Aomori > Sapporo Travel Information!

General
#1

For transportation from Hirosaki (Aomori) to Sapporo, here’s a breakdown of the time and cost of the journey.

○ Airplane
(Oops! Tickets are sold out)

○ Train (Recommended)
Direct, cheaper, faster

Aomori > Hakodate > Sapporo 12180 yen (one way)
http://bit.ly/1iOe6AQ

○ Ferry (http://www.silverferry.jp/)
Not-so-direct, twice as long as train, but romantic!

Aomori > Hachinohe Shinkansen 30 minutes 3,700円

Hachinohe > Hachinohe Port Taxi 3,000円

Departure from Hachinohe Port - 1pm > Arrival to Tomakomai Port 8:15pm (7.5 hours) 5,000～7,500円

Tomakomai Port > Tomakomai Station Taxi 1500円

Tomakomai Station > Sapporo Station JR 1 hour 4000円

Please see to your own ferry/airplane/JR ticket(s) arrangements.

Again, I would encourage people to travel together. More fun that way. :slight_smile:

#2

Well I’m down for the ferry, but is it correct that we need to order both ferry- and train tickets in advance?

#3

Oops! Turns out all plane tickets have been sold out. Gonna adjust the information above now.

Karl, I’m inquiring into that now. We may be able to get tickets the day of, but I’m checking if there’s a website where we can reserve.

#4

Golden Week, people, Golden week… You may want to see if there’s a way to check ferry tickets, as well, in case they are gone too.

#5

True~ Nitta san said that tickets can be ordered online. Just waiting for the link.

#6

I must admit I’m getting a bit worried how the whole bachido team should be able to get there if transportation tickets are running out.

I mean we are at least trying to fix this in advance.

I’m also getting a bit worried about getting back to Tokyo from Sapporo. I know that Linda will tell me to book now already, but does anyone else have any insight? :slight_smile:

#7

Actually, let me surprise you and say that Linda will tell you not to worry about it so much! :wink:

By the time you leave Sapporo, it will be after Golden Week, which ends on Monday, May 5. So things should be back to normal then, meaning you shouldn’t have much trouble getting trains or planes.

#8

I would like you just check that this year’s Golden Week ends on 6th.Because 4th is Sunday and also a national holiday and another holiday is adjusted and added. Does not matter much, and anyway from 7th on things will get much easier for you to move around.

#9

Oh that’s great then! I quote Kevin “No one orders train tickets in advance”. Would you agree with him? I was planning on taking the train to Misawa during Golden Week.

#10

Nitta san just found another route!

○ Train

Aomori > Hakodate > Sapporo 12180 yen (one way)
http://bit.ly/1iOe6AQ

I’d still go for the ferry though. :stuck_out_tongue:

#11

While the ferry does have a certain romantic quality to it, if the train is ¥5,000 cheaper, is just one mode of transportation, and takes 5 hrs instead of 10, I think I might go for the train…

#12

That’s true, it is a bit cheaper.

After talking it over with Nitta san, we’ve decided that the train would be the best route after all. Not only is it faster, but also more direct (less taxis and such needed). Though I was really looking forward to the ferry, simpler, direct plans are safer in this case.

Alrighty! So as of now, train is the recommended option!

#13

Do we all need to individually order from that link then?

I can’t read Japanese :frowning:

#14

Karl, go to the above Japanese link, then cut and paste the full URL that you get re-directed to, and paste that (not the bitly one) into translate.google.com, and the English translation will come up for you.

#15

Karl, go to the above Japanese link, then cut and paste the full URL that you get re-directed to, and paste that (not the bitly one) into translate.google.com, and the English translation will come up for you.

Yeah I know about google translate, but from experience it can move around the numbers, meaning you get the wrong information. In any case if someone else is taking the train I’d very much like to coordinate buying a ticket if we need to do it in advance.

#16

Hey Karl, there actually may not be a need to reserve JR tickets in advance. I’m gonna ask Nitta san now.

#17

Hey Karl, trains in Japan usually work in two systems: open seating and reserved seating. With reserved seating, you pay a little extra but get a guaranteed seat. With open seating, you pay a little less but whether or not you get a seat is up to how many people got on the train before you. Long distance trains usually have some combination of open seat cars and reserved seat cars.

With very few exceptions, even if the reserved seat tickets sell out, they never stop selling open seat tickets. In the worst case scenario, all the open seats are filled with butts and you end up standing. Sometimes people even end up standing in the reserved seat cars or overflowing into the passageways between cars, but you’re still on the train. Again, with few exceptions, buying train tickets day of is fine.

However, this being one of the busiest travel seasons in Japan, I would suggest paying the (really quite nominal) additional fee to go for reserved seating, if it’s available. I’ll check what kind of trains these are soon and post it up on Bachido. I’d be willing to reserve some people’s tickets beforehand if they want. Just pay me back when we all meet up in Hirosaki. (This being for reserved seats only, and again, only if they’re still available. If anyone wants to save some money and take their chances with open seating, feel free. I just ask you to pay on your own day of so I don’t have to front so much capital. I ain’t got enough yennies for that!)

Write again soon with the train info!

#18

Thanks Jamie! Generous!

I think your thinking is sound regarding Golden Week and all.

How is the pricing when it comes to reserving seats in advance? I think the main reason I am worried at all is that we’re talking a 400% increase or more sometimes in Sweden if you do not book in advance.

Why can’t we just have a world where you just pay on the day you are travelling and there’s a fix reasonable price :’(

#19

Okay, just talked to Japan Rail. First of all, no need to worry about day-of price hikes. Japan doesn’t do that. Same price no matter when you buy!

Here is the pricing I got:
Open seating: ¥12,180 one way
Reserved: ¥13,200 one way
(There’s also 1st class, but are we really that ritzy?)

For reference, the first train is six cars, 2 of them with open seating and the rest reserved. The second train is seven cars, and again, 2 of them are open seating and the rest reserved.

Lastly, about timing: tickets for this route go on sale April 5th, 10 am JST. (One month before departure.) The woman recommended that if we want reserved seats we should buy as early as possible, as they will probably fill up quick. Therefore…

IF YOU WANT ME TO GET YOU RESERVED SEAT TRAIN TICKETS FROM AOMORI TO SAPPORO, LET ME KNOW BY APRIL 2nd!

I’m giving myself a little extra room for the time difference, and I’ll do another final check on the 3rd. Then I’ll get the tickets first thing on the 5th.

So yeah, let me know!

#20

This thread is now out of date and incorrect! Please see the new thread, “Team Bachido: Train Travel for the Tour” for the most up to date information!

© 2020 Kyle Abbott