Getting to Niseko and back again

Ground transport into Niseko from New Chitose Airport

On arrival at Chitose international airport, visitors not on a full travel package have a few options to complete this last leg of their journey to Niseko and back. Although the trip is only 110kms, due to icy roads and no direct train route, it takes two to three hours.

Bus

The bus is the most convenient and commonly used form of transport from the airport in winter. Buses depart about every 30 minutes from the airport to dropoff points in every resort in Niseko – Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri. They take about three hours, and most include a rest stop halfway and some drop-off at Rusutsu.

One way will cost about ¥2500, or ¥4,000 for a round trip.

There are four different bus companies doing the route. Whiteliner, Donan, Chuo and Hokkaido Resort Liner. They all cost roughly the same and take the same amount of time to get to Niseko. Whiteliner runs the latest with their last service about 9pm.

Bus company contact numbers (operators may not speak English)

Whiteliner Buses
011-242-2040
Chuo Buses
011-231-0500
Donan buses
0123-46-5701
Hokkaido Resort Liner
011-219-4411

Door to door transfer

Skybus offers a door to door transfer service from the airport to Niseko or Sapporo. Chitose to Niseko from ¥9000 return per person, or better deals for private shuttle transfers – ¥30,000 one way for up to 5 passengers, ¥40,000 one way for up to 9 passengers, or ¥50,000 one way for up to 14 passengers. Go to www.skybus-jp.com

Train

In summer there are no buses, so train is the only public transport available to/from the airport.  In winter, you’re better off catching the bus as it will whisk you directly to your resort of choice.

However the train is more scenic, passing by the ocean and deep through the snow-bound countryside. For those who don’t mind taking a bit more time and effort, the train may add to your Niseko experience.

There is no direct train from Chitose to Kutchan (the closest major station to Niseko) so you need to change at Otaru (if you do your research it is possible to change at Sapporo to catch one of the few trains that run direct from Sapporo to Kutchan – but you’re better off changing at Otaru).

Once you get to Kutchan you will still need to make the last leg to Niseko – a 15 minute taxi ride, which will cost about ¥3000. The whole trip should take 3-4 hours.

The train terminal is on the basement level of the airport. One way to Kutchan is about ¥3000, or about ¥5000 return.

For more information and the latest up to date timetables and fares, go to the Hokkaido Railways homepage: http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/index.html

Station contact numbers (operators may not speak English)

Airport.........................................0123-45-7011
Sapporo.......................................011-222-7111
Otaru...........................................0134-22-0771
Kutchan station..........................0136-22-1310
Niseko station.............................0135-44-2104

Car rental

If you are comfortable driving in the snow, renting can be convenient as it allows you to take a trip to Kutchan to stock up the fridge before returning the car. One way hire from Chitose to Hirafu is about ¥7,000 for six - 24 hours. Nippon Rentacar, Mazda and Orix have offices in the Niseko area. If you want a car only in Niseko, you can contact Black Diamond Lodge in Higashiyama.

Mazda Rent a Car : Chitose airport 0123-45-8756, Niseko 011-231-0118 (drop off and pick up in Niseko only available on weekdays)
Nippon Rent a Car : Chitose airport 0123-26-0919, Niseko 0136-43-2929
Orix Rent a Car : Chitose airport  0123-22-0543, Izumikyo (Hirafu)  0134-25-0543
Black Diamond Lodge : 0136-44-1144 www.bdlodge.com

Taxi

A standard taxi from Chitose to Hirafu will cost about ¥30,000, but you may not fit all your gear in it.

Prai Taxi charges ¥20,000 for a small taxi (3-4 people) or ¥33,000 for a jumbo (8-10 people). Call 011 207 5166 or www.prai.co.jp.

Overnight stopover in Sapporo

If your flight gets in to Chitose late, you may have to stay overnight.

For more on things to do in Sapporo, check out our Sapporo Travel Guide.

Narita airlines and terminals

There are two terminals at Narita which are connected by shuttle bus and trains.

Terminal 1

North Wing (mostly SkyTeam carriers)
Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Aircalin (Nouméa), Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia, Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Northwest Airlines, Virgin Atlantic

South Wing (Star Alliance carriers, except Air New Zealand)
Air Canada, Air China, All Nippon Airways (ANA),  Air Central, Air Japan, Ibex Airlines, Air Nippon, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, EVA Air, Jet Airways, Lufthansa, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Thai Airways International, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, Vladivostok Air

Terminal 2

(JAL, selected Oneworld carriers)
Air India, Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, EgyptAir, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Iberia Airlines, Iran Air, Japan Airlines, J-Air, JAL Express, JALways, Malaysia Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Jetstar Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Vietnam Airlines.

Connecting to Hokkaido

You can get a connecting flight from Narita to Hokkaido. Many travel agents will tell you you can’t, but you definitely can. It’s just that many travel packages have the connecting flight from Haneda as this is often cheaper. But ideally you want to go from Narita as Haneda is a 90 minute bus ride away. See our Powderlife Hot Tip on the right.

