Private Railway Limited Expresses and LinersHow to Bookand How They Differ from JR Green Cars
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This is Part 7, the last part of our guide to paid seats on Tokyo trains. In Part 1 we promised a company-by-company guide to booking private-railway limited expresses and liners. Here it is.
How is this different from a JR Green Car?
The local-train Green Car from Part 2 is entirely unreserved (JR East, Green Cars on local trains (Japanese)). You buy a Green Car ticket on the day and sit wherever there is a free seat. The ticket is good for one trip on the day you buy it (JR East, Green Cars on Local Trains).
Tokyo’s private-railway limited expresses and liners work the other way round. As a rule you choose a train and a seat, then buy a limited express ticket or a seat reservation ticket for it.
Seibu's Limited Express Laview. Yellow seats behind very large windows.
Swipe the table sideways to see more →
| JR local-train Green Car | Private-railway limited express or liner | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | All unreserved JR East, Green Cars on local trains (Japanese) | You buy a specific train and seat |
| Ticket valid for | One trip on the day of purchase JR East, Green Cars on Local Trains | The train and seat you bought |
| On sale from | The day you ride (Suica or the app) | A month ahead, a week ahead or the same morning, depending on the company |
| When full | You still need the ticket even if you stand JR East, Green Car fares (Japanese) | No free seat, no ticket |
You still pay the fare
With every company, the limited express ticket or seat ticket is on top of the normal fare (for example Seibu, limited expresses, S-TRAIN and Haijima Liner (Japanese)). Tap your Suica or PASMO at the gate as usual.
How to buy, company by company
Swipe the table sideways to see more →
| Train | Main ways to buy | On sale from | Sample price (fare not included) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odakyu Romancecar | e-Romancecar, EMot, station counters | 10:00, one month before | Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto ¥1,200 (ticketless ¥1,150) |
| Tobu limited expresses | Tobu’s ticketless service, station machines and counters | 9:00, one month before | Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko, Spacia X Standard Seat ¥1,940 (regular season) |
| Seibu Laview | Smooz, station counters and designated machines | 7:00, one month before | Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu ¥900 |
| Keisei Skyliner | Skyliner online booking, station counters | 9:00, one month before (online) | Keisei-Ueno or Nippori to Narita Airport ¥1,300 |
| Keio Liner | Keio ticketless service, station machines (same day only) | 7:00, seven days before | Ticketless ¥500 weekdays, ¥400 weekends and holidays |
| Tokyu Q SEAT | Q SEAT ticketless service, station gate windows, on board | 5:00 on the day | ¥500 |
| Keikyu Wing | KQuick, Wing Ticket machines | Depends on the train | ¥300 |
Odakyu Romancecar
Every Romancecar seat is reserved (Odakyu, buying a Romancecar ticket (Japanese)). Online through e-Romancecar, tickets are on sale from 10:00 one month before until departure time (Odakyu, e-Romancecar FAQ (Japanese)). Odakyu’s English website links to online booking in English (Odakyu, Romancecar (English)).
From Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, you pay a limited express charge of ¥1,200 (¥1,150 ticketless) plus a fare of ¥1,270 (¥1,261 with an IC card) (Odakyu, Romancecar charges (Japanese)).
The refund fee is ¥100 per ticket. Before departure, you can switch to another train if it has free seats (Odakyu, refunds and changes (Japanese)). If you board without a ticket, ¥350 is added to the limited express charge on board.
How to get the observation seats is in Part 5.
＼ Going on to Hakone? ／
↓ Trains, ropeway, boat and buses in one pass ↓
Tobu limited expresses
You can buy limited express tickets on Tobu’s ticketless service, トブチケ!, which works without signing up, or at ticket machines and counters at Tobu’s main stations (Tobu, renewal of the ticketless service (Japanese)). Sales open at 9:00 one month before (Tobu, How to purchase limited express tickets).
