Passes Last checked April 3, 2026 Best when Your Tokyo routes are still flexible and you...

Edited by First Days Japan editorial desk How the editorial method works Request a correction

Passes decision guide

Welcome Suica

If your Tokyo routes are not fully fixed yet, Welcome Suica is usually the safest transport default because it buys flexibility before optimization. Move to Tokyo Subway Ticket only after your hotel area and daily routes are compact enough to defend a route-limited pass.

This transport guide still fits if

Your Tokyo routes are still flexible and you need a calm transport default...

Another guide fits better if

Your hotel area and routes are already compact enough to test Tokyo Subway...

What this page settles now

Whether flexible tap-and-go travel is still safer than a narrower savings pass.

Checked before publish

Current physical Welcome Suica purchase locations, validity, top-up, refund, and reissue rules.

Wrong question to stop asking

Do not reject Welcome Suica only because it is not the cheapest fare tool on paper.

Edited as a decision guide, then checked against official sources. See the editorial method and jump to the official checks below .

Pass verdict

Best starting default

If your hotel area, airport route, and daily neighborhoods are not fully locked yet, Welcome Suica is usually the safest Tokyo transport default because it buys flexibility before optimization.

Do not force it if: Skip it as your only answer if your trip is already compact, subway-heavy, and fixed enough that Tokyo Subway Ticket clearly fits better.

Lowest cost only if

It rarely wins on pure fare savings. It wins by helping you avoid the wrong pass...

Lowest stress when

It is the easiest first-day transport setup when you want tap-and-go travel across operators without checking...

Transport reasoning next

1 Transport fit first
2 Purchase session next
3 Transport-fit patterns

Official product and eligibility checks come after the main comparison.

This transport guide still fits if

Your Tokyo routes are still flexible and you need a calm transport default first.
You want to avoid buying a route-limited pass before the trip shape is stable.

Another guide fits better if

Your hotel area and routes are already compact enough to test Tokyo Subway Ticket directly.
Your Tokyo base is still completely open, so the stay decision needs to settle first.

Purchase best practice

Pick the product move that matches the hotel lane and airport day

Use the timing and scenario cards below to decide what to buy now, what to delay, and which product still fits once the airport day and first useful station pair are real.

Use Welcome Suica as the calm starting default when the Tokyo plan still moves. The best practice is to buy flexibility first, then optimize only after the real route pattern becomes visible.

Purchase decision order

1

Before buying any pass

Check whether the hotel base, airport day, and first useful station pair are still moving

If those parts still move, route-limited fare math is too early and operator flexibility still has real value.
2

First Tokyo day

Use one simple tap-and-go default across operators

Let the real movement pattern reveal itself before you ask a narrower pass to carry the whole answer.
3

After 1 or 2 city days

Re-test whether the trip has become compact enough for Tokyo Subway Ticket

Only optimize after the useful rides are visible, not while you are still guessing from maps.

Best-fit transport pattern

Trip still feels flexible

The hotel base, airport leg, or neighborhood order can still change the useful operator mix.

Next move: Start with Welcome Suica as the base transport product.

Tradeoff: Slightly less optimized fare math, much lower mistake cost.
What it protects: You stop forcing the early trip into a pass shape it has not earned yet.

Compact central Tokyo days

The hotel and useful rides already stay dense, central, and predictably subway-heavy.

Next move: Use Welcome Suica only as the flexible fallback and compare Tokyo Subway Ticket next.

Tradeoff: Requires a second product check, but only after the fit is real.
What it protects: You optimize later, when the route discipline already exists.

Mobile version looks attractive

You want wallet convenience but are still mixing the phone-setup question with the transport-product question.

Next move: Keep the transport decision separate and only go mobile-first after the base product answer is already clear.

Tradeoff: Slightly slower setup path, lower chance of reopening the wrong decision.
What it protects: You avoid turning wallet friction into a transport-planning problem.

Purchase action pack

First transport purchase session

Settle whether flexibility still wins before you load money or go mobile-first

The first question is not fare. It is whether the hotel lane and first two Tokyo days still need operator flexibility more than they need optimization.

