Before buying a train ticket: fares, IC cards and transfers
A route is only useful if you can board the right train with the right ticket. Work through these decisions before paying, especially when an airport journey combines different operators.
1. Identify the operator and train, not just the destination
Write down the operator, train name and destination before looking for a ticket. JR East distinguishes the basic fare from the additional ticket needed for its Shinkansen and limited express services. For example, a fare payment alone does not settle the seat requirement for Narita Express. Use the operator’s ticket guide for the named train; do not apply one company’s ticket rules to every service called “Express”.
2. Compare the total you will pay
Check whether the displayed amount includes every leg and any required seat or express charge. Then check whether it is a paper-ticket or IC fare: Tokyo Metro publishes separate columns, and the amounts can differ. Keep the same route and ticket conditions when comparing two prices. A lower number for only the first train is not a cheaper complete journey. RailBuddy’s fare notes should be read together with the amount.
3. Separate stored money from unlimited travel
PASMO is a prepaid card; adding money is not the same as buying a day pass. Before choosing a pass, list the journeys you actually expect to make and compare their eligible fares with the pass price. Check the covered operators and dates first. A card accepted by several operators does not mean that a pass loaded on it covers all of them. Keep a separate plan for journeys outside the pass coverage.
4. If choosing a physical Welcome Suica, plan your balance
JR East’s physical Welcome Suica lasts 28 days including the purchase date. Its top-up guidance requires Japanese yen rather than credit-card charging, and ordinary unused-balance refunds are not available. Load an amount you expect to use instead of treating it as money you can routinely reclaim at departure. Keep the reference paper. A faulty card has a separate assistance procedure. Mobile products have their own conditions; check the exact product you choose.
5. Check the transfer before leaving a gate
Some Tokyo Metro transfers require leaving and re-entering the gates. Its official instructions specify designated transfer gates and a 60-minute transfer limit for the listed transfers. This is not a nationwide rule for every change of train. At an unfamiliar interchange, check the next line and the station’s transfer signs before following an exit. If the ticket or card is rejected, show staff where you entered and where you need to go rather than repeatedly trying different payment methods.
6. Keep a short purchase note
Keep these together: departure station and terminal; destination; operator and train name; ordinary fare; any additional ticket or seat requirement; payment method; and transfer station. If a total or condition is unclear, pause the purchase and show that note to staff. This is RailBuddy’s planning checklist, not a ticket or reservation. Use the official links below for the current product terms, then return to your route guide for the boarding sequence.
Check with the operators
Editorial checklist and linked ticket conditions checked: 27 October 2026. This does not recheck every RailBuddy route fare.
Plan a journey