations can be made by calling 0263-34-8181

When I came to Nagano I was coming from Kyushu in the south. I came by Shinkansen train from Kokura to Shin Osaka station and then changed trains to another Shinkansen that went to Nagoya. In Nagoya I changed to a JR train. There is an express service between Nagoya and Nagano. This trip cost me just over 19,000 yen. Nagano is also connected to Tokyo by Shinkansen which costs just over 7000 Yen one way.. The closest airport is in nearby Matsumoto city, which is about an hour south of Nagano by train (1200 Yen) or car.

The Shinkansen is by far the most convenient way to travel around Japan. Unfortunately it isn't very cheap! Luckily there is a Japan JR Rail Pass available to foreign travellers. See the JR East website for details:

It must be bought abroad and stamped in Japan before you can use it. There are several options including one week (unlimited JR travel except for the super fast Nozomi service), two week, JR East and JR West passes. Check with your local travel agent for the best option or click on the link to see for yourself!

Here is a link to a very cool page that lets you see the routing between cities/stations/ports within Japan. It will tell you the route and includes the cost and time. http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/.