Still confused on Suica/Pasmo card and JR ticket~~help!

I am still so confused on what we buy and how they are used. Forgive me, I guess I need some extra hand holding on this.

If we want/need the JR ticket, we buy that (reserve it) online while at home and then get the real ticket when we get there. But do we even need a JR ticket?

What is the difference between the Suica/Pasmo and the JR ticket? Can the Suica be used to buy a JR? Oh I am so confused.

I found this piece of advise online and I am a little shell shocked at the price. I guess I didn%26#39;t anticipate transportation being so high....

';you’ll want to buy a JR Rail Pass. JR (Japan Railways) runs about 70% of all trains in Japan, and all of the famous shinkansens (sheen cahn sin) or bullet trains. The JR Rail Pass allows you to ride any JR train for free with only a few small limitations. It always pays for itself many times over.

A seven-day pass is usually less than $280. Note that you buy an ‘order’ overseas and trade it in for the actual pass when you land in Japan. From there you merely show the pass at each ticket window and go right through. Reserved seats might require a surcharge.';

Help me understand all of this please! Thank you so much!

Still confused on Suica/Pasmo card and JR ticket~~help!

Suica is a stored value card. It can be used on subways as well as many convenience stores. It%26#39;s much more convenient than paying for individual train fares. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suica

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

A JR Pass provides unlimited train travel within a date range. You purchase the pass outside of Japan. You will get an exchange voucher that you will exchange in Japan at a JR station to get your pass. It will be activated at the first use. You need to calculate whether or not a JR pass is a good value for your visit. A JR pass does not cover Nozomi-type Shinkansen ';bullet trains'; on the Tokaido/Sanyo lines connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata (Fukuoka) and other cities. You can use a JR pass on Hikari and Kodama Shinkansen trains. www.japanrail.com/JR_japanrailpass.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

Still confused on Suica/Pasmo card and JR ticket~~help!

JR ticket = train ticket

Suica/Passmo = electronic money(or like a store gift card) which can be used towards rides on trains/subway within the city. If you have a Suica/Passmo, you don%26#39;t need tickets.

You can%26#39;t reserve JR online under most circumstances unless you read Japanese.

A $280 7-day pass lets you ride all over the country, from north to south.

If you%26#39;ll only be in Tokyo and the surrounding area for day-trips (e.g., Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone), then you do not need a JR pass -- it won%26#39;t be worth the money.

If you plan on traveling a longer distance (e.g., Kyoto), then a JR pass may be worthwhile. You can calculate the cost difference between individual train fares and a JR pass here: www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

If you do get a JR pass, you can also use it for travel within Tokyo on JR trains but not the subway system. For non JR trips, you would need to buy individual tickets or use the Suica/Pasmo card.

Hi, Suzibell,

Yes, it does seem a bit confusing. But if you have a calculator, it%26#39;s easy. :-)

There are two major train ';lines'; - the JR (which used to be run by the government and was called JNR, but is now is ';private'; but seems ';public'; -- and they took out the N for National, so it%26#39;s called ';Japan Rail';) and the authentic private lines (including subways).

The JR Rail Pass is only available to tourists and can only be purchased from abroad. You pick up the actual tickets after you come to Japan. You get ride on a bunch of JR trains for a certain number of days, so if you%26#39;re traveling a lot (north/south/east/west), it%26#39;s probably a good deal. If you%26#39;re only going to one distant by train, you probably won%26#39;t save any money.

The Suica/Pasmo are pre-paid cards. ';Suica'; is the name of the JR pre-paid card for the Tokyo area; it%26#39;s has a different name in Osaka. ';Pasmo'; is virtually the same card, but is the private train lines%26#39;/subways%26#39; version. It depends on WHERE you purchase your card as to whether it%26#39;s a Suica or a Pasmo. If you buy it at a JR station, it%26#39;ll be a Suica.

If you%26#39;re traveling around the Tokyo, it%26#39;s the best way to go because you zap the card through the machine at the wicket when you enter and zap it when you exit. It automatically calculates your fare and deducts it from the card. There%26#39;s no fuss with money. You can add more money to the card at a

ticket booth anywhere. Both Suica and Pasmo cards work in all ticket machines.

JR used to have a special long distance ticket for a couple traveling together. The total age had to be 88. They also had a special price for 3 women traveling together.

Recently I noticed they have ';senior'; tickets and ';middle'; tickets for long distance travelers.

Don%26#39;t worry if you%26#39;re all confused. So am I!

Cheers!

It depends what trains are you riding?

If we are strictly speaking about ';regular'; ';city'; trains to get around inside the cities, then no reservation is needed.

A ticket is a physical ';ticket'; that has value printed on it. Suica and Pasmo are like ';paperless'; tickets, they are cards that hold money on them, and each time you use the card, money is deducted. This saves you the effort of having to buy a ';ticket'; each time to ride the train.

Suica and Pasmo for the TOkyo area are the EXACT SAME THING, they just have a different name.

Not all trains in Japan are JR, as noted you still have 30% of the railways that are not JR. If you are in Tokyo, there are over a dozen different train companies, ';JR'; is just one company, that offers many routes.

A JR Pass can only be used on JR trains. However, if you are only visiting Tokyo, then getting a JR Pass is a waste of money. A JR pass only makes sense if you are traveling long distances to other cities.

To correct a poster above, JR Stands for ';Japan Railways';, and not all subways are ';private';, for example Toei Subway is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment, other rail is public-private parterships. In the end, it really doesn%26#39;t matter if something is private, or public.

----------

In case you are all confused, how about posting your itineary plans and we can assist you better on which passes or cards you might or might not need.

1. JR Pass allows you unlimited travel on all JR trains throughout Japan for the pass%26#39;s effective period (7 days, 14 days or 21 days are the three versions available). In general, the only JR trains not valid are Nozomi Shinkansen trains (the fastest and most frequent bullet trains). However, you can still ride the other Shinkansen trains with your pass.

The exchange voucher to the pass must be purchased outside Japan (at your home country). Once you arrive Japan, you exchange the voucher for the pass and select the effective period.

2. Note that not all trains are run by JR, meaning that on some lines, your pass is not valid and you have to buy separate tickets. For example, Hakone%26#39;s lines are run by Odakyu Railways. A destination like Nikko is served by both Tobu Rail (JR Pass not valid) and JR Lines (JR Pass valid). Subway lines are never included. From Narita Airport, you cannot use the JR Pass on Keisei trains to central Tokyo, but you can use the pass if you ride Narita Express because it%26#39;s a JR train.

3. Suica/Pasmo are stored value cards. You prepay an amount that is stored into the card. For each ride you take, the fare is deducted. When the value runs low or out, you recharge it by putting more money into the card. Suica and Pasmo are interchangeably accepted in Greater Tokyo on all major trains (JR and other rail companies) and subways.

4. The general rule for a JR Pass is you need to travel roundtrip Tokyo/Kyoto or Osaka within 7-days to come close to breaking even. If you are staying within Tokyo and just taking day trips nearby, the pass is not worth considering.

Whew! Thank you! I think I finally understand now! So appreciate it. We are pretty well stuck just in Tokyo and maybe one little trip to Kamakura. So your advice really helps. Thank you so much!

To add, I think there is NOT a local/city/regular train where you could even make a reservation if you tried.

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;If we are strictly speaking about ';regular'; ';city'; trains to get around inside the cities, then no reservation is needed.%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

If using a Suica card and mainly traveling in tokyo can you use the Suica card on ALL train companies?? Not just JR??

Yes. Suica is not limited to JR.