lidsli 0 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hey, I'm looking to head to Japan for a week of snowboarding. Firstly should I go to Niseko or Nagato, bearing in mind that I want to go to Tokyo for a few days! It looks like I might be travelling solo, so any recommendations for a female solo traveller who is going snowboarding, also are there any other peeps that are doing the same as me?? Any suggestions much appreciated! Lidsli Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hi Lidsli First of all, it's Nagano (not Nagato) But unless you want to hop on a domestic flight you will be wanting Nagano I would say. The other thing I would say is that as long as you don't do daft things, you will generally feel very safe in Japan. When are you coming? Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 If you are looking to spend time in Tokyo I daresay it is probably wiser to head to Nagano or Niigata than Hokkaido. They are both roughly two hours by train from Tokyo and offer pretty good conditions. There are lots of places you can go though in Japan from Tokyo, but you just have to look around to see what you want and how much money you want to spend. I would say head to Rusutsu in Hokkaido, but that is a long way from Tokyo and can be quite expensive, especially if you are by yourself. Snowfall in Japan is pretty good, but ideally you want to come in January. You should have few problems travelling around Japan by yourself. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 You can even do day trips easily to this part of the world lidsli. This part of the world being the Yuzawa area of Niigata. Less than 80 mins by Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo and you can be here! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I would have suggested Nagano/Hakuba for a one week trip - we have done that before. That was with a direct flight into Tokyo. However this year with no direct flights at all for the Perthies it may be just as simple to fly into Sapporo and hit up somewhere on Hokkaido. (Niseko/Rusutsu/Tomamu) Either way, flying solo is no biggie. Put the word out on here what dates you will be where and I am sure there will be other solo travelers keen to go for a slide or have a drink with you. Link to post Share on other sites
Hardparked 1 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I'm also flying solo for the first 2 weeks in January. If you decide to hit Niseko, I never turn down a friendly face, good conversation and a tasty beer. Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 i get too scared travelling solo.. Link to post Share on other sites
marku 0 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 If you decide on not taking a flight to hokkaido you should def sort yourself out with a 5day flexi east japan rail pass. They save you a fortune on the trains and you can use it for Yuzawa, Nagano, Niigata etc. Easy enough to buy online before you get here. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 i get too scared travelling solo.. no one to go get patrol when you hit a pile of crud koko? How's the leg going these days? All good or got a bit of a legacy? Link to post Share on other sites
SantaCruz 0 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I did a solo trip to Japan a few seasons ago and it went well. I flew into Tokyo and did a few days there and then flew to Sapporo and bus to Niseko. Since you're also staying in Tokyo for a few days before hitting the snow I'd recommend sending your snow boarding gear ahead so you don't have to deal with it in Tokyo. Japan has a door to door luggage forwarding service which I think is generically called "takkyubin". Assuming that you fly into Narita, there's several places in the airport there which can do this for you. I did this when I fly into Japan but not on the way back. And let me tell you, it was a gigantic pain in the ass lugging my big backpack and huge snowboard bag around with me in the subway, up stairs etc. If you have a few days of non-snow activity planned afterward I'd recommend sending your gear back via the same service. If you decide you want to do this check with the people at Narita (or whatever airport you fly out of) to make sure that you can send bags back to them and they'll hold them. As I said earlier I didn't do this, but I assume they'll hold them for you. It's easy to arrange, I don't speak Japanese and didn't have any issues working it out. Make sure to ask your lodging before hand to let them know that you'll be sending some bags there ahead of time. It shouldn't be a problem on the lodging end, they'll just hold your bags for you. The only thing you'll need from them is their address. Aside from this I don't have any specific recommendations except to be outgoing force yourself to make friends.. It was my first solo trip and it ended up being about what I thought it would be. Great freedom to do whatever you want but it was punctuated with spurts of being lonely. This makes you be more out going and the good thing is that in my experience people were friendly and it wasn't difficult to make some riding and drinking partners. Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 i get too scared travelling solo.. no one to go get patrol when you hit a pile of crud koko? How's the leg going these days? All good or got a bit of a legacy? i was skiing by myself then actually. i just screamed for some jboys to come help me.. my knee gets a bit sore sometimes esp when its icy. the iron bar bashes up against me patella. Link to post Share on other sites