A Standard Seat on the Spacia X from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko costs ¥1,940 in the regular season. Since March 2025 it has been ¥2,140 in the peak season and ¥1,740 in the off-peak season (Tobu, peak and off-peak limited express charges (Japanese)), so check which season your date falls in.
The refund fee is ¥100 (Tobu, Limited Express Ticket Refunds). Buying on board adds ¥200 (Tobu, extra limited expresses on the Nikko Line (Japanese)). Seat tickets for the TJ Liner on the Tojo Line are sold through the same service.
Seibu Laview, S-TRAIN and Haijima Liner
The yellow seats of the Limited Express Laview
The Laview needs a limited express ticket, and the S-TRAIN and Haijima Liner need a reserved-seat ticket (Seibu, limited expresses, S-TRAIN and Haijima Liner (Japanese)). On Seibu’s online service, Smooz, tickets go on sale at 7:00 one month before (Seibu, Smooz guide (Japanese)).
The Laview from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu has a limited express charge of ¥900 (Seibu, Limited Express Laview (Japanese)). The refund fee is ¥100 per seat, and a ticket bought on Smooz can be changed up to twice if seats are free. If you board without buying first, ¥200 is added.
Keisei Skyliner
Every Skyliner seat is reserved (Keisei, Skyliner tickets (Japanese)). Online booking opens at 9:00 one month before and stays open until one minute before departure (Keisei, Skyliner FAQ (Japanese)).
From Keisei-Ueno or Nippori to Narita Airport, you pay a liner charge of ¥1,300 plus a fare of ¥1,280 (¥1,267 with an IC card). The refund fee is ¥100 per seat, and you can change your ticket for free up to twice before departure. Without a Skyliner ticket, ¥300 is added for an adult (Keisei, how to ride (Japanese)).
All the ways from Narita into the city are in our Narita Airport guide.
Keio Liner and Mt.TAKAO
Keio Liner prices changed on October 1, 2026 (Keio, Keio Liner standing tickets (Japanese)). Through the Keio ticketless service (web and the Keio app) it costs ¥500 on weekdays and ¥400 on weekends and holidays. At station machines it is ¥600 and ¥500.
On weekdays there is now also a standing ticket for ¥400, sold ticketless only. If you board without a ticket, you pay ¥1,000 per person on board.
Ticketless sales open at 7:00 seven days before. Station machines sell only same-day tickets, and you cannot choose your seat (Keio, Keio Liner FAQ (Japanese)). The refund fee is ¥100 per seat, free until 2:00 on the day of the train.
Some pages on Keio's website still showed the old prices. The prices above are from the news release.
The Mt.TAKAO train toward Mount Takao costs ¥400 ticketless and ¥500 at a machine (Keio, Mt.TAKAO (Japanese)).
Tokyu Q SEAT
On weekday evenings, one car of some Express trains on the Toyoko and Oimachi lines becomes a reserved Q SEAT car (Tokyu, Q SEAT (Japanese)). It is car 5 on the Toyoko Line and car 3 on the Oimachi Line.
The price is ¥500 for adults and children alike (Tokyu, Toyoko Line Q SEAT (Japanese)). Tickets go on sale at 5:00 on the day and until one minute before departure, with no advance sales. You can buy them through the Q SEAT ticketless service on your phone, at station gate windows, or on board. The refund fee is ¥100 per seat, and there are no refunds after departure.
Keikyu Wing
Keikyu has the Morning Wing and Evening Wing trains, plus the Wing Seat in car 2 of Kaitoku trains on weekends and holidays (Keikyu, Wing seat reservation service (Japanese)). A Wing Ticket costs ¥300, and you can buy it online through KQuick (Keikyu, KQuick guide (Japanese)).
When sales open depends on the train. The Wing Seat goes on sale eight days before, the Morning Wing six days before, and the Evening Wing on the day, each from 4:30 in the morning.
Things to watch out for
Buying on board usually costs more
Board without a ticket and you pay extra: ¥350 on Odakyu, ¥200 on Seibu, Tobu and Keikyu, ¥300 on the Skyliner, and ¥1,000 per person on the Keio Liner. Buying ahead is always better.
