If you are already in Japan, the quickest way to get to Hokkaido from the Tokyo area is by plane from Haneda Airport. Shin-Chitose airport is 1 hour 30 minutes from Haneda airport in Tokyo, and 2 hours 10 minutes from Itami Airport in Osaka. If you are in a hurry, you can also take one of the many internal flights within Hokkaido that go to cities such as Hakodate, Kushiro and Wakkanai. Flights leave from both New Chitose and Okadama airports, so it’s important to ask when you purchase your ticket. If you are flying out of Okadama airport, the bus ride from Sapporo takes about 25 minutes and costs around 300 yen.

On Arrival at Shin-Chitose Airport
If you plan to go to Sapporo from the airport, take the Kaisoku Airport Line into the city. The journey from Tokyo to Sapporo should take about three and a half to four hours.

The journey by train from Tokyo to Sapporo is a long one - 11 hours, taking you right up to the tip of Honshu and into Hokkaido on the Hakodate line. The Hakodate line takes you past Niseko and Otaru on the way to Sapporo. Two of the fastest trains from Tokyo are the Hokutosei Express, which is a direct sleeper to Sapporo in 16 hours, and a combination of the Shinkansen to Morioka (Iwate Prefecture) followed by a limited express (tokkyu) via Aomori and Hakodate to Sapporo in 11 hours. There is also a sleeper service from Osaka (21 hours).

If you are wondering how the train gets from Honshu to Hokkaido, the answer is the Seikan Tunnel – the longest undersea tunnel in the world, measuring 53.85 km in length. If the thought of being underwater for that long is a bit spooky, you can take a ferry from Aomori City on the northern tip of Honshu. There are some pretty good special packages offered by JR. Some of these deals include round-trip train tickets and unlimited travel on JR buses and trains while you are there.

Traveling within Hokkaido by train can be a bit more difficult as long train rides can be more expensive and less convenient than taking the bus. If you plan on traveling by train in Hokkaido, it’s a good idea to check out some of the discounted tickets and rail passes that JR offers. There are a lot of different options depending on how and when you plan on traveling, and unless you have a Japanese friend, or find an English-speaking travel agent, it might be difficult to work out all the details. One good resource is the International Communication Plaza in Sapporo. English-speaking staff should be able to assist you and it’s a good place to pick up some tourist information in English and find out what’s going on in Sapporo and around Hokkaido. You’ll also find that unreserved tickets can be as much as 1/3 the price as regular reserved seats.

　　
If you've got the time, getting to Hokkaido by ferry and car is a good way to see the region. Ferries go to Hokkaido from all major Japanese ports. Niigata and Owarai are the popular ones for people coming up from the Kanto area. Other main ferry ports on Hokkaido are Otaru, Hakodate, Muroran, Tomakomai and Kushiro. They are connected with ports on Honshu such as Tokyo, Niigata, Nagoya, Sendai (Miyagi), Maizuru (Kyoto) and Tsuruga (Fukui). From Northern Honshu (Tohoku) there are several short distance ferries you can take as well.

The trip from Niigata to Otaru takes about 18hrs, and the ferry offers great bath and movie facilities. The standard one-way price is just over 5,000 yen per person and about 18,000 yen for car and driver. If you are in Nagoya, you can catch the ferry at Owarai (Aichi) to Muroran takes 19 hours also offering great facilities. The standard one-way price is around 5,000 yen per person and 17,500 yen for car and driver. Reservations are required.

Unlike other parts of Japan, Hokkaido’s bus network is far more extensive than the railway system. People often use the buses for long distance traveling, but even the metropolitan buses can be just as fast as the trains. Buses also tend to run more frequently and cost less than taking the train. Keep in mind that buses going to more remote areas of the island don’t run as often, so make sure you check the schedule ahead of time.

 
The main roads used for getting to the resort regions are as follows:

The Resorts west of Sapporo (Niseko, Kiroro, Teine, etc);
Use the Sasson Expressway from Sapporo to Otaru, and then Route 5 towards Niseko.

The Resorts east of Sapporo;
Use the Douou Expressway from Sapporo to Takikawa and then Route 38 down to Furano, or head east on Route 274 towards the Sahoro and Alpha Resort Tomamu regions.

Car Rental
There is also the option of renting a car from Chitose airport and driving to your destination. If you can find friends to share the costs, driving in Hokkaido is highly recommended. Although most visitors in Japan are surprised at the price of expressway tolls and fuel costs, it can about the same or even less expensive than other means of transportation. Furthermore, having your own car is much more convenient and allows you the freedom to see areas of the country that are difficult to do otherwise. You’ll find several car rental companies at the airport to choose from.