IM 0 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 It is the hight of the season, and if you drive, we all experienced the inevitable the "Jam". I wonder if we put some tricks/tips on driving, may help others to avoid the "Jam". Here is mine for Kagura bound: 1. Leave Firday night, and use the free "crash" facility to catch some Zs. Having a sleeping bag really helps. 2. If you arrive in the morning with the rest of the crowds, instead of stopping at 7-11 near Kandatu, go toward Yuzawa and there is a Save-On on the right hand-side and not crowded. 3. Print out a coupon on the web for a somewhat discounted lift ticket. 4. Better yet, if you are a regular, buy the preseason discount ticket, it is 2000y/day. 5. When snowing hard, it spills over to this side of the mountain and they will put chain control near Shibukawa/Ikaho. This causes major "jam" even you leave Tokyo 4:00AM. The best practice is revert to 1 above - keep an eye on forcast. 6. ORBIS going out is located 59km, 89km(looks non op. now), just before Kanetsu Tunnel. Coming back, just before the tunnel, near Maebashi. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Also watch out for idoits who stop in the middle of the road looking for car parks Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 From my experience lately in Niigata, the only time that there are queues now is when there is heavy snow falling. No snow, no queues - even at the weekends. Link to post Share on other sites
Will Lee 0 Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 Just used Kanetsu Highway yesterday. It was definitely jammed so we took local roads til Maebashi IC. The rest of the journey wasn`t that bad(Kanetsu peak season standard applies here)but the killer was that huge jam at the toll station. It took us almost 30min just to squeeze past others to go through the ETC gate! Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 I had no problems 2 weeks ago on the Sunday evening. We waited at most 5 minutes to get on the expressway. Link to post Share on other sites
gti 0 Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 went up at the insistence of the Mrs at "more of a reasonable hour," (after 9)..if only time could be rewound. If you drive up in the mornings, be ON the kosoku no later than 6, probably, would be a good bet. We drove up to Joetsu on the 2nd of January, thinking everybody would already be up there during New Years week, and so we thought we'd take a liesurely drive..it took 8 and 1/2 hrs, including rest stops, and having to put chains on before the tunnel, then off at the entrance to the tunnel, then, putting them back on at the other side of the tunnel!Grrr.and it seemed there'd be stretches where there had to be an accident or something, but no, everyone would just come to a complete halt, for minutes at a time. That evening though, after checking in to our ryokan, I think I may have had the best night skiing ever. Fresh pow, NO wind, w/ the air as still as can be. as you're going up the lift, you hear nothing except the squeak of the lift and occasional snow falling from a nearby tree. It somehow felt 'warm' as well. It was surreal and it really made up for the long ride...We actually left on departure day at 7:30, to beat the u turn rush and were glad we did. Link to post Share on other sites
rajeem 0 Posted February 12, 2003 Share Posted February 12, 2003 No problems at all coming back from Takasu last night. Road not so busy at all. Link to post Share on other sites
echineko 1 Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 GThis year is not busy Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted February 15, 2003 Share Posted February 15, 2003 At least I can drive again now - got my licence yesterday. Link to post Share on other sites
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