Coming to Tokyo, nearest resort?

[jamesbeale 0]

Hi all,

 

Im coming to Tokyo at the end of February for a few days and would like to go for a days boarding somewhere. Can someone please tell me the what the easiest (closest?) resort is to get to from central Tokyo (Im staying in Shinjuku)? I need there to be somewhere to hire all gear too. What are the approximate gear hire and lift pass costs too?

 

Thanks!

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Hi there

 

Some things to get you started:

 

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/search

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/start-here.html

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/general/winter-sports-in-japan-introduction.html

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/ski-day-trips-from-tokyo.html

 

and those other links at the top.

 

[jamesbeale 0]

Thanks. I had already looked through those pages on the website (although I had missed the day trips from Tokyo page), and saw that Minakami is the closest region, but its not so easy to work out which is the easiest resort to get to? Is it Ohana?

[SnowJapan 178]

Ohana is a very small resort.

 

The easiest resort to get to time wise is probably Gala Yuzawa (that is the resort that has a bullet train station).

 

It might be a good idea to look at the resort reviews for the resorts in those areas:

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/voice/review.php

 

If you look at this page, you'll find reviews, journals and photos for resorts in the area:

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/yuzawa-naeba-guide/yuzawa-resorts.html

 

Best of luck

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Yeah the Yuzawa resorts are easiest to get to IMO. GALA has its own shink station and Kagura/Tashiro is only 20 mins bus ride away from Echigo Yuzawa station

[jamesbeale 0]

Thanks for the information guys. So is GALA walkable from the bullet train station?

 

Also any rough cost ideas for hiring all gear?

[nippontiger 8]

If you go to Gala, the bullet train station is at the ski resort - you dont have to leave the building, just go upstairs from the platform and you can get your lift pass, hire you're gear (Im guessing 3000Yen for gear maybe 4000 yen for gear and "wear" at Gala? - you can often get discount on rental if you buy the full day-trip package the day before from somewhere like "View" in main JR stations). Get changed and jump on the Gondola. Gala Yuzawa is very convenient. There are better places near Yuzawa - you have to take a bus anthying between 10-30 minutes, eg Kagura. In this case you would get off the shinkansen at Echigo Yuzawa, the stop before Gala (they're only about one minute apart).

[jamesbeale 0]

Thanks for all the great info

 

1 last question! Ive read that there are package tickets available that include return Shinkansen tickets, lift passes and gear hire for around 9000 yen. Can I book these in advance or if not, where can I book them when I arrive?

 

Thanks

[Tubby Beaver 209]

As Gary said, if you go into any JR View (Travel agent that is inside most big train stations) then they will sort you out.

 

But its about 10500￥, that will be return shink tix to tokyo station, lift ticket and rental

[Mogul1 0]

Here's a link to the Gala website:

http://www.galaresort.jp/winter/english/

 

The JR Gala package deals don't include complete rental, just a 20% discount. The cheapest package is a half-day deal that includes a lift ticket for 8500 yen.

 

The cheapest one-day deal that includes lift ticket and rental discount is 13,000 yen weekday, 14,300 yen weekend/holidays.

 

Japanese link to the JR booking company: http://www.travel.eki-net.com (No English)