keba

LOL, that's exactly what I've said in the past about America, Ezorisu!

I had a problem with ToCoo! as well. I couldn't get the on-line reservation system to take my booking for some reason, so I gave up on them, and went with Nippon. Got a Subaru Legacy last time at Narita, ski racks, snow tyres and a baby seat as well. Turned up a day late because of a flight delay, but no problems at the desk, even with my reservation confirmation only in English. This time getting smething smaller, no wife or child this time

You can only make an on-line reservation on the Japanese language site of Toyota rent-a-car (at least according to the info on the English site, I might be mistaken).

For most people (day traders and self-funded retirees aside), I don't think the tough times have quite hit home yet, and there is still money to spend. If Australia goes into recession, and the AUD stays in the doldrums, I reckon the next couple of years will be a different story.

The rental company I use (Nippon Rent-a-car, the only company that responded to my English language emails) won't activate them, they said I had to arrange that myself. I just paid at the toll gates. What was cool, though, was how the in-car GPS told me how much the toll would be at each gate, and the total to the destination, gradually counting down at each toll gate.

Rental cars are fitted with them, but you need an active account.

Thanks for the info. I've got a couple of months until the trip, so I might make some enquiries.

Sorry, my mistake, he finished sixth. Real balls by Hamilton to let Vettel through before that, then he got past Glock easily too.

Hamilton wasn't the only one to get past him on the last lap. Didn't he finish tenth?

Without trying to throw the thread too far off-track, are there a lot of toll roads between Sapporo and Rusutsu or Furano? We will be hiring a car for our trip, and the weekend ETC might be the way to go, if holidaying foreigners can access the scheme, that is.

Maybe those guys chasing 150 ski days this season are on target...

My laptop is 11.1" screen, not much real estate for a mouse there, even a little one.

I saw the one at Happo One used for jump practice... they definitely didn't look like general public. Have you done it before, Eddie? Wait a minute... not THE Eddie the Eagle???

I'm fine with the touchpad, as long as I disable the 'scroll' functions. I used to own a Toshiba with a nipple, which did give me the irrits. I agree mice are best, but sometimes I find myself using the computer where there isn't anywhere for the mouse to roam.

Yet when I put the same poll on the knitting forums, it was more like 75%. Makes sense, especially with the price of wool plummeting...

Depends how long this recession lasts. If commodity prices stay down beacause of reduced worldwide demand, the AUD will stink for a while. I think (hope) it will probably get a bit better by January/February, but I doubt we'll see it up at 100Y like it was a few months ago.

England in mid-winter... happy happy joy joy

Well the AUD at least hasn't lost too much ground on the Canadian peso, maybe there will be a migration back to Whistler/Blackcomb for some of the Aussie hordes...

And anyway, it was more of a poll for the people who aren't already in Japan, earning Yen, and actually have to worry about the exchanges rates.

I get it now. You guys...

The metallic forums?

Well if the hit rate for cancellations is high in this group, then perhaps they've good reason to be worried.

Zermatt? I hope you plan to change to skiing for that. A painful place to board, so many long traverses. And high altitude at the top of the gondola too, not much air up there...

Well if you hang around in a Japan Snowsports forum, chances are that you are less likely to cancel a ski trip than the average punter... No offence meant, just I think our sample might be biased.

Maybe I've asked the wrong bunch of people...