If your connecting flight leaves from Narita, you simply need to leave the baggage collection hall, turn right and follow the signs towards the domestic connections check in counter.

If your domestic connection to Hokkaido goes from Haneda, Powderlife recommends the airport bus transfer services.

Use the Airport Limousine service which costs about ¥3000 and takes about 90 minutes. The ticket desks are straight across the hall in front of you as you exit the baggage claim area and attendants speak English and can help answer any questions. Look for Airport Limousine’s bright orange signage. Buy your ticket and head to the corresponding bus stop number which will be just outside the doors near where you buy your ticket. Airport Limousine homepage: www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/

You can do the journey by train for about half the price of the bus at about ¥1500, but it takes longer - about 2 hours. It’s a bit of a mission but if you really want to do it, take the Keisei Limited Express to Aoto Station (takes about an hour) then change to the Keikyu line for Haneda (another hour trip).

Overnight stopover in Tokyo

If your flight gets in after about 6pm, you may be too late to get a connecting flight to Hokkaido. You will have to head into Tokyo and stay at a hotel overnight. This is not such a bad thing as Tokyo is truly an amazing city – just 12 hours will give you an appreciation for how many people and buildings there are in this metropolis.

For more on things to do in Tokyo, check out our Tokyo Travel Guide (link).

Ground Transport into Tokyo from Narita

Bus

Powderlife recommends the airport bus transfer services  if you’re going in to Tokyo. They can take a little longer than the train if there’s traffic (generally about 90 minutes) and cost a little more (¥3000 – ¥4000). But your luggage goes underneath (in the train you have to keep it in the main carriage with or near you) and you can be dropped off at major hotels in the centre of Tokyo, at Disneyland, or at Tokyo or Shinjuku stations. If you’ve got a bit of luggage, hauling it thru crowded train stations (very crowded!) can be very draining after a long flight, especially as you may have to change trains and do a bit of walking.

Airport Limousine

(recommended) is the main one or Keisei Bus is the alternative. The ticket desks are straight across the hall in front of you as you exit the baggage claim area and attendants speak English and can help answer any questions about where you’re going. Look for Airport Limousine’s bright orange signage. Buy your ticket and head to the corresponding bus stop number which will be just outside the doors near where you buy your ticket.

Airport Limousine says it best themselves: “Why Limousine, not Train? Not a bit sweat of going up and down the stairs required on taking the trains, but just sit back and relax to fully enjoy the smoothest cruising with us.”

Train

If you decide to go for the train, there are two train lines to and from Narita:

JR East – If you’re going to or coming from Tokyo Station or further south, the Narita Express on the JR East line leaves every half hour or so and is the fastest train to Tokyo. It takes between 53 and 70 minutes depending on the time of day. It goes to JR stations Shinjuku, Tokyo, Ikebukero, Shinagawa and Yokohama. Fares are about ¥3000. Buy tickets from ticket windows or ticket machines.

Keisei Line – If you’re not going as far as Tokyo Station (north Tokyo stations), the Keisei line’s Skyliner Express is slightly quicker and cheaper. It takes 51 minutes to Nippori Station or 56 to Keisei Ueno Station and costs about ¥2000. If you want to go further south, you should catch the Narita Express, but if you’re really on a budget and need to save every Yen, change trains to go further south to the JR lines at Nippori (you can change at Ueno but it’s a long walk to the JR station). Buy tickets from ticket windows or ticket machines.

For more info on trains services to and from Narita see Narita Airport’s homepage: www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/train/index.html
Tokyo’s train system is amazingly efficient and well organised, but can be daunting for a first timer. For more info on the Tokyo train system the Japan guide gives a good basic overview to start you off: www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html

Taxi

You can catch a taxi into central Tokyo but it’s pretty expensive – probably more than ¥20,000 plus an extra ¥1500+ for highway surcharges if it’s early or late in the day.

Haneda Airlines and terminals

There are three terminals at Haneda: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and the International Terminal. An underground walkway connects the two terminals and there is also a free shuttle bus running constantly.

Terminal 1

JAL (Japan Airlines) and budget carrier Skymark Airlines.

Terminal 2

ANA (All Nippon Airways) and budget carrier Air Do (Hokkaido International Airlines).

Transfer to Narita for departing international flights

Bus

Airport Limousine buses service Haneda Airport and are the most popular option when transferring to Narita. It takes about 90 minutes and costs about ¥3000. The ticket desks are not far from the baggage claim area. Look for the bright orange signage.  Attendants speak English and can help answer any questions about where you’re going. Buy your ticket and head to the corresponding bus stop number which will be just outside the doors near where you buy your ticket.

