Edit: Thanks everyone! I will look into the Pasmo Passport today. I had missed that as an option.
Edit2: We managed to get one from the Tokyo Metro Pass Office at Shinjuku station, it opens at 7:40am, no line. Look for it across from exit A9. It was a bit of an adventure to find it. Have your passport and pay in cash. They are waiving the 500 yen fee.
I hope this isn’t too repetitive with other posts. We got into Haneda yesterday and this is our first time here. We were planning to get the Welcome Suica card at the airport, but the line was quite long and we would have missed the Limousine Bus to our hotel (bad planning, we didn’t expect the line to be so long. I wasnt feeling well after some plane turbulence on landing and just wanted to get to the hotel).
Now we’re in Tokyo and trying to figure out the easiest way to navigate around without having to buy individual tickets everywhere. We’ll have 2 full days here before going to Hakone and Kyoto. Some possible options:
– get a 48-hour Tokyo subway ticket (1200 yen) and try to get to Tokyo Station today for a Toica card. We have some time in between Toyosu market and Asakusa when we could go there. This might not cover the Yurikamome line, so might not work.
– get 2 1-day combination tickets (2×1600 yen) and then get a Icoca card in Kyoto.
– get a 1-day combination ticket and get a Toica card from Tokyo Station.
We’re mostly trying to minimize the hassle and not having to buy tickets for every trip. Cost is somewhat secondary. After the Welcome Suica experience, I’m also trying to make sure these are actually available and easy to buy.
I don’t have an iPhone and my husband hasn’t been able to set up a digital suica with a credit card on his, so that’s unfortunately not an option.
Thank you for your help!
12 comments
[Passport Pasmo is available at several locations](https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/).
Combination ticket is a pure robbery. 48-hour subway ticket might or might not be worth it depending on your itinerary.
Honestly I’d just get the tokyo pass + Hakone pass for your stay then grab the Icoca card in Kyoto.
Keep in mind while all IC cards are the same you can only return it for the refund on the deposit + surplus in specific regions. The plasmo and Toica in Tokyo, the Icoca in the Kansai region like Kyoto and Osaka. Welcome Suica in nowhere (non refundable surplus and no deposit)
Pasmo is your bet… BUT for others reading this.
Take your time to get the welcome card in the airport, yeah its a 15 minute wait (at the machine) but it saves you all the headache. Buy your bus ticket after you get your card, the limo busses are running very frequently so don’t buy your bus ticket then get in line and be anxious abut missing it. Just get suica priority, then bus ticket. All gucci then 🙂
Pasmo Passport works well – the non refundable deposit also waived when I picked one up recently. You can load Tokyo/Toei line 1/2/3 metro passes to it via the kiosks which is awesome. Did the math on that for a 2-3 day itinerary in Tokyo and it was worth it.
I would just add suica to your apple wallet… fairly simple and can be done in minutes. There are plenty of guides, although it does not necessarily take every credit card to top it off.
Genuine question by somebody who will be there next week…why not just get a regular Passmo or Suica card?
Since I got the Suica card on my Apple wallet on my phone in March I’ve never had to think twice about it. Also didn’t need to stand at the line at the airport, just added money to it on my phone tapped and kept it moving. I also use it to pay for stuff when I’m shopping. Effortless
Slightly off topic maybe, I’m heading to Japan tomorrow and have already purchased a rail pass for the duration of my stay. Is there any benefit to me getting a Suica card as well? I see it can be used at vending machines but I assume I can use my CC there as well?
Get your husband to Call your credit card company. I had the same issue. The back end of the transaction to load money to Sucia or any IC through apple wallet doesn’t “ask” for the CVV number as part of the billing. I had my CC company overide the CVV requirement for my card for the duration of my trip. Works like a charm after.
For your husband… I had trouble setting up a digital Suica with Visa, but it worked with AmEx. Try that if that’s an option for you.
You might not have an iPhone but if you have an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or even an old iPhone, those could all be options.
I was able to buy one from the concierge at park Hyatt… (we thought my wife’s iPhone would work, but it didn’t…). It can’t hurt to ask.
Suica or pasmo on your IPhone or Android wallet app. No physical card just your phone