Hello, I am traveling to Japan end of March beginning of April 2012 for 3 weeks and I would love to visit Hokkaido. I will be purchasing the JR Pass. I know the fastest way is by plane but how expensive are roundtrip tickets from Tokyo to Hokkaido? I know that there are many variables that come into play but just roundabout. How about by train? How long would it take? Also, where to go and what to see? Is it worth it? How long should I stay?

Your comments are greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Jabanmx

Hello, welcome to the forum

Firstly, regarding the JR Pass. As far as Im aware from when I purchased mine last year, the JR pass did not cover trains for nothern routes. Their are specific 'lines' that are represented throughout the country, the JR pass (well that I had purchased) covered from Tokyo all the way west and south west into Kyushu region. Im very sure it was possible to get JR pass for northern routes and to Hokkaido, but was a seperate pass.

Regarding the expense of Domestic flights Hokkaido,depending on which airline you choose will depend on the price. But you will be looking anywhere from 17,000 yen to 34,000 yen for a one way fare (sorry I can't be more accurate on price, the price depends on the airline).

In terms of travelling by Shinkansen (bullet train), the Journey could take approx 3 hours

I haven't been to Hokkaido though so I cant make any comment or recommendations regarding it, would love to go there though

Cravez, you are a legend!

We are so lucky to have you here on the forum.

Cravez,

Thank you for your input. Last night I was doing some digging around and yes, it's quite expensive by plane! I'll look into the Shinkansen. However, I might save Northern Japan and Hokkaido for another trip. I'm sure I'll go back. Once again thank you very much! If you know anything about the Snowboarding/Skiing scene please check out my post in the Entertainment/Recreation section

Jabanmx

I bought a standard JR pass for Oct 2009 and had no problem going from Osaka to Sapporo. I would suggest not going from Tokyo to Hokkaido in one stretch, but break it up along the way. I went from Omiya (just outside Tokyo) to Aomori and spent the night there. Trains tend to get no-so-nice the further you get away from Osaka and Tokyo, so the Shinkansen from Omiya to Aomori wasn't as nice as the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo/Omiya; and the train (no Shinkansen is available) from Aomori to Sapporo was very basic and not even as nice as the local trains you get from Osaka to Kobe.

I would highly recommend buying the JR Pass, because they're also good for the JR ferries and JR Highway bus. I took the JR bus to Oirase Stream up in Aormori and then hopped right on the JR train when I got back into town without any hitches.

Keep in mind you have to activate your JR Pass before you use it. If you're in Tokyo (or any other major city), you might want to do it the day before you use it, because of the lines at the major stations. Also, pre-book your seats if you're taking a busy line or you may not get the exact time you want. Usually this isn't a big deal because trains are so frequent, but as you head north, trains will become less frequent.

Check out the following link for train schedules and travel times...www.hyperdia.com

Thanks for the information wonton.destruction. I'll definately look into it. I might actually try going up north in that case!!! Just curious what time of the year did you go? And how was the weather up in Hokkaido?