Cassiopeia

Is this train totally worth the extra fees?
I have a 14 day JR Pass.
What are the chances I can secure a room for 2 people?
Nov 16 or 17,2012 dates. I land in Japan on the 15th Nov 2012.
What days does it run?
Can't locate that info.

Is this train totally worth the extra fees?

It depends on the person. I think you have to be wealthy and like overnight trains for it to be worthwhile.

What are the chances I can secure a room for 2 people? Nov 16 or 17,2012 dates.

Unfortunately, the Cassiopeia does not run between October 12 and December 18, 2012. It is low season.

Thanks Uji for the reply.
Do you know when Cassiopeia runs?
Does it run only in the peak seasons?
What months?

Generally, the train runs three times per week except around New Year, Golden Week and the summer holidays when it runs every second day.

I think the fact that it does not operate for several week this autumn is somewhat exceptional.

Canadian girl,

The Cassiopeia train normally runs all year round, as Uji says, but it is out of action for the next two months while it undergoes a major overhaul. There is only the one train, so there is no spare to fill in for it, and this time of year is normally a fairly quiet time between the busy summer and New Year seasons.

A couple years ago I got a chance to ride the train from the Sapporo to Ueno direction. The downside: the quarters were small, dining was on a set schedule, and much of the travel was either in the dark of night or underground, and you're spending more of your vacation time travelling comparatively slowly by train then if you flew. If travelling in those conditions do not bother you, I would highly suggest it. I found the unique accomodations charming and a nice change of pace considering I usually fly or travel via the shinkansen.