foreversnow 5 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 I was wondering if anyone can give some advice and help on hiring a car in Hokkaido. Getting Around?? How hard to drive in the snow (have done in Canada but not the same amount as Japan get)?? Logistics of it?? We are thinking of starting in Sapporo. We have heard of places in Niseko in the bottom village that include a car with your accomodation?? We would like to be a little freer and drive around see more of Japan and visit some different Ski Fields. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Pick it up at the airport. Get to the hire counter and they'll bus you to the lot. Choose a 4WD, I had a Rav4, that was good but thirsty. A Prius would use a third of that fuel. You'll need English GPS, choose a model with that. Input your hotel's phone number and you're away. With Toyota rentacar, you can choose where to drop off at the end of your trip. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 driving without english GPS isn't so bad IF you can get someone from your hotel to help you programme it. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 yes, it's fine if you can understand, "in 700 metres, left turn, then right turn" Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 We were dead clever, we could understand the pretty map picturs with big arrows and numbers on them. I suppose most peasants wouldn't........ Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 you mean there were pictures too? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 the GPS makes a big beeping noise and then shows an arrow when you are coming to a turn, pretty easy......well the ones that I have seen Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 I hired a RAV 4 from Toyota Car Hire at the Chitose airport this trip, over the three weeks we were there we traveled over 2000km and the car never missed a beat, I only lost traction once on black ice at Tomamu but regaiend traction within metres. Hiring a car in Japan is very wise we have seen so much more of the country than most Aussie visitors but just being able to drive from your accom to the lift car parks makes the holiday so much easier, remember walking up hill with ski gear is not what skiing is all about. As for the GPS, the RAV 4 has an English speaking one and it takes phone numbers, addresses or Map Codes, the Map code site on line is in Japanese only however if you email them and give a list of places that you wish to visit they will send you the codes to enter. Japanese GPS in the RAV 4 are excellent, they even have logo's of shops like Lawsons and Seicomart on them. The book Toyota gives you shows you how to use the GPS and even details important signs such as the writing on petrol pumps. To hire a car in Japan you will ne an international driving licence you get them from the NRMA before you leave. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Highly recommended indeed. It really made our Tohoku trip. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Originally Posted By: thursday you mean there were pictures too? Yes moving pictures, multi maps on the screen, huge great big arrows telling you where to go, numbers. Would be difficult to not understand it. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 What's wrong with just using a road map? Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Not as sexy. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Or as exciting. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 much better to have a sexy lady voice to tell you where to go. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Can you choose the voice? And how sexy are we talking? Anyone have any experience renting a campervan in Japan. Not one of the ridiculously huge Winnebago style ones, but a medium sized one? At a bunch of different resorts in Japan I've seen them parked up in the carparks. Normally I would never consider a campervan snow trip, but you could have a nice hot onsen after a day on the slopes, so it wouldn't be too bad. I was thinking they'd be good in terms of visiting remote/far flung resorts. Ride some quiet places for 4-5 days and sleep in the van, then check into a hotel on the slopes for a couple of days to break it up. Been looking around on the net but can't seem to find anything. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Moving images! Sexy enough. Hey spook, did you get round to uploading some pics to SJ? Save me go looking... Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Yeah. Gonna do some this week. I have been tied up and busy with a bunch of other stuff. Plus I am extraordinarily lazy. Soon. Promise. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 That is acceptable. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 there you go spookster Expensive Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Damn. That is pricey. I'll keep looking. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Originally Posted By: thursday there you go spookster Expensive I love that URL link name Thursday - lolled so hard the dog jumped. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Share Posted April 21, 2010 Thank you all for your wonderful informative help. We have now started planning our National Lampoons Tour of Japan Ski Fields. We are so excited about next year as we will be able to see SO MUCH more of Japan. My choice is to come later February and hang around until the Sakura comes out. Once again THANKS Thursday, Aus Ski Bum and everyone. Link to post Share on other sites
blinkin'ek 0 Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Some of those car navis now are pretty advanced. I really enjoy using them, and even people without Japanese knowledge will have little problem using them. Perhaps need help with programming a route or whatever but after that simple. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Originally Posted By: blinkin'ek Some of those car navis now are pretty advanced. I really enjoy using them, and even people without Japanese knowledge will have little problem using them. Perhaps need help with programming a route or whatever but after that simple. yeah, the inputting of destination is the only part non-japongo speaking people will need a help with Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 what about non-japongo reading people? Link to post Share on other sites
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