Note also that between Kanita and Kikonai, the last station before and the first station after the tunnel between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, you are allowed to ride a limited express train (tokkyu) with the Seishun 18 Kippu, as there are no local or rapid trains between Honshu and Hokkaido. It is one of two exceptional cases where you are allowed to ride limited express trains.

The example timetables below show only the stations where a transfer is necessary and some of the major stations along the way. The data is subject to change. Double-check before starting your trip!

 
Example 1: In two days to Sapporo

In this example, we are using daytime trains from Tokyo to Aomori on the first day, and continue on the second day from Aomori to Sapporo. Note that this option requires an additional 640 Yen because of a short distance traveled on non-JR owned tracks between Morioka and Koma.

Day 1:
As of June 2006

Ueno (Tokyo)	06:09
Utsunomiya	07:52	08:02
Kuroiso		08:56	09:39
Koriyama			10:40	11:06
Fukushima				11:53	12:00
Shiroishi					12:33	12:36
Sendai						13:23	13:40
Ichinoseki							15:22	15:27
Hiraizumi								15:35
Morioka								16:56

Morioka	17:46
Odate	20:45	21:06
Hirosaki		21:51	21:55
Aomori			22:39

The red color indicates that an additional 630 Yen has to be paid on that section.

Day 2:
As of June 2006

Aomori	10:59
Kanita	11:35	11:43
Kikonai		12:30	12:35
Hakodate			13:46	14:39
Oshamambe				17:43	17:47
Otaru					20:42	20:56
Sapporo						21:42

 
Example 2: In two days to Sapporo

In this example, we are using daytime trains from Tokyo to Akita on the first day, and continue on the second day from Akita to Sapporo. Unlike example 1, this option requires no additional payments.

Day 1:
As of June 2006

Ueno (Tokyo)	07:00
Utsunomiya	08:42	08:45
Kuroiso		09:35	10:33
Koriyama			11:37	11:55
Fukushima				12:43	12:54
Yonezawa					13:40	13:47
Yamagata						14:33	14:45
Shinjo							16:02	16:19
Akita								19:25

Day 2:
As of June 2006

Akita	05:40
Hirosaki	08:33	10:02
Aomori		10:49	10:59
Kanita			11:35	11:43
Kikonai				12:30	12:35
Hakodate					13:46	14:39
Oshamambe						17:43	17:47
Otaru							20:42	20:56
Sapporo								21:42

 
Example 3: Taking the "Moonlight Echigo" night train

By using the "Moonlight Echigo", one of the night trains classified as rapid train (kaisoku), you can get as far as Kikonai, the first station on Hokkaido within 24 hours.

Note, however, that the train leaves Tokyo before midnight, which means that you have to pay the fare up to the first station reached after midnight, which happens to be Takasaki. Unfortunately, the fare to Takasaki is a relatively hefty 1,890 Yen.

If you do not mind spending an additional 1,310 Yen for a ticket on the limited express from Kikonai to Hakodate, you could actually make it all the way to Hakodate on the first day. Otherwise, you can reach Hakodate or Sapporo on the second day.

As of June 2006

Shinjuku (Tokyo)	23:09
Takasaki	01:13
Niigata	04:51	04:56
Murakami		05:49	05:59
Sakata			08:18	09:38
Akita				11:31	13:12
Hirosaki					16:23
Aomori					17:12	18:22
Kanita						19:05	20:29
Kikonai							21:16
Hakodate							21:54*

* Using the limited express between Kikonai and Hakodate (plus 1,310 Yen).