Limited Express Trains

1) Prior to buying the tickets,how do I know if the train I'm taking is a limited express?

2) If I already have an ICOCA card,then I can just buy the limited express fee via the vending machine or counter?

3) If I do not purchase the limited express fee prior to getting on the train,will there be train conductor onboard that I can purchase the limited express fee from?


Thanks and Regards, appreciate the response.

Prior to buying the tickets,how do I know if the train I'm taking is a limited express?

It is labeled as such in on signs on the train, platform and station, as well as in timetables and timetable websites.

2) If I already have an ICOCA card,then I can just buy the limited express fee via the vending machine or counter?

Yes. But the Icoca card cannot be used if your journey starts and ends in the same area covered by Icoca. For example, it can be used on a JR Haruka limited express train from Kyoto to Kansai Airport or on Kintetsu limited express trains, but it cannot be used on a limited express from Osaka to Nachi (because Nachi is outside of the Icoca area) or on a limited express train between Kyoto and Nagoya (because the IC card areas around Kyoto and Nagoya are not joined, and IC cards cannot be used to travel between distinct card areas).

@3) If I do not purchase the limited express fee prior to getting on the train,will there be train conductor onboard that I can purchase the limited express fee from?

It depends on the train and company. If the train is fully reserved (e.g. Kintetsu, Narita Airport), you must purchase the ticket before boarding - at least in theory. But if the train carries non-reserved seats, you can usually purchase the supplement from a conductor.

Uji: But the Icoca card cannot be used if your journey starts and ends in the same area covered by Icoca.

It seems that "not" is missing before "in the same area" here.

An IC card fare-collection system such as ICOCA does not trace a passenger all the way but judge possible routes by inspecting an IC card at some points.
So, as is explained by Uji, when you travel with your ICOCA Card you should have a (chain of) ride(s) in one same area for IC transportation cards.

[Regarding Questions 1 and 3]

Please note that how Limited Express is depends on railroad operators.

Limited Express of JR / Nankai / Kintetsu is a train service requiring a charge (in addition to a basic fare) and offered in a train which has at least some seats to be reserved.

Limited Express of Hanshin / Hankyu / Keihan is a train service which can be used at payment of just a basic fare, not also an additional charge, and is offered in a train which has no seat for reservation.

So, a single fact that the train to take is a Limited Express train does neither mean that you should pay a Limited Express charge nor does it mean that you can try reserving its seat.

[Regarding Question 2]

If a Limited Express ticket is sold at a ticket vending machine accepting an ICOCA Card, it is highly likely that you can purchase the Limited Express ticket with your ICOCA Card, allotting e-money stored on the card for the Limited Express charge.

You cannot always have a Limited Express train ride with an ICOCA Card even inside one same transportation network in one same area for IC cards.
For example, in a case where your Limited Express ticket should be inspected before the ride by an attendant at a gate with no device for IC cards, you cannot utilize your ICOCA Card instead of a basic-fare ticket for the Limited Express train ride, because an IC transportation card needs to be inspected by the system via a reader-writer device.

Thanks Uji and omotenashi!

I think I have a clearer idea of how limited express fares work.