Settle now

1

Hotel lane and first useful station pair

Confirm whether the base still leans on JR Ueno, Keisei Ueno, Shinagawa, Shinjuku, or a mixed first-night finish that needs operator flexibility.
2

Airport day and first two city days

Check whether those early rides still mix airport logic, JR, and subways enough that a route-limited pass would feel premature.
3

One challenge check against Tokyo Subway Ticket

Use the pass as a later test only if the route is already compact enough to deserve it.

Ignore for now

72-hour math because the trip looks neat on paper

A tidy calendar is not proof that the real route has already earned a route-limited product.
Mobile-first setup if wallet confidence is still soft

Do not let iPhone or Apple Pay friction reopen a transport decision that should still be about trip shape.
A narrower pass before the base is stable

If the hotel lane still moves, the pass is asking the trip to be cleaner than it really is.

Pass fit

Pick the transport-product pattern that fits the trip shape first

Match your hotel, route coverage, and airport-day logic first. Fare math can wait.

Start with the broad answer

If your hotel area, airport route, and daily neighborhoods are not fully locked yet, Welcome Suica is usually the safest Tokyo transport default because...

Then review transport tradeoffs

Your hotel area or airport route is still moving

Start with Welcome Suica. This is the safer default when you still need a transport product that survives changes in station choice, operator, and day-one plans.

Your Tokyo days are compact, central, and subway-heavy

Test Tokyo Subway Ticket next. A route-limited pass can beat Welcome Suica only after the trip shape is clear enough to defend with real rides.

You want mobile convenience but your setup is not confirmed

Do not rely on the mobile version yet. Keep the device question separate from the transport question. The wrong wallet setup is less painful when your base transport logic is still simple.

Product comparison

Fit before savings

Each card shows when the product holds, where coverage leaks, and who it fits best.

Quick fit scan

Open only the option that still looks alive after one quick scan.

1 Product 1 Coverage Best when route flexibility matters more than fare optimization. Best for Flexible Tokyo routes

What it covers: Works as a prepaid IC card across many trains, subways, and buses
Where it breaks: It is not a special discount on every ride
Best for: Flexible Tokyo routes

2 Product 2 Ease Best when you want tap-and-go without line-by-line planning. Best for Low-friction first Tokyo movement

What it covers: Tap and go without studying route boundaries first
Where it breaks: You still need enough balance for your rides
Best for: Low-friction first Tokyo movement

3 Product 3 Savings Best when flexibility prevents more mistakes than a narrow pass. Best for Trips where flexibility beats fare math

What it covers: Can reduce mistake cost by avoiding the wrong pass purchase
Where it breaks: It does not automatically beat a pass on pure fare savings
Best for: Trips where flexibility beats fare math

Quick fit scan

Start here, then open only the detailed card that still looks right.

Product 1

Coverage

Best when route flexibility matters more than fare optimization.

Best for

Flexible Tokyo routes

Where it breaks

It is not a special discount on every ride

Product 2

Ease

Best when you want tap-and-go without line-by-line planning.

Best for

Low-friction first Tokyo movement

Where it breaks

You still need enough balance for your rides

Product 3

Savings

Best when flexibility prevents more mistakes than a narrow pass.

Best for

Trips where flexibility beats fare math

Where it breaks

It does not automatically beat a pass on pure fare savings

Product 1

Coverage

Best when route flexibility matters more than fare optimization.

What it covers

Works as a prepaid IC card across many trains, subways, and buses

Where it breaks: It is not a special discount on every ride
Best for: Flexible Tokyo routes

Product 2

Ease

Best when you want tap-and-go without line-by-line planning.

What it covers

Tap and go without studying route boundaries first

Where it breaks: You still need enough balance for your rides
Best for: Low-friction first Tokyo movement

Product 3

Savings

Best when flexibility prevents more mistakes than a narrow pass.

What it covers

Can reduce mistake cost by avoiding the wrong pass purchase

Where it breaks: It does not automatically beat a pass on pure fare savings
Best for: Trips where flexibility beats fare math

Live product note: JR East positions Welcome Suica as a visitor IC card with 28-day validity and no deposit. Check the official page for the current purchase and usage rules.

Common mistake

Welcome Suica is not a discount pass

It reduces friction, not necessarily fare. Treat it as flexible prepaid access rather than a universal savings product.

Common mistake

Mobile convenience depends on your device setup

If you plan to use the mobile version, confirm that your device and wallet setup actually support it before departure.

Is Welcome Suica worth it for most Tokyo visitors?

