Travel in Hokkaido

I'll be visiting Hokkaido for 9 days from 16-24 July'08

I'll go with my 5-month pregancy wife and 3.5 years old child.

Here is our itenerary (already fixed) :
16th: I'll arrive Sapporo late at night.
17th: Will go to Hakodate. Expect to arrive Hakodate around noon, and spend all day travelling in Hakodate. Stay at Toyoko-Inn Ekimae Asaichi.
18th: Spend another day in Hakodate
19th: Will leave to Noboribetsu. Will visit Bear Farm and Hell Valley. And stay at Dai-chi Takimotokan.
20th: Travel back to Sapporo late afternoon. Stay at New Sunroute Hotel.
21th: Spend another day in Sapporo.
22th: Go to Asahikawa for Asahiyama Zoo and Mt.Asahidake. Stay at Toyoko Inn Ekimae Miyashita Dori.
23th: Go to Biei and Furano for Lavender Field. Come back to stay Asahikawa.
24th: Get back to Sapporo and go back to BKK.

Many said I should have changed my route but I was fixed by air-ticket (to sapporo).

My questions:
1. Should I drive or use JR Rail Pass?
2. If I drive, what is an average parking fee in Hokkaido? Per hour/ Per day/or per minute?
3. I've heard that distances between one attraction to another attractions is quite far. If I use JR Pass, is it gonna be so tired for my wife to walk from place to place in those cities?

Actually, all I'm worried about is parking fee. If the parking fee is acceptable, I'll drive. But if it's extremely high, I'll take JR Rail Pass.

Thank you very much for your advise in advance.

Should I drive or use JR Rail Pass?

Driving would be most convenient, but also most tiring. Especially Sapporo-Hakodate is a very long drive.

If I drive, what is an average parking fee in Hokkaido? Per hour/ Per day/or per minute?

Around 1000 yen per night in the city centers. Some sightseeing spots charge 200-500 yen fees for using their parking lots.

Actually, all I'm worried about is parking fee. If the parking fee is acceptable, I'll drive. But if it's extremely high, I'll take JR Rail Pass.

You will be paying much more money on gasoline, expressway tolls and rental fees than on parking!

If you're going by train, JR runs a special Ltd. Exp. Asahiyama Zoo Train from Sapporo to Asahiyama Zoo in the summer. The train is decorated inside-out on an "animal theme", even has a playroom inside one of the compartments. Your kid may love it. The train runs only on weekends from June to October, but from late July to end of August, it runs everyday.




http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp