fukushima SJ gathering at Alts Bandai, Fukushima: Saturday, February 18

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Time to start picking dates for an SJ gathering in Fukushima!

 

From the previous thread, the preferred location seems to be Alts Bandai, and preferred dates are January or February, with a slight preference for February:

http://www.snowjapan...g-in-fukushima/

 

Which dates are best for you? Multiple dates can be selected.

 

(I have taken the liberty of omitting some dates that are inconvenient for me.

I've voted for the best days for me, but the others are possible too.

Of course don't let that stop anyone from arranging something else at another time!)

Edited February 5, 2012 by Metabo Oyaji

[RobBright 35]

I would be up for it, if someone were to divvy up the driving.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I would gladly chip in petrol money but I can't drive

 

although as an afterthought, I can think of a few mates from round here that can drive and would gladly chip in

[muikabochi 208]

Not 100% sure but I have checked a few potential dates.

Would like to go.

[griller 9]

Saturdays in Feb sound most likely for me.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

bump

[fruity-sachi 1]

If we are around then, can we join in!?

[joshnii 2]

Voted!

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

If we are around then, can we join in!?

 

Please do!!

 

The more the merrier.

 

If you have preferences for the date, vote 'em up!

 

Hope to see you there.

[fukdane 2]

Feb best for me I reckon.

[echineko 1]

I am going to be in Bandai area over new year and beginning of January.

Just helping out some friends who have a place near there.

[grungy-gonads 54]

Late Feb might fit for me.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I picked up a Big Holiday Bus brochure, night bus trips to Fukushima resorts are very cheap for the whole season, as many probably expected, Inawashiro ranges from 4700 yen for most of January to a maximum of 6700 yen for the friday nights in feb and weekdays at 5700 yen, Alts is January weekdays 5300 yen, weekend (leave fri night) 8500 yen , Feb weekdays 6400 yen, Friday night leave 9200 yen. Thats return bus journey, leaving Tokyo area about 10.30-11pm and arriving at resort about 7.30am the next day (although when I did this last season we got there about 5.30!!)

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Good find, Tubby.

 

Looking like February, so far.

 

For anyone going by shinkansen, Alts also runs a free shuttle bus from Koriyama station, leaving the station at 8:00, 9:00 and 13:00, and arriving at Alts 1 hour and 40 minutes later. Return shuttles leave the ski area at 10:40, 16:00 and 17:00, arriving at Koriyama station 1:40 later.

[nippontiger 8]

9200 yen to go on bus on the weekend? Isnt it about the same price to go on shinkansen to Yuzawa - maybe 1000 yen more? Its hard to beat the weekday prices but Id take the shinkansen deal every time on the weekend.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

you can't get a shink deal to Yuzawa on the weekends after Dec 22nd.

 

Of course I would as well, but the SJ Gathering isn't in Yuzawa, its up in Fukushima

[RobBright 35]

you can't get a shink deal to Yuzawa on the weekends after Dec 22nd.

 

Of course I would as well, but the SJ Gathering isn't in Yuzawa, its up in Fukushima

 

What do you mean can't get a deal? There are no cheap prices or no special shinkansens?

[Tubby Beaver 209]

the brochure I have for the day return says it doesn't allow the cheap deals on a saturday (To Yuzawa). Pretty sure last year they used to only allow you to get the 11am train or something, which of course I always seemed to be hours early for and hopped on anyway in an unreserved seat, but this year it diesn't appear as if you can catch that one either

[nippontiger 8]

They were doing the higaeri ticket and shinkansen deal last year - it usually works out very roughly 10000 going from Omiya - maybe an extra 1000 from tokyo. During the week, you could get 1000 yen discount both on the outgoing and return trains = 2000 yen discount, on the weekend you could only get it one way so just 1000 yen discount. Im not sure the earliest train you could get - I usually got the 8.30 am train from Omiya which was definitely included in the deal, but as TB says, you could basically jump on any train you want in the unreserved seat - I dont think this was officially allowed, but nobody ever checked.

I hope they still have this deal on this year, cos it was going to form the bulk of my trips...!

Anyways, as TB says this isnt really relevant to the SJ gathering - although I remember those higaeri trips did go to a variety of different places so maybe there is some sort of deal heading up Fukushima way? Ill have a check next time Im near the travel agents.

BTW, Im hoping to be in for this as my friend is going to move to Nihonmatsu in January! I could probably take the slow train up there on a friday, spend friday night at her place and be ready to ski on the weekend...!!!

[nippontiger 8]

Just checked on internet higaeri brochure - you can do a trip to Alts for 12300 on Saturdays in Feb and 11700 on Sundays apart from the 12th which is 12300. Depending on the outbound train you take, you can also get 1000 yen discount.

Details here:

http://travel.eki-ne...et?cid=01435039

and also checked - the deal is pretty much exactly the same as last year for Yuzawa - the standard price is 11400 yen from Tokyo - you can get 1000 yen discount on both outbound and return trains during the week, and just the return trains on a Saturday and outbound trains on a Sunday.

info here:

http://travel.eki-ne...01435019#feebox

[Tubby Beaver 209]

looking at the Higaeri brochure now, they aren't offering the shink deals on saturdays to Yuzawa.........Sundays are ok though, so not all bad. Maybe thats the way it always was....its hard to remember. Up until Dec 22nd you can get a shink deal on a Saturday, but you'll HAVE to leave Tokyo station at 11.52am ;)

 

Quick look at Fukushima, Alts Bandai for Feb, its 9700￥ and you can leave on Saturdays. Earliest train is the 6.20am, gets you up to Koriyama at 7.59 then there is an hour and a half shuttle bus to the resort

 

oops, just in too late.....I'm a little out with the price, could be my Japanese reading skills....but its in that ballpark!!

[nippontiger 8]

I think you must be looking at a different brochure to me! Heres a link to the 2011-2012 JR View Higaeri brochure which I was looking at:

http://view-web-maga...35_1204/?Page=7

Just taking Kagura as an example - from 12/23 to 27 and from 1/5 to 4/1 the standard price is 11400 yen from tokyo. But there are some trains that qualify for discounts - if you check the top left - those are the trains which qualify. As you can see, all of the outbound trains (6.32, 8.04, 9.44 and 10.52 tokyo departure) qualify except on Saturdays, likewise all of the return trains qualify, except Sundays and public holidays. So basically the price is 10,400 on a weekend and 9400 during the week. You can also get 600 yen discount traveling from Omiya, 1400 from Kumagaya etc.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

no its the same one..........doesn't the cross in the top left box mean that you can't take the shink on a saturday? I'm pretty sure that the woman in JR View has also turned me down for the deal due to it not being available on a saturday. BTW I'm not having a go, I may well have not fuly understood the Japanese.

[nippontiger 8]

No, the red sentence at the very top explains it. Basically the trains marked with a cross do not qualify for the special 1000 yen discount. So on a Saturday none of the outbound trains qualify - however, all of the return trains (14.08, 15.08, 17.08, 19.11 echigo yuzawa qualify) so you just get 1000 yen discount on the standard (基本) price. On a Sunday and public holiday, its the return trains that dont qualify and the outbound trains that do - so you still just get 1000 yen discount. On all other days, you get the 1000 yen discount both ways, so its 2000 yen discount. If the woman turned you down for the deal, its probably because she didnt understand it either! - or, as often happens, the special tickets had sold out and you would need to tell her you'll take the jiyuu seki - unreserved seat - if you take an unreserved seat, this will not qualify for the special 1000 yen discount, so strangely you end up paying more for an unreserved seat and sometimes all the seats are full!!

[Tubby Beaver 209]

In the last 4 years I've misunderstood this!! I thought it was that you couldn't get a train.......I've always wondered what the differences in prices meant (the grey, blue and red bands). Oh well happy days!!