IC Card - In which trains is it valid?

Hi

I am about to go to Japan and i have some questions about my IC Card (ICOCA)

I am planning to go from Nagoya to Korankei, and also from Nagoya to Magome, via Nakatsugawa.

Do i need to buy a ticket for those journeys or can i just tap the IC Card?

Moreover, how do i know in which journeys i can use my IC Card and in which ones i require a ticket?

Thanks

how do i know in which journeys i can use my IC Card and in which ones i require a ticket?

As far as I know, you'll have to check individually.

If you look on Google Maps, you can get from Nagoya to Korankei by Meitetsu and Meitetsu bus. Checking these websites reveals that IC cards are accepted.

To get from Nagoya to Magome via Nakatsugawa, take JR Central to Nakatsugawa, and Kitaena Kotsu bus from Nakatsugawa to Magome.

You can see JR Central's IC card area here.

https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/tickets/buy/toica/

IC cards are accepted from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa.

Kitaena Kotsu's official website makes no mention of IC cards (nor does it have an FAQ), so I don't think they're accepted.

In general, you can expect IC cards to become less accepted the further into the countryside you go. This is probably because the cost of establishing IC card infrastructure is far outweighed by the revenue generated there. The same goes for credit cards. When traveling to rural areas, it's best to assume that neither IC cards nor credit cards are accepted, and that you'll be lucky if you can. This will ensure a stress-free trip. In other words, make sure you have enough Japanese yen to spend there in 1000 yen notes and coins. Please be aware that change is often not available.