Difference between suica and JR pass?

This is a stupid question but I'm kinda confused. I'm travelling to Japan for two weeks from nov 24 - dec 8. should i purchase the combo narita/suica pass at the airport or should i just buy the JR pass for the two weeks? If I get the suica pass can I ride all the JR lines? If I buy both, will it be redundant? We are staying for 1week in shibuya and the next week in Yokohama. We also be travelling to akihabara, Chiba, hakone, Kyoto, Tokyo and a few other places. What is the best method of travel pass to purchase?

I'm travelling to Japan for two weeks from nov 24 - dec 8. should i purchase the combo narita/suica pass at the airport or should i just buy the JR pass for the two weeks?

It depends a little on your exact itinerary but I would probably get the Suica + NEX combo when you arrive and combine it with a 7-day JR Pass to get to Kyoto and back. Obviously you must buy the 7-day JR Pass before you come to Japan.

If I get the suica pass can I ride all the JR lines?

Suica is a pre-paid card so you can ride all normal JR Lines as well as the other subway lines in Tokyo. You will get charged each time you make a journey though.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

If I buy both, will it be redundant?

Not really, but on JR Lines only their usage would overlap.

We are staying for 1week in shibuya and the next week in Yokohama.

Fine.

We also be travelling to akihabara, Chiba, hakone, Kyoto, Tokyo and a few other places.

Are you spending a night or more in Kyoto? What are the other places?

What is the best method of travel pass to purchase?

Suica + NEX at the start, then activate a 7-day JR Pass so that it covers you to Kyoto and back and also covers you back to Narita Airport. ie Activate it on Dec 2 so that it expires on Dec 8 if you can. Depends a little on your overall plans.

Enjoy your trip!

You won't need a Narita Express and Suica combo if you have a JR Pass, but you should still buy a Suica. Unlike the JR Pass, a Suica doesn't give you discounted travel. It simply allows you to add credit to a card so that you don't have to buy a ticket every time you use the metro or underground. You can find details on the suica at http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html

It is still worth having a Suica if you're going to be spending a week in Tokyo. There are fewer JR stations in central Tokyo compared to the underground, so you will need to use your suica or purchase an underground ticket for most trips within Tokyo. JR passes are mainly designed for long-distance travel, but it will save you some money as you will be staying in Shibuya, which is on the JR Yamanote Line.

Suica will not work outside the Kanto region, as other regions have their own prepaid card systems, and the JR pass isn't likely to be useful for travelling within Kyoto, as many people say that the bus and underground system are the best way to travel within Kyoto.

A Suica card is just a different way of paying for your trips: instead of buying tickets for each trip, you put money on the card and can use it until the money runs low after which you need to put some more money on it. It is very much like an Oyster card here in London and many other similar cards in other cities and countries. One difference might be that the use of a Suica doesn't give you a better rate compared to buying a ticket which I find always difficult to accept. And you can return a Suica when you return from Japan but you get only 50% back of the deposit and all money left on it is forfeited, which, again is difficult to understand the reason behind this accept corporate greed.

A Japan Rail Pass costs a fixed amount depending on the duration of the pass and allows you to travel as far as you want on JR lines during the period of validity. The more you travel, the more cost effective it becomes. For a 1 week pass to be cost effective, you typically need to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto and back or something like that.

You can use the Japan Rail Pass on the JR trains in Tokyo and it will get you around to most major areas but if you leave the JR lines and travel by other means, a Suica card might be a good idea in addition to a Japan Rail Pass as you can use it for many things, including paying for things from vending machines.

Suica will not work outside the Kanto region, as other regions have their own prepaid card systems,

It will work outside Kanto with some limitations:-
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

This will improve hopefully after Spring 2013 when there is more integration.

And you can return a Suica when you return from Japan but you get only 50% back of the deposit and all money left on it is forfeited, which, again is difficult to understand the reason behind this accept corporate greed.

This is incorrect. You get the entire 500 yen back when you return the Suica if you have no balance left on the card. If you have a balance left, then a 210 yen service fee is taken out and then you get the remaining balance + deposit.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

So if you had 5,000 yen balance on the Suica you would get 5,290 yen in cash.

You won't need a Narita Express and Suica combo if you have a JR Pass,

That may not be entirely correct. It really depends on the itinerary for two weeks. It makes perfect sense to buy the nex/suica package when you arrive at Narita if you are not activating the JR Pass until later into the trip.

I agree with the above, but why would you stay in Yokohama for a week? A day in Yokohama is more than enough.

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Hi All,

Thanks for all the advice. Why am I staying in Yokohama for the week? Because part of the reason w are going to Japan is to attend the Yokohama Hot Rod show at the Pacifico center.

We are also planning on going to Shinjuku and Osaka.

Based on what most people are saying on here, I guess it would be safest to get the Suica/NEX combo, to get from Nariata airport to Tokyo, and use the Suica card where I can. And then in areas where the Suica card doesn't work I can activate a 1 week JR pass as a backup. I just didn't want to end up buying duplicate rail passes for two people if I didn't have to but I also didn't want to be stuck when I get there because I can't buy a JR pass on arrival. I have to buy it before I leave Toronto.

we really don't have a set itenerary. The only firm thing we have planned is attending the Hot Rod show in Yokohama, but that is only for 1 day in Dec. The rest of the 2 weeks will be randomly going to places to check things out.

Obviously Shibuya and Yokohama because we are staying there, but also Akihabara, Osaka, Kyoto, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Akahasa, Chibu... really don't have a set plan though. We just know we can't drive in Japan, and that taxis are expensive, so rail, subway will be the method of transportation. I just wasn't sure if I should go the 2 week JR route or just 1 week of JR combined with the Suica pass to get me through most of the transportation.

Clammy

JR Pass is a fixed price, all you can ride type railpass, mainly designed for long distance trips. You can use within Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka etc. But that's not reasonable way as one ride fare within a city is much cheaper(a few hundred yen) than JR Pass.

If your long distance trip is only Yokohama - Osaka and back, it will be cheaper to buy 7 day JR pass for that trip and NEX & SUICA for other 7 days to get around Tokyo and Yokohama.

we really don't have a set itenerary. The only firm thing we have planned is attending the Hot Rod show in Yokohama, but that is only for 1 day in Dec. The rest of the 2 weeks will be randomly going to places to check things out.

Honestly you should consider planning some sort of itinerary. The JR Pass is only worth it for long distance travel. It is too expensive to use for only short distance travel (like around Tokyo).

If you are planning on visiting Kyoto and Osaka and any other areas around there, it makes sense to use a JR Rail Pass to travel to those cities and back to Tokyo. The cost of the pass pays for itself on that type of trip.

So you should try and lump your Kyoto, Osaka, and other places outside of metropolitan Tokyo into the same 7 day period so that the pass pays off. Yokohama is to Tokyo what Mississauga is to Toronto (ie. don't use the rail pass just for getting around Yokohama and Tokyo).

Thanks everyone for all your information! I've found this extremely helpful. We will buy a 7 day JR pass online and a round trip Suica/NEX pass when we arrive!!

Looking forward to it xoxo

Cheers
Cam