Getting There
Niseko is located on the island of Hokkaido. Servicing the capital city Sapporo is New (or Shin) Chitose Airport. It is our nearest domestic / international airport. From here there are various options to get to our ski resort; your destination will be Niseko’s Hirafu Ski Area by road, or Kutchan Railway Station when traveling by rail.
By Bus or Coach
This is the cheapest and most direct way to travel. However, with some local bus companies, language may be a problem when booking or purchasing tickets. If you know your exact destination and can manage sign language and pen and paper then you should be fine. There are ticket counters within the arrival floor of the airport terminal. The journey takes about 2.5 hours with a comfort stop midway and costs approximately 5,000yen return. During the ski season, there are usually departures on an hourly basis until late afternoon. The return schedule is similar.
Bus services are also available from Sapporo Railway Station.
Please ensure your destination is Niseko – Hirafu Ski Area = Hirafu parking Lot #1
By Train
The airport terminal sits above a railway station. To travel to Kutchan Station, the trip requires a journey via Sapporo city and the northern seaside town of Otaru. There are regular services from the airport to Sapporo and Otaru. You need to connect with a service that extends to Kutchan with a very short stop and train change at either Sapporo or Otaru. The journey takes about 3 hours and costs approximately 3,000Yen one way.
For more particulars and timetables, please refer to the JR Hokkaido link. http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/index.html
BY CAR
Rental cars are available from the airport terminal (reservations advised). The depots are usually located away from the airport, but rental companies will transport you to and from their depot. You will require a current International Driver’s License and your Passport. Be warned some rental car companies may not have English speaking staff.
The Japanese road system is left hand drive as in Australia, NZ and the UK. The highways are well numbered and you will need to remember city / town names as spelt in English. Maps are generally in Japanese.
Most rental cars are equipped with GPS Navigation; however you may need assistance to programme it. In fact most units can be simply programmed to take you to a destination telephone number (not a mobile/cell)!
Warning: During winter, nearly all roads will be covered with snow and ice. This combined with driving in an unfamiliar country with foreign language signs may make it dangerous for you to drive.
From Chitose town follow Route 276 in a westerly direction through the mountain ranges to Kutchan, and then follow the signs to Niseko Hirafu Ski Area. Although the total trip is less than 100km, it will take about 2.5 hours by car due to the road conditions and the speed limit of 50kph.
An alternate route is via Sapporo city and Otaru, but you will need to allow a good 6 hours of driving including the occasional stops.
A better option maybe for you is to use public transport to the resort, and then organise a rental car through our local manager.
We provide a MEET and GREET service at Niseko Hirafu Ski Area and Kutchan Railway Station, or any other prearranged location at your convenience.
Important points to remember:
Although our overall ski resort is known as Niseko, to confuse matters further there is also a small town nearby with the same name. Niseko town has a railway station and is located about 10km from our apartments in Hirafu, which is the main ski resort centre. Kutchan is the nearest main town to the ski area.
The airport bus services the area known as Niseko Hirafu Ski Area with the bus terminus located at the top of the Hirafu village adjacent to the Welcome Centre, the Alpen Hotel and the chair lifts.
There is also a small railway station known as Hirafu Station. This is not conveniently located and is quite some way from the ski centre.