Product truth: Welcome Suica is a visitor prepaid IC card. It is not a subway pass, and it is not a built-in discount on every Tokyo ride.

Product type: Visitor prepaid IC card from JR East
Main strength: Flexible tap-and-go travel across many trains, subways, and buses
What it is not: A route-limited savings pass that guarantees the cheapest fare every time

Treat Welcome Suica as the calm default, not the cheapest prize. Use it when your hotel area, airport leg, or neighborhood order is still moving and you need one tap-and-go baseline. Move to Tokyo Subway Ticket only after the route pattern is compact enough to defend a route-limited pass.

That basic product picture matters because many people searching for “Welcome Suica” are still trying to answer a simpler question first: what is this thing, and is it actually useful for my trip?

Official facts that make Welcome Suica more concrete

Physical Welcome Suica is sold only at listed locations, and JR East says one card per person in principle: JR East’s current purchase page lists airport JR EAST Travel Service Centers, specific Welcome Suica vending machines, JAPAN RAIL CAFE TOKYO, and TAKANAWA GATEWAY Travel Service Center as purchase points. The same page says that, in principle, only one Welcome Suica can be sold to each individual.
Physical Welcome Suica is a 28-day visitor IC card with no deposit, and the real validity is shown on the reference paper: JR East says the physical card is valid for 28 days from purchase and does not require a deposit. The same page also says the validity period is not shown on the card itself and that you should keep the reference paper you receive at purchase.
Physical Welcome Suica can be topped up repeatedly, but only in yen cash and up to JPY 20,000: JR East’s current purchase page says the physical card can be charged during its validity period, up to JPY 20,000, and that credit cards cannot be used to top it up. That matters because the physical card stays simplest only if cash top-ups are acceptable for your trip style.
Physical Welcome Suica is not refundable in normal cases and cannot be reissued if lost: JR East’s current English rules say normal refunds are not available, lost cards cannot be reissued, and malfunction handling is a separate exception. That makes the physical card a good calm default, but not a product you should over-load casually.
Welcome Suica Mobile is still an iPhone, Apple Pay, and location-enabled setup, not just a card on a screen: JR East’s current mobile pages say the app is for iOS, charges through the card registered with Apple Pay, and requires location information to be turned on. The current notice also says some countries may restrict issuing or topping up Suica until after entering Japan.
Welcome Suica Mobile still carries account and refund limits that make setup confidence matter: JR East’s current mobile terms say users must register Apple Pay with an eligible card in their own name, users under 13 cannot use the app, only one Suica can be issued for the same linked management account, the balance is valid for 180 days, and the stored balance cannot normally be refunded. The same terms also describe a reissuance path if the mobile device is lost, stolen, or malfunctions.

These are official operating rules, not editorial recommendations. They change the fit more than fare math does. Physical Welcome Suica is strongest when you want a simple visitor IC card and can live with cash top-ups plus no normal refund. The mobile version is strongest only when your iPhone and Apple Pay setup are already routine enough that the phone does not become the harder problem.

What to verify before departure or at the airport if Welcome Suica is likely to win

Decide whether physical or mobile is actually the calmer option for this trip. If your phone setup still feels shaky, do not let mobile convenience turn into a new transport problem.
If you are buying the physical card, confirm that your purchase point is actually on JR East’s current list, remember that validity details live on the reference paper rather than the card face, and check the cash-only top-up rule plus the JPY 20,000 balance ceiling.
If you are considering the mobile version, confirm your iPhone, Apple Pay, and location settings first, and keep in mind that JR East’s current notice says some countries may require you to wait until after entering Japan before issuing or topping up.
For either format, keep refund and replacement limits visible before loading more money than the first Tokyo days really need. Physical Welcome Suica is stricter if lost, while the mobile version depends on the account-based reissuance path still being usable.

Once those rules feel acceptable, the decision returns to the editorial question this page is actually answering: does operator flexibility still solve a real first-days problem, or has the trip already become compact enough for a narrower pass?

Quick fit: when the default still holds

Usually yes, if your Tokyo movement is still taking shape. The key difference is simple: this is a flexible visitor IC card, not a discount pass.

Usually yes if your hotel area, airport route, or neighborhood order is still moving.
Usually no if the trip is already compact, subway-heavy, and fixed enough for a route-limited pass.
Usually safest when your first priority is avoiding the wrong transport purchase rather than squeezing every last yen out of the plan.

