What is the difference between JR Pass and Suica PASMO?

A Suica card is a card you load up for transport, you can use this card for all forms of transport and even at vending machines and lockers. It covers all lines and you just pay however much you want to load up into the card. YA JR Pass is a one off pass for tourists that you purchase.



People Also Ask

Purchasing a Pasmo for your trip depends on what your itinerary looks like. If you are in Tokyo and you already have a Japan Rail Pass, you can ride all JR lines, like the Chuo line and Yamanote line, and be able to get to a number of popular tourist attractions in the area even without a Pasmo.

MORE DETAILS

No visitor to Tokyo should be without a Suica card and no visitor to Japan should be without a JR Pass. The Suica card is convenient for intercity trains and buses while the JR Pass saves you time and money when traveling through the country. Here are the deets.

MORE DETAILS

The Suica is a prepaid e-money card for moving around and shopping. There is no more need to buy a ticket from a vending machine. Just touch your Suica to the ticket gate and the fare is automatically deducted from your Suica. The Suica can be used not only for JR East trains, but subways and buses as well.

MORE DETAILS

a PASMO PASSPORT. This is a special IC card with privileges only available to overseas travelers who are visiting Japan. It can be used for train and bus travel in the Kanto area and all across the country where IC cards are accepted, and for electronic payments when shopping.

MORE DETAILS

The only difference between PASMO and SUICA is who sells them. SUICA is from JR East, and PASMO is from Tokyo-area non-JR rail operators, including Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway. Wherever you can use SUICA, you can use PASMO, and vice versa. Same with charging with new amounts.

MORE DETAILS

The Suica card can be used in the majority of Japanese public transport: subways, buses and all local trains, as well as in buses and taxis displaying the Suica logo. Please note that the Suica card does not work on express trains, shinkansen, highway buses or airport shuttles.

MORE DETAILS

If you calculate that your travel costs will be lower if you buy individual tickets for each journey, then it's not worth buying a JR Pass. However, if you take into account journeys on Shinkansen high-speed trains or other means of transport, the savings you make become substantial.

MORE DETAILS

Each person needs one. Pasmo/Suica is read when touching the IC card reader upon entering and exiting a gate, and the correct fare is deducted from the card. The same card cannot be read entering twice at the same station.

MORE DETAILS

For a limited time only, you can buy a Japan Rail Pass from certain train stations and airports in Japan. Travelers should be aware it is more expensive to buy a JR Pass in Japan than to purchase the pass online.

MORE DETAILS

Smart cards like Icoca, Suica and Pasmo are generally valid across Japan, so don't worry about which one you buy. You can use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica for all trains, subways and buses in Osaka. You can also use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica at many shops, especially convenience stores.

MORE DETAILS

Smart cards like Icoca, Suica and Pasmo are valid across Japan, so don't worry about which one you buy. You can use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica for all trains, subways and buses in Kyoto. You can also use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica at many shops, especially convenience stores. Buy Icoca cards from vending machines at JR Kyoto Station.

MORE DETAILS

JR East operates the most convenient train lines for moving around central Tokyo, and you can use your JR Pass on all of these metro services. The rest of the 13 Tokyo subway lines that run in and around the Yamanote line are operated by companies other than JR East.

MORE DETAILS

Travellers flying in from Narita or Haneda International Airport can purchase a Suica card easily at JR East Travel Service Centers. You can also buy a prepaid Suica card from ticketing machines at major JR East train stations and JR Ticket Offices (Midori-no-madoguchi).

MORE DETAILS

You can charge your Welcome Suica card (put money on it) in various places, including ticket machines at stations and in convenience stores. Just look for the mark. You can charge your card with cash. You can put up to 20,000 yen on it.

MORE DETAILS

The Suica card initially costs ¥ 1 ( US$ 0), of which 500 is credit and the other 500 goes as a deposit. This deposit is returned when you return the card to the Japan Rail (Suica). The Pasmo card costs ¥ 500 ( US$ 3.30), which is non-refundable, as well as the money you want to charge it with.

MORE DETAILS

Yes, it can. Suica cards can be used anywhere the Suica IC card logo is displayed. It can also be used in convenience stores and vending machines outside of the Tokyo area. You cannot use the Suica to travel between Tokyo and Osaka, but you can use it to travel within cities such as Osaka and Kyoto.

MORE DETAILS

In addition to using your charged PASMO card to ride the subway or buses, you can use it to pay for items purchased at stores and vending machines. It can also be used for member shops of railways and buses nationwide where interoperability is offered.

MORE DETAILS