brodiebutler 0 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 When are you planning on going? I will be in Japan with a bunch of other australians in feb and march 2012. I'll be jumping between all the different places Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Land in tokyo, fly to sapporo from the same airport. Come back. Land in tokyo. Go out for a few days. Fly home. If anything its actually easier than going to nagano. Its just going to be a bit more pricey. And only really a bit - maybe 15,000yen (plus transport to niseko). Skymark, asia airlines, and a few others do dirt cheap flights from tokyo to sapporo, so if you know when youre going just keep checking their website closer to the dates and book your flights Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Going to Yuzawa is easier than all. Get on the Shinkansen. Get off the Shinkansen 80 mins or so later. Link to post Share on other sites
tripler 0 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 but the shinkansen doesn't go from the airport, does it? Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I dont believe that I said it did. Link to post Share on other sites
tripler 0 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 sorry, I thought it was implied as the previous post said it's easier to go to Sapporo than Nagano from Narita because you DON'T NEED TO LEAVE THE AIRPORT. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 bearing in mind that I want to go to Tokyo for a few days Link to post Share on other sites
tripler 0 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Land in tokyo, fly to sapporo from the same airport. Come back. Land in tokyo. Go out for a few days. Fly home. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 And? That comment has nothing to do with me. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 If you want some days in Tokyo and some days snowboarding, then Yuzawa is your easiest (decent) destination. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Aren't the flights from Narita to Sapporo very few and far between?? I've heard time and time again about people having to take a bus from Narita to Haneda in order to make the last leg to Sapporo. Has that changed? Link to post Share on other sites
lidsli 0 Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 Hi Lidsli First of all, it's Nagano (not Nagato) But unless you want to hop on a domestic flight you will be wanting Nagano I would say. The other thing I would say is that as long as you don't do daft things, you will generally feel very safe in Japan. When are you coming? Not sure when at this stage, I'm still deciding as I don't want to go solo but yet I don't have many friends that 1. snowboard and 2. want to go to Japan. hmmmmmm trying to put the feelers out there... but i really want to go! Link to post Share on other sites
lidsli 0 Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 I did a solo trip to Japan a few seasons ago and it went well. I flew into Tokyo and did a few days there and then flew to Sapporo and bus to Niseko. Since you're also staying in Tokyo for a few days before hitting the snow I'd recommend sending your snow boarding gear ahead so you don't have to deal with it in Tokyo. Japan has a door to door luggage forwarding service which I think is generically called "takkyubin". Assuming that you fly into Narita, there's several places in the airport there which can do this for you. I did this when I fly into Japan but not on the way back. And let me tell you, it was a gigantic pain in the ass lugging my big backpack and huge snowboard bag around with me in the subway, up stairs etc. If you have a few days of non-snow activity planned afterward I'd recommend sending your gear back via the same service. If you decide you want to do this check with the people at Narita (or whatever airport you fly out of) to make sure that you can send bags back to them and they'll hold them. As I said earlier I didn't do this, but I assume they'll hold them for you. It's easy to arrange, I don't speak Japanese and didn't have any issues working it out. Make sure to ask your lodging before hand to let them know that you'll be sending some bags there ahead of time. It shouldn't be a problem on the lodging end, they'll just hold your bags for you. The only thing you'll need from them is their address. Aside from this I don't have any specific recommendations except to be outgoing force yourself to make friends.. It was my first solo trip and it ended up being about what I thought it would be. Great freedom to do whatever you want but it was punctuated with spurts of being lonely. This makes you be more out going and the good thing is that in my experience people were friendly and it wasn't difficult to make some riding and drinking partners. Thanks for this! very useful! Where did you stay on your own? I have travelled solo before so I have no problems as you generally meet more people than travelling with others! I'm just uncertain on this one on my own because snowboarding is so much more fun with someone you know!! i cant imagine myself going up and down the slopes on my own all day for a week. I guess i'm putting the feelers out there to see if anyone else is travellng solo, want to buddy up! thanks!!! Link to post Share on other sites
lidsli 0 Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 When are you planning on going? I will be in Japan with a bunch of other australians in feb and march 2012. I'll be jumping between all the different places not sure when i will be going as yet but i think around that time! have you booked your flights etc? Link to post Share on other sites
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