For many first-time visitors, the bigger mistake is not overpaying for one ride. It is buying the wrong product too early, then discovering the real trip is messier than the neat version on paper.

Before you compare transport products, settle these three filters first

Decide whether the Tokyo base, airport leg, and first useful station pair are already fixed enough to support a route-limited product.
Decide whether the bigger risk is paying a little more per ride or buying the wrong pass too early and defending it for the rest of the trip.
Decide whether you need one calm default now or whether the route pattern is already disciplined enough to optimize.

Those three filters usually settle Welcome Suica faster than fare math does. They also stop a cleaner-looking pass from stealing the decision before the hotel area, mixed operators, and first Tokyo days are stable enough to justify it.

Trip shapes where Welcome Suica usually feels obviously right

First Tokyo night still feels open: Your airport route is clear enough to land, but the exact pattern of JR, subway, and local movement still is not.
You are still choosing around the hotel: You know the broad area, but not the final station logic well enough to commit to a route-limited pass yet.
You want one calm default: You would rather keep moving with tap-and-go flexibility for the first Tokyo days, then optimize only after the real trip shape becomes obvious.

If any of those sounds familiar, Welcome Suica is usually doing exactly the job it should do. It is not trying to beat every pass on fare. It is trying to keep the trip from becoming over-planned too early.

Three concrete Tokyo-start examples

Example 1: Narita or Haneda to a Ueno-area hotel: You already know the hotel is around Ueno, but the first two Tokyo days still mix JR, subway, and station-side walking decisions. In that pattern, Welcome Suica is usually the safer base because you are still buying operator flexibility first.
Example 2: Shinagawa or Shinjuku base, first-night route still matters: Your west-side or south-side base is booked, but the exact useful route may still bounce between JR, subway, and airport logic. In that pattern, Welcome Suica usually beats a route-limited pass because day one still needs a calm fallback more than perfect fare math.
Example 3: mobile Welcome Suica only after the phone setup is already calm: You use an iPhone, already trust your Apple Pay setup, and want one tap-and-go transport default without visiting a counter. In that pattern, the mobile version can be a clean answer, but only after the device setup is already settled separately from the transport decision.

These examples are not official JR East recommendations. They are editorial shortcuts built from official Welcome Suica rules and from the way first-time visitors usually choose between flexibility now and optimization later.

Four hotel lanes where Welcome Suica usually stays honest

Ueno as the first Tokyo base: If the property is still working from JR Ueno or Keisei Ueno, the first Tokyo days often still mix airport logic, JR, and subways. That is the exact kind of mixed-operator pattern where Welcome Suica remains a calmer default than a route-limited pass.
Shinagawa as the Haneda-first lane: Haneda’s official 11-minute benchmark to Shinagawa makes the airport logic strong, but it does not turn the whole trip into a subway-only plan. Welcome Suica often stays cleaner here because the broad answer is still airport practicality first, optimization second.
Shinjuku as an intentional reach tradeoff: If you knowingly choose Shinjuku for city reach, the station-side finish can still bounce between JR, subway, and bus logic. Welcome Suica is often the calmer default while that exact useful station pair is still being proven in real life.
Asakusa as the calmer east-side lane: If the property really keeps the Asakusa Station A18 handoff practical, Welcome Suica can still be smarter than a subway pass early on because the first days may mix subway rides, airport access, and station-side adjustments rather than one perfectly compact city block.

These are not official JR East recommendations. They are editorial inferences built from official airport benchmarks, station-side clues, and Welcome Suica’s coverage logic.

When Welcome Suica is the safest default

Choose Welcome Suica when your Tokyo movement is still flexible, when you expect to mix rail and subway lines, or when you want the simplest transport starting point after landing.

Use it when the hotel base is not final, because station choice can still change the best transport logic.
Use it when the airport-to-hotel path may mix operators, because operator flexibility matters more than fare optimization on day one.
Use it when you want one calm default before you start fine-tuning the trip.

That is why it often beats more “optimized” products at the start. The flexibility matters before the trip settles down and before you know which station exits, transfers, and neighborhoods will actually shape the day. If the hotel base is still open, settle that next in Best area to stay in Tokyo for first-time visitors before you overfit the transport product.

