Suica Card - Tokyo and Beyond
 

Does anyone have experience using the Suica card in Tokyo and beyond?

In my past trips to Tokyo I just purchased point to point tickets for travel within the city and for day trips. I'm trying to figure out if the Suica card + N'Ex is worth it and if it has any use around Kyoto/Osaka.

Thanks

have you seen this?

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

and this?

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/suica.html


Aloha!

We've used the Suica card for a fewl years now & it has been incredibly convenient.

No more ............lining up at the ticket dispenser to buy tickets,
no more .............figuring out how much fare you need,
no more ............lining up at your stop when you don't put in the right fare at your starting point.

When you go under Y1000 I think, the indicator in the wicket shows you red numerals signaling that you have to reload. English instructions in the machine available

The Suica + NEx is definitely worth it -- save you money, and it's extremely convenient. To get it, stop in at the JR ticket office at Narita: they'll give you a package with the Suica card and a ticket/reservation for the NEx train. The info accompanying the Suica card did mention some trains in the Kyoto/Osaka region on which the card was valid, but I don't recall the details.

The best part of Suica is that you can use it on both JR line and subways.

My understanding is that it is for areas covered by JR-East. You won't be able to use it in Kyto/Osaka area (JR-West), where they have a similar but different prepaid card scheme.

You're right about the flexibility of Suica for both subways & JR lines. I failed to put that in my list. Thanks.

JR East's Suica card can be used in the Kansai area, covered by West JR's ICOCA card. But while ICOCa card can also be used on the private lines and subways covered by PitaPa card in Kansai, Suica cannot - only on JR lines.
Suica can also be used on similar schemes operating around Sendai and Niigata. None of these cards is valid for travel between those areas, on Shinkansen or other trains.

BTW ICOCA is pronounced iko:ka (meaning "let's go" in Japanese), not aikoka. Suica's symbol is a slice of watermelon, which is 'suika' in Japanese.

see bottom of article for merger timetable of the suica and various other JR cards

http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0011.html

Aloha!