Note the sale date for peak weekends
Weekend limited expresses to Hakone, Nikko and Chichibu fill up in the busy seasons. Check when each company starts selling tickets for your date.
Tips for riding with large luggage are in Part 6.
Which one suits you?
Hakone → Odakyu Romancecar
Nikko and Kinugawa → Tobu limited express
Chichibu → Seibu Laview
Narita Airport → Skyliner
To sit down on the way back in the evening: Keio Liner, TJ Liner, Q SEAT or Wing.
To sit down easily on JR: a local-train Green Car (see Part 2).
Thank you for reading all seven parts
Tokyo has so many kinds of trains that it can feel confusing at first. Once you get used to them, though, they are a wonderfully convenient way to get around.
I hope this series helps you enjoy your trip to Tokyo.
All seven parts of this series
- Part 1 Tokyo Train Paid Seats Explained, Green Cars, Limited Expresses and Liners
- Part 2 JR Green Cars on Tokyo Local Trains, Fares and How to Buy with Suica
- Part 3 Shinkansen Green Car vs Local Train Green Car, Fares, Seats and Tickets
- Part 4 Tokyo Train Types Explained, Rapid, Express and Limited Express and Which Ones Cost Extra
- Part 5 Special Trains from Tokyo, Restaurant Trains, Observation Seats and a Steam Train
- Part 6 Taking a Suitcase on Tokyo Trains, Green Cars, Limited Expresses and the Shinkansen
- Part 7 Private Railway Limited Expresses and Liners in Tokyo (this article)
Practical information
- Checked on October 19, 2026
- Odakyu Romancecar e-Romancecar from 10:00 one month before. Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, limited express charge ¥1,200 (ticketless ¥1,150). Refund fee ¥100. ¥350 extra on board
- Tobu limited expresses From 9:00 one month before. Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko, Spacia X Standard Seat ¥1,940 (regular season). Refund fee ¥100. ¥200 extra on board
- Seibu Laview Smooz and others from 7:00 one month before. Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu ¥900. Refund fee ¥100. ¥200 extra if not bought ahead
- Keisei Skyliner Online from 9:00 one month before. Keisei-Ueno or Nippori to Narita Airport, liner charge ¥1,300. Refund fee ¥100. ¥300 extra for an adult without a ticket
- Keio Liner Ticketless from 7:00 seven days before. ¥500 weekdays, ¥400 weekends and holidays (¥600 and ¥500 at machines). ¥1,000 on board
- Tokyu Q SEAT From 5:00 on the day. ¥500. Refund fee ¥100
- Keikyu Wing KQuick, from 4:30 eight days before, six days before or on the day, depending on the train. ¥300
- Official pages JR East, Green Cars on local trains, JR East, Green Cars on Local Trains (English), JR East, Green Car fares, Odakyu, buying a Romancecar ticket, Odakyu, e-Romancecar FAQ, Odakyu, Romancecar charges, Odakyu, refunds and changes, Odakyu, Romancecar (English), Tobu, renewal of the ticketless service, Tobu, How to purchase limited express tickets (English), Tobu, peak and off-peak charges, Tobu, Limited Express Ticket Refunds (English), Tobu, extra limited expresses on the Nikko Line, Seibu, limited expresses, S-TRAIN and Haijima Liner, Seibu, Smooz guide, Seibu, Limited Express Laview, Keisei, Skyliner tickets, Keisei, Skyliner FAQ, Keisei, how to ride, Keio, Keio Liner standing tickets, Keio, Keio Liner FAQ, Keio, Mt.TAKAO, Tokyu, Q SEAT, Tokyu, Toyoko Line Q SEAT, Keikyu, Wing seat reservation service, Keikyu, KQuick guide (in Japanese unless marked English)
- Photos All photos are my own.
Note: Prices, sale dates and booking rules change. Please check each company’s official information before you travel.
Affiliate note: This article contains affiliate links to Klook. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