What it protects on day one

Mixed operators: You can keep moving even if the airport leg, hotel station, and sightseeing route do not stay inside one neat pass map
Station changes: You can change the plan after you see the real final walk, exits, and transfer stress instead of defending an old spreadsheet
Mistake cost: You avoid committing too early to a route-limited product that only works if the whole Tokyo plan behaves perfectly

This is the part many first-time visitors feel only after landing. The useful win is often not “saved fare.” It is “I did not make the first Tokyo days harder than they needed to be.”

The transport comparison that usually restarts the problem

The pattern usually looks like this:

You correctly notice that the trip still mixes airports, stations, and operators.
You then open fare comparisons too early and start treating a route-limited pass like proof that the plan is already disciplined.
The original problem returns: the trip is still flexible, but the product choice is being pushed into optimization mode too soon.

That is why Welcome Suica keeps winning early. It preserves room for the trip to become clearer before you ask a narrower product to carry the whole answer.

The decision chunk that settles Welcome Suica faster

Keep Welcome Suica when

Flexibility is still solving a real first-days problem

Use Welcome Suica while the hotel base, airport leg, or neighborhood order can still move and the trip may mix JR, subway, and bus logic. This is where buying a calmer default matters more than squeezing the neatest fare.

Bad rejection reason: dismissing it only because it is not the cheapest on paper before checking whether the cheaper-looking pass survives one changed station, one JR segment, or one uneven day.

Move to Tokyo Subway Ticket when

The route has already become compact enough to deserve a narrower pass

Shift to Tokyo Subway Ticket only after the hotel base is fixed, the useful rides already stay subway-heavy, and the pass window matches the real moving days instead of an imagined tidy version of them.

Do not force the pass if: the savings story still depends on perfect planning discipline that the first Tokyo days have not earned yet.

Treat mobile as separate when

Wallet setup is either already calm or still a different problem entirely

Welcome Suica Mobile can make the flexible default even smoother, but only when your device and Apple Pay setup are already confirmed. If that part is unclear, keep the transport decision simple first and solve the phone setup separately.

Lock this before buying: whether the hotel base is stable enough, whether the first Tokyo days still need operator flexibility, and whether the mobile setup question is genuinely separate from the transport product question.

The purchase people regret most is buying a route-limited pass too early and then defending it after the station logic changes. Welcome Suica is there to prevent premature optimization, not to win a beauty contest against the cheapest possible neat-case fare.

If transport is settled and the next weak point is arrival-day data

Move to live data next if your transport logic now feels calm enough and the next remaining risk is arrival-day wayfinding.
Keep the decisions separate so the mobile-data page does not distort the transport answer you already settled.
Use a live provider page only after this transport default already looks defensible, not as a shortcut around the pass decision.

Arrival-day data check

If Welcome Suica already won, solve phone data as the next separate task

Open the partner section below only after flexible transport already feels like the right answer and the next weak point is live route recovery.

Check whether your phone is unlocked and eSIM-ready before comparing plans.
Check plan size against arrival day and heavier travel days, not only the first ride.
Do not let the data page reopen the Welcome Suica versus pass decision.

Jump to arrival-day data checkIf transport still feels open, finish this guide first.

Next high-intent step after flexible transport is mostly settled

Open Best area to stay in Tokyo next if the hotel base or first useful station pair is still doing more work than pass math.
Open Best eSIM for Japan next if Welcome Suica already feels right and the next weak point is live maps, hotel contact, or day-one route recovery.
Open Welcome Suica vs Tokyo Subway Ticket for 3 days only if the trip is short and dense enough that one transport product could realistically shape nearly every Tokyo day.

Official product checks

Use operator pages to confirm live coverage, validity, device support, and purchase rules after the broad transport answer is already clear.

Last checked April 3, 2026

Check live product rules before you pay: Eligibility, duration, supported networks, and pass validity can change.

Checked here first

Current physical Welcome Suica purchase locations, validity, top-up, refund, and reissue rules.
Current Welcome Suica Mobile setup and validity rules, including Apple Pay-linked charging, location requirements, reissue path, and refund limits.
Which product limits still need a live recheck before buying or loading value.
Which hotel lanes and first useful station pairs still make operator flexibility more valuable than a narrower pass.

Official pages kept nearby

If the product answer mostly holds

Keep one guide open before provider or booking tabs spread

Use one more guide only if transport fit, hotel lane, or the first airport route still changes what you should buy. Then use the live provider or booking page to confirm the last weak point instead of reopening the whole transport search.

