First time in Hokkaido

My friends and I will go to Japan in FEB 2009

here's the plan (We stay in ueno)

Jan 31 Sa
Tokyo (stay in Tokyo)

Feb 1 Su Start JR pass
GalaYuzawa skiing / Niigata for Concert (Tokyo)

Feb 2 M
Takayama (Tokyo)

Feb 3 T
Sendai �EMatsushima / Hiraizumi - Hachinohe (Night Train)
-----------------------------
HOKKAIDO type A

Feb 4 W
Sapporo - Noboribetsu - Festival (Noboribetsu)

Feb 5 Th
Noboribetsu - Hakodate (Hakodate)

Feb 6 F
Hakodate - Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo)

Feb 7 Sa
Sapporo - Otaru (Night Train)
-----------------------------
Feb 8 Su
Arrive Tokyo
*****************************

HOKKAIDO type B

Feb 4 W
Sapporo - Otaru (Stay Sapporo)

Feb 5 Th
Snow festival - Noboribetsu(Noboribetsu)

Feb 6 F
Noboribetsu - Hakodate (Hakodate)

Feb 7 Sa
Hakodate - Sapporo (Night Train)
-----------------------------
Feb 8 Su
Arrive Tokyo


Please Advice

- i cannot find timetable from Ueno to Galayuzawa
and from Galayuzawa to Niigata
as we have to be in Niigata at 2 PM for concert
the train comes every hour?

- After visit Sendai, Matsushima or Hiraizumi is better for winter?

- Hachinohe to Sapporo, with JR pass, we don't have to pay more if we ride on Hamanasu, right?

- Type A & B, which one is more practical?

- On 4 FEB, there's Noboribetsu Festival,
i wonder which kind of festival it is
it's good to see traditional festival but i also afraid to lose the calm of the nature in Noboribetsu as we have time for only 1 night there

- From JR pass policy,
i can use night train in my 7th night and arrive on 8th day, JR will expire when i exit the gate

but i m not sure on the way back from Sapporo to Tokyo
i have to make transfer, do i have to exit the gate and reenter when i change the train..

Really thanks for advice
i've tried to find information but the questions above is really hard for me

bigkun

I am afraid that your itinerary is not realistic! You grossly underestimate the distances and travel times between the destinations, and the geographical order of places visited does not always make sense, either.

Packing in skiing in Yuzawa and a concert in Niigata into a daytrip from Tokyo, for example, does not sound realistic, although, it migth theoretically be possible, assuming that you can catch the last train from Niigata back to Tokyo around 21:30 after the concert.

A day trip to Takayama from Tokyo would consist of 9 hours train travel and a maximum of about 7 hours of sightseeing in Takayama, assuming that you start the day by 5am at the latest and that you will be returning to your hotel room around midnight. Again, while theoretically possible, you don't want to do in in praxis.

Also, there is no night train from Hachinohe to Sapporo. There is one from Aomori, though.

Furthermore, it does not make geographically sense to start and end your visit to Hokkaido in Sapporo. A route like the following would be more effective:

Sendai - Hakodate - Noboribetsu - Sapporo - Tokyo

But note that the Japan Rail Pass does not fully cover night trains between Hokkaido and Tokyo:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2356.html

i cannot find timetable from Ueno to Galayuzawa
and from Galayuzawa to Niigata
as we have to be in Niigata at 2 PM for concert
the train comes every hour?

Gala-Yuzawa Station is only served during the ski season (I think starting from December 12, 2008 this year). That is why it does not come up on timetable searches now. I recommend to enter "Echigoyuzawa" instead to get the rough picture/ It is the nearby station.

After visit Sendai, Matsushima or Hiraizumi is better for winter?

Either is good around the year.

Hachinohe to Sapporo, with JR pass, we don't have to pay more if we ride on Hamanasu, right?

That's right, unless you use the berths, which are not covered. The Hamanasu departs from Aomori.

Type A & B, which one is more practical?

Type B sounds better, but instead of backtracking from Hakodate to Sapporo for 3.5 hours, I recommend to travel into the opposite direction (towards Tokyo) and either go all the way back to Tokyo within the day (Hakodate-Tokyo takes 6.5 hours) or make a stop along the way to complete the journey on the next day. You could also take the train from Hakodate to Aomori and then catch the Akebono night train to Tokyo (some compartments are free with the Japan Rail Pass)

- From JR pass policy,
i can use night train in my 7th night and arrive on 8th day, JR will expire when i exit the gate

That's right.

Really Thanks Uji

So i change my plan,
but i want to go to hokkaido first and visit Hakodate on the way back
because during snow festival, the price of accommodation is increased...
-----------------------------
please advice this plan

3/2 Ueno to Sendai
(Matsushima / Hiraizumi if time is left)
must be in Hachinohe 20.59 for going to Aomori
then take HAMANASU to Sapporo

4/2 Sapporo - Otaru
stay in Sapporo

5/2 Snow festival then go to Noboribetsu by hotel shuttle bus

6/2 Noboribetsu - hell valley, bear park
go to Hakodate to see night view
must arrive before 6 PM

7/2 around Hakodate
back to Aomori at 18.08 for AKEBONO (last day of JR pass)

8/2 arrive Ueno
------------------------

- is the plan OK?

