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Thereabouts 3 hours on the bus each way - plus need to be lined up, and assembled ready for the bus a bit earlier - it's probably 7+ hours there and back. I can see a Sapporo resident jumping on the first bus up there, skiing for the day and getting the last bus back, but if our Indonesian friend is looking for convenience then he is going to want to stay slopeside in Niseko.

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Which is what it is to Gunma resorts and about 4 to Yuzawa, depending on the fickle kan-etsu. A day bus trip takes the same time, u get to resort about 10-11am in both Niseko and Gunma/Yuzawa

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yeahh,,thanks for the info bro...

the vale and the alpen..noted..

yes, dont think its easy for day trip if need 3 hour on bus..

i just worried about langguage problem when reach that ski hotel..

i'm totaly newbie begginer, only tried ones last year ( make me insane like it)

so which ski area suit for me.. (or all area is cover by 1 ticket? pass?)

 

any recomended nearest ski resort from sapporo?

easest access from odori or susukino area?

 

many thanks guys..

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If you are new, the I recommend the Grand Hirafu Lift Pass - it will give you access to Hirafu and Hanazono - you probably won't get the use out of an All Mountain Pass - not quite yet anyway.

 

Language is not a problem.

Most of the staff at The Vale are Aussies or Canadians or New Zealand Cuzzie Bros - English is thier first language.

Most staff at The Alpen speak good English, but are Japanese.

 

Lessons: there are a couple of ski schools in Niseko that provide English speaking instruction, with native English speakers.

NBS is right next the The Vale exit to the slopes, and provides a very good service. They employ lots of Aussies, Canadians etc.

 

Most lift announcements are made in both Japanese and English.

The majority of restaurants, cafes etc have menus in English, and usually English speaking staff.

 

Does that help you feel more comfortable?

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Now now 7-11! :lol:

Many popular international ski resorts run multiple languages - most with English as an option.

 

I personally LOVED the few places we found with no English options, ordering food that you weren't quite sure what it was... Outstanding!

But not everyone is that brave/keen/committed.

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oh no.. most of the recomended hotel (the vale/the alpen)is full book by hotel agent (agoda/booking/hotels)..

if by thier official web, its very pricey..

any other rekomended? maybe more cheap ones...

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what standard are you looking for? The Vale is very high end, there is a Japanese style pension about 3 hotels down from the Alpen that is cheap and comfortable. Its Japanese style futons though on tatami mats, breakfast and dinner were included and it was a 5 min walk uphill to the lifts, which was the one above the Vale lift. It was about 7000 yen a night and the bus centre was also a 5 min walk uphill from the hotel. Think it was the Ginrei-so, between the Prince hotel and the Alpen Hotel at the top of the road. My party was the only foreigners there and its on a par with typical accomodation at all other Japanese ski resorts

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what the road or area name?

maybe i will only search on that area..

not to ar from shuttle bus and ski lift is prority..

7000 yen for the twin bedroom? sound great...

 

thanks a lot Mr tubby

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It's the main road up to the bus centre and the bottom of the Ace lifts. Just like to mention that it was Japanese style rooms, so basically just a floor with the futons folded into the cupboard. You make them up yourself. It wasnt bed style. There were 3 of us in the room and it was 7k per night per person

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what the road or area name?

maybe i will only search on that area..

not to ar from shuttle bus and ski lift is prority..

7000 yen for the twin bedroom? sound great...

 

thanks a lot Mr tubby

 

 

If you're in the upper village of Hirafu generally there's little need for the shuttle bus. You wouldn't worry about the shuttle bus if you stayed where tubby did for instance. If you're staying in the lower village or down in Izumikyo (I think it's referred to East village these days) then being close to the shuttle route becomes more important.

Be aware that the place tubby stayed in is very basic. In the early years when there was very little western accommodation options in Niseko we used to get a lot of complaints about the standard of Japanese style rooms. We're talking spartan. Virtually nothing in the room except the bedding and maybe a tiny table. Not the sort of thing you may be used to from staying in hotels in other parts of Asia I can assure you. And as it's a per person rate rather than per room, for a family it can still be quite expensive for what you get.

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for all the suggestions SJer's, everything is booked, transfers, hire for the gal, only things left are lift passes and some lessons for her as well, but that can wait until we are in Hirafu.

 

Any shops one would recommend for a good price on a decent helmet? might be time to make the switch. bonus is, gives me some other options for the gopro, rather than chesty all the time.

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I'd suggest the Alpen hotel ski shop. It's small and compact. You can also get old skis there.

 

There are numerous chique fancy pants Kenny Gee music playing stores too. But they are really expensive. A normal run of the mill giro would cost about 2000 more than what you could get in Sapporo

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will be stay at hilton niseko for 2 night (4-6 feb)

yeah yeahh i know.. 2 days is not enough for sure....

now i'm looking for buses and lift ticket..

 

why the 1 day package (roundtrip + skilift at 4500) is more more cheaper than

2 day package? (at 14.000)

 

any recomendation which package to book??

which one better? whiteliner?? chuo buses?? donan buses?? or just looking at the sapporo station travel agent??

 

i'm staying at hilton niseko.and beginner

is it possible for beginner to take the lift to the top from niseko village and ski down to hirafu area??

 

many thanks folks...

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hehehe.. i mean how to get to hilton niseko from sapporo..

there are several bus + skilift package...

which one better?

 

and how to get hirafu area from niseko village?

is it possible for begginer to ski from the top of niseko village to hirafu base area?

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will be stay at hilton niseko for 2 night (4-6 feb)

yeah yeahh i know.. 2 days is not enough for sure....

now i'm looking for buses and lift ticket..

 

why the 1 day package (roundtrip + skilift at 4500) is more more cheaper than

2 day package? (at 14.000)

 

any recomendation which package to book??

which one better? whiteliner?? chuo buses?? donan buses?? or just looking at the sapporo station travel agent??

 

i'm staying at hilton niseko.and beginner

is it possible for beginner to take the lift to the top from niseko village and ski down to hirafu area??

 

many thanks folks...

 

Niseko is 4 ski resorts combined. The difference in prices you found is probably because one lift ticket is for niseko village only, the other is for all mountain (niseko united, which gives you access to annupuri, niseko village, hirafu and hanazono).

 

ive not taken chuo or donan bus from sapporo before, so no comment there. i only recently use white liner, and skybus a long time ago.

whiteliner have more scheduled times than chuo. and book / etc in english. but you need to book in advance.

 

it is possible for a beginner to ski to / from niseko village to hirafu and back.

from the top of the gondola its about 50m m walk slightly uphill. on the way back its just enough angle to ski down and not have to walk.

ive seen the ace pair #3 lift running in even the most harsh windy weather, but randomly at other times not running in a near-still day. same goes for the niseko village gondola. the alternative is a free bus operates between the resorts, that seems to run every 15mins or so.

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so from the top.. we can just walk to choose where we ski down? (there are 4 track?? annupuri,village,hirafu dan hanazono?)

and at the base there is a free bus??

 

and how about this offer?

http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/otoku.html

 

can i use the round trip ticket at different date?

look like best offer for all mountain niseko...

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Just looking at the website, I don't think you'll be able to use your return on a different day......it appears to me to be a day return. However I don't know shit about it, your best bet would be to contact the bus tour company and ask them.

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I know of people who have used the 4500 bus and lift, spend 2 nights and then return. It seems to work.

 

I usually do the skiing and then get some in Sapporo before flying home, so not used it myself.

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