Where to stay in Tokyo next

Hotel base first: Best area to stay in Tokyo

Choose the hotel base next because station choice often decides whether flexible IC travel still stays smarter.

Best when

Your hotel base is still open. Settle that first because it decides whether later transport and booking choices stay calm.

Open where-to-stay guide

Keep only the one remaining transport or route question open

Best eSIM next

Arrival-day data next: Best eSIM for Japan

Open the data guide next if flexible transport already feels right but live maps, hotel contact, or route recovery still feel weak.

Short-trip comparison next

Short trip check: Welcome Suica vs Tokyo Subway Ticket for 3 days

Use the narrower comparison only if the trip is short enough that one transport product could shape nearly every Tokyo day.

Reader-supported, not sales-first

Partner links appear only after the comparison, cautions, and official-source check are already in place.

If flexible transport already won

Solve arrival-day data only after the transport default and hotel lane are clear

Use a live data page only after Welcome Suica already looks like the right transport answer. Keep phone setup separate from the transport decision, and use the provider page only if maps, hotel contact, or last-mile recovery still feel like the next weak point.

Partner option

Disclosure

Airalo

Useful once the guide already confirms that transport flexibility is handled and you want to remove the next first-day friction before arrival, such as maps, hotel contact, or a weak last handoff.

Useful when: Travelers who already settled the flexible transport question and want arrival-day data as the next station-side recovery task

Shown only after the article separates Tokyo transport logic from phone setup, so the provider page is used for live plan checks rather than for solving the transport decision itself.

Check before booking

Confirm validity period, supported network, and whether hotspot sharing matters for your trip.
Compare the plan size against your arrival day and intercity travel days, not just the first evening.
Use the official operator page if you still need device compatibility confirmation.

Check arrival-day data plans

Final pricing, supported network, and activation steps are shown on the partner page.

Pass questions

Last pass questions

Use these only if the product fit is already mostly clear.

Is Welcome Suica worth it for a first trip?

Usually yes, if route flexibility matters more than squeezing out the lowest theoretical fare on every ride.

Does Welcome Suica save money the way a pass does?

No. It is mainly a convenience product, not a universal discount product.

Can I get a refund or replacement if plans change or I lose the card?

Physical Welcome Suica is the stricter case. JR East says normal refunds are not available and lost physical cards cannot be reissued. Welcome Suica Mobile is different: JR East's current terms say the stored balance cannot normally be refunded, but they also describe a reissuance registration path through the management system or support center if the mobile device is lost, stolen, or malfunctions.

Should I choose physical Welcome Suica or Welcome Suica Mobile?

Choose mobile only if your iPhone and Apple Pay setup already feel routine. If device setup is still uncertain, the transport decision is usually cleaner with the physical card because it keeps the phone question separate.

Can I top up Welcome Suica with a credit card?

Not the physical card. JR East's current English purchase page says physical Welcome Suica top-ups must be in yen and a credit card cannot be used. The mobile version is different because it charges through the card you registered with Apple Pay.

Can I buy physical Welcome Suica at any station?

No. JR East sells it only at listed JR EAST Travel Service Centers, Welcome Suica ticket vending machines at certain airport stations, JAPAN RAIL CAFE TOKYO, and TAKANAWA GATEWAY Travel Service Center. The current page also says that, in principle, only one Welcome Suica can be sold to each individual.

Can I rely on Welcome Suica Mobile before I land in Japan?

Only if the phone side is already calm. JR East's current notice says location information must be turned on, and in some countries there are restrictions on issuing or topping up Suica until after you enter Japan.

If I lose my phone, is Welcome Suica Mobile simply gone?

Not necessarily. JR East's current terms describe a reissuance registration path through the management system or support center for loss, theft, or device malfunction. That is still different from a carefree refund policy, so the setup should feel stable before you rely on it.

Should I decide this before I choose my hotel area?

Usually yes if the hotel area is still open. Welcome Suica is strongest when it protects you from making the transport decision too early.

When should I stop reading this guide and step back to the Tokyo base guide?

Step back when the real problem is still where to stay rather than which transport product to load. If the hotel lane or first useful station pair is still moving, the broad stay guide will settle more of the trip than another round of pass comparison.