- we won't be charged for exit the gate on 8th day, right?

- if i skip Takayama where do you mrecommend for a day trip from Tokyo?

Really thank you, Uji


bikka

is the plan OK?

It is OK, assuming that you succeed getting a reservation for the Akebono train. It is a fully reserved train, which cannot be used without a reservation. This contrasts to the Hamanasu train, which has unreserved cars and can be boarded even without a seat reservation.

we won't be charged for exit the gate on 8th day, right?

I don't think so.

if i skip Takayama where do you mrecommend for a day trip from Tokyo?

Depends on your interests. Here are some ideas:
http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1103.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e623a.html

Thank you very much, Uji

so i have to take risk for AKEBONO
i'll reserve immediately when i arrive Tokyo in Jan 31

Dear Uji,

So i decide to cut Takayama
and spend time more in Otaru.

but now i'm worried about the time i have for Snow Festival in FEB 5
because i have time til 2 pm
then i have take hotel shuttle bus to Noboribetsu.
(bus will come at 2.30PM at JR sapporo)

i wonder since what time is the earliest i can see Snow festival?

is there a lot of Media will come to make a news scoop and don't allow us to enter in the early morning?

one night before, is there anything we can see? will it be blocked from the outside?

i also want to see in Night time so i can make decision easier.

Thank you

i wonder since what time is the earliest i can see Snow festival?

The snow and ice sculptures in central Sapporo are displayed in the public. There are no opening and closing hours. You can see them at any time.

More details are given on the following page:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5311.html

thank you Uji for your information~~

now my plan is almost completed!

just one more thing i'm not sure

I've heard that we can use JR on 7th day and expire when exit the gate on 8th day
-------------------
if i leave Sapporo on my 7th day of JR pass (using Hamanasu) and arrive Tokyo on the 8th day (which is expired)

Do i have to pay anything more?

because i'm not sure we still can use from
Aomori to Hachinohe,,,
and Hachinohe to tokyo

thank you

The rule also says that if you transfer trains after midnight, you will have to pay the express surcharges (but not the base fare) for these trains.

In your case, the Hamanasu would be covered all the way to Aomori, and the base fare would be covered all the way to where you leave the station first, i.e. Tokyo, however, if you use any limited express and/or shinkansen train between Aomori and Tokyo, you must pay the express supplements for these trains.

The express supplements for the limited express from Aomori to Hachinohe an the supplement for the shinkansen from Hachinohe to Tokyo total around 7000 yen, which you would have to pay.

Dear Uji,

Thanks a lot for clarifying my doubt~~!!

Riding Hamanasa we have to pay surcharge.

If i change to ride Akebono on 7th day night arriving 8th morning.
Do i still have to pay surcharge?

i don't,know Akebono is counted as ltd express or not,


thank you^^

If i change to ride Akebono on 7th day night arriving 8th morning. Do i still have to pay surcharge?

No, because you don't need to change trains after midnight. Only the popular "Goron to Shito" compartments are fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass.

i plan to visit asahiyama zoo
but i would like to know the bus timetable to the zoo
so i can plan which train i should take to there

and from asahikawa station, where should i go to take the bus

thank you very much ^^

Take bus 41, 42 or 47 bound for Asahiyama Zoo. The ride takes about 40 minutes and costs 400 yen. There is about one bus every 30 minutes. The timetable in Japanese:
http://www.cbnet.co.jp/kidou/kyouei/08fuyu-kougai.pdf

Thank you Uji as always

so i have my new plan for FEB trip by using JR 7 days

1: Niigata (Concert finished at 19.00)
back to Takasaki before 23.20 to take Akebono

2: arrive Aomori 9.56 and Hakodate 12.02 - Sightseeing in Hakodate and go to Mt. Hako at 17.00
back to Hako sta 19.42 to sapporo

3: 10.30 Asahiyama zoo 15.30 - Sapporo

4: Sapporo - 14.30 Hotel Bus to Noboribetsu

5: Noboribetsu 10.00 - 12.30 Snow Fes til - Stay in Otaru

6. Otaru - Snow fes *** - Hamanasu 22.00

7. arrive Tokyo - have 1 day trip for JR last day

-----------------

for ***, i am thinking to see festival in Otaru
http://www.yjw2009.jp/eng/info/no_507.html

actually i don't want to back to Otaru and go to sapporo for Hamanasu 2 times

is it possible to see the festival a night before it starts (i stay in Otaru FEB 5)

i know it's not a good plan coz it's going reverse again and again but i'm trying to find more information to make decision if i have to deny some places

thank you ^^

If you are able to make reservations for the Akebono night train, the itinerary could be doable, although, it is very packed, and I imagine it to be very tiring. Lots of moving around.

But I understand that the special "goron to shito" compartments on the Akebono, which are free to use with the Japan Rail Pass, are rather popular and might be booked out in advance. In that case, you could not use the Akebono, with complicating consequences for the entire itinerary.

thank you very much Uji,

i wonder if i ask my friend in Japan to reserve for me is possible?

Your friend not having a Japan Rail Pass would have to pay for the reservation.