Train

You can do the journey by train for about half the price of the bus at about ¥1500, but it takes longer – about 2 hours – and you have to look after your luggage in the sometimes crowded trains. If you really want to do it, take the Keikyu line to Aoto (about an hour) then transfer to the Keisei Line and catch a Limited Express to Narita Airport station.

Ground Transport into Tokyo from Haneda

Train

Haneda is just 10km from central Tokyo so the train can be a faster and cheaper option than the bus service (Airport Limousine). Just be aware that these are commuter trains and could be very crowded in the morning and evening, and people might get annoyed if you’ve got a lot of luggage.

There are two train lines from Haneda – the Keihin Kyuko Railway (shortened to Keikyu) and the Tokyo Monorail.

The  Keikyu line will shoot you into Shinagawa, one of Tokyo’s main hubs, in 19 minutes for ¥400. Shinagawa is on the Yamonote Line, central Tokyo’s circle line which can feed you to most of the major parts of the city. The Keikyu line becomes the Toei Asakusa Line after Shinagawa and goes on to several major stations in eastern Tokyo, including Asakusa which is home to several backpackers hostels and one of Tokyo’s most popular temples and markets.

The Tokyo Monorail is a more scenic option. Express services leave every 10 minutes or so and get to Hamamatsucho Station in a smooth 16 minutes  for ¥470. From Hamamatsucho you can transfer to the JR Yamamote Line or JR Keihin Tohoku Line to feed you to other parts of Tokyo.

Tokyo’s train system is amazingly efficient and well organised, but can be daunting for a first timer. For more info on the Tokyo train system the Japan guide gives a good basic overview to start you off: www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html

Bus

Powderlife recommends the Airport Limousine when heading from Haneda in Tokyo. It will drop you off at most major hotels and hubs in Tokyo without having to negotiate crowded train stations with your luggage. The ticket desks are not far from the baggage claim area. Look for the bright orange signage.  Attendants speak English and can help answer any questions about where you’re going. Buy your ticket and head to the corresponding bus stop number which will be just outside the doors near where you buy your ticket.
Check the Airport Limousine website for more details: www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/

Taxi

If you’ve got lots of large luggage, Tokyo’s small taxis are not recommended. But as Haneda is just 10km from central Tokyo, taxis are an affordable option if you’re tavelling light and going to nearby centres including the Tokyo Station area, Ginza, Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Connecting to Hokkaido

Only JAL (Japan Airlines) and ANA (All Nippon Airways) fly to Hokkaido from Osaka, and both go from Kansai International.

Overnight stopover in Osaka

If your flight gets in after about 6pm, you may be too late to get a connecting flight to Hokkaido. You will have to head into Osaka and stay at a hotel overnight.

For things to do in Osaka, check out our Osaka Travel Guide (link).

Ground Transport into Osaka

The bridge to the mainland is built for road traffic and trains.

Rail

There are two companies with train lines servicing the airport – JR West and Nankai Electric Railway.

The JR train runs a limited express service called Haruka every half hour which goes to Tennoji Station in southern Osaka in 30 mins for ¥2100; Shin-Osaka (the city’s major station and shinkansen station) in 50 mins for ¥2800; and Kyoto in 70 mins for ¥3500).

JR also runs a budget non-express service, the JR Kansai Airport Line, which gets to Tennoji in 50 mins for ¥1000, and Osaka in 70 minutes for ¥1200. It makes several stops to pick up commuters and can get very crowded.

Nankai’s express service is called ‘Rap:t’ and goes to Namba, one of Osaka’s main stations in 35 minutes for ¥1400. Nankai’s budget service is the Nankai Airport Express, which takes 45 mins for ¥900 to Namba and makes several stops to pick up commuters, so can get crowded.

Bus

There are several bus companies offering transfers into several hubs in Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. They are collectively called ‘Airport Limousines’. To Osaka station it takes about 60 mins and costs about ¥1500. For more information see Kansai International Airport’s website: www.kansai-airport.or.jp

Ferry

There is a new ferry service from KIX to Kobe Airport. It takes half an hour and costs ¥1500.

Taxi

The airport is about an hour’s drive from Osaka, so a taxi isn’t recommended, unless you can afford a stretch limo.

Connecting to Hokkaido

Only JAL (Japan Airlines) and ANA (All Nippon Airways) fly to Hokkaido from Nagoya, and both go from Chuubu.

Overnight stopover in Nagoya

If your flight gets in after about 6pm, you may be too late to get a connecting flight to Hokkaido. You will have to head into Nagoya and stay at a hotel overnight.

Ground Transport into Nagoya

Rail

The Rapid Limited Express on the Meitetsu line will get you into central in 28 minutes for ¥850.

Bus

You can catch buses from the airport into Nagoya and to a number of places in central Japan. The bust to Nagoya is ¥1000 and takes about an hour. To Nagano it takes about 5 hours and costs ¥4000.

Taxi

A taxi into Nagoya will cost about ¥12,000.