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Getting to Habuka from Tokyo -advice please


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Some friends are driving down from Kansai to Hakuba for the upcoming 3 day weekend. Their plan is to arrive at dawn on the Saturday and ski/board for Saturday and Sunday and drive back Monday. They have booked a little Japanese place for those two nights.

 

I am hoping to join them from Tokyo, but am not sure of the best way to get there. I am a long legged guy, so not a big fan of the overnight bus idea, as I also tend to not sleep well on buses.

 

Also, as it is about 4 and a half hours from my house to Hakuba (Shinkansen 216 minutes from Shinjuku???), if I leave on the Saturday morning, I might miss a lot of Saturday's slope time. But on the other hand, leaving on the Friday after work means I have to try to find a place for one person for one night, and I know how Japanese places seem to assume everyone travels in groups...

 

However, I have seen that Nagano station is only 90 minutes from Shinjuku. My question is really just how simple is it to get from Nagano to Hakuba? I have seen some tours which mention having to get a bus between the two, but how long does this take and is this time really variable with the weather? I don't really want to miss my shinkansen back to Tokyo on the Monday morning.

 

If this isn't a viable option, I'll probably just end up missing half of Saturday and accepting it, but if there is a better way that someone knows, please feel free to pass me the info.

 

Here's hoping...

 

Thanks, Jester.

 

P.S. They are going to Happou One, which for years I thought was '1', until I learned how to read the kanji... (>_<)

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Bus from nagano to hakuba takes a bit over an hour. Cost is 1400 yen. Snow conditions may affect travel time. The buses run every hour I think (pretty regularly anyway)and are pretty comfortable. Drop off at goryu, Hakuba JR and happo alpico bus terminal.

Just found timetable on internet

http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/nagano_hakuba/index_e.html

 

Hope that helps

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If you catch first shink from Tokyo to Nagano - you can be on the mountain by 11a (+ or -). But much nicer to be on the mountain first thing in the morning. If you wake up early enough - you might catch Kuma, Dizzy and AK 4 or 5 gondolas ahead of you... ;\)

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"Nagano station is only 90 minutes from Shinjuku"

 

Not correct - it's about 90 minutes from TOKYO Station by shinkansen. No shinkansens run from / through Shinjuku. The train to Hakuba from Shinjuku's called the Azusa and it takes about 4 hours, which is not much less than going by bus when the driving conditions are good. Shinkansen's the fastest way as long as you don't have to wait too long for the bus connection to Hakuba.

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Jester

 

As skidaisuki mentioned, you seem to mix Shinjuku and Tokyo. When you take a shinkansen to Nagano, it must be from Tokyo or Ueno station. When you get to Shinjuku, your option is to take an Azusa or Super-Azusa limited express train or direct bus.

 

Additional point for night bus is usually they kept the temperture there too warm - maybe I can say hot rather than too warm - even to me when I was a student. Maybe they do it differently nowadays but still it seems too warm for most people. The other day I adviced some people to avoid a night bus because of the cabin temperture and their body size ( They told me they were kinda big guys ). But they did and told me

 

Gamera, you are right, we should have accepted your advice.

Too late!

 

I've found some people have roughly 1C higher body temperture than Japanese, so if you were the one, probably you would have harder time to spend entire night there than I had.

 

Good luck thumbsup.gif

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Hai Scouser

 

When I talked with some people about body temperture, I found they have roughly 1C higher than I. Usually my body temperture is around 35.5-36.5C but they said their body tempertures were more than 37C. If it's 37C at me, it means I have a fever.

Maybe if a person had higher body temperture, that person can survive in colder situation? That's why a lot people take a shower in the morning then go to ski/snowboard. If i did that, I'm sure I will catch a cold.

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I am in a similar position, coming to hakuba in a week. So I understand that the fastest way to hakuba from Narita airport would be:

 

Narita -> Tokyo Station (~1 hour)

Tokyo Station -> Nagano (~90 minutes)

Nagano -> Hakuba (~1 hour)

 

Total travel time ~ 4 - 4.5 hrs allowing for changeovers/ timetable discrepancies.

 

Does this sound right to you guys? Appreciate your help, I know you answer these questions over and over and over....etc so thanks.

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Yeah Snosurf that sounds about right.

Narita Express to Tokyo station, Shink to Nagano and bus to Hakuba.

This is quickest, but also the most expensive

 

You can get a taxi from Airport to your door at Hakuba for I think 11,000 yen a friend told me last week (Chuo taxi).

 

If you are going to train it and are in Hakuba for less than one month you should get a JR east 4 day flexi pass. This allows you to travel on all JR east for any 4 days in a 30 day period. You can buy it at the Narita airport or get a travel agent at home to organise it for you. It is 200 aussie at flight centre or 16000 yen in Japan. Those prices are youth pass, 25 or under. The adult pass is 20000 yen. It is cheaper to buy in Japan and easy you just need your passport, a tourist visa (which you get when you arrive at immigration, 90 days) and a copy of your return ticket. The easiest office is downstairs at Narita near where you catch the N'Ex (Narita express) to tokyo station. It saves you heaps. The N'EX to tokyo is 3000 I think and the shink to nagano is 9000. So if you just go narita hakuba return you save already. You can also use the pass on the yamanote line in tokyo and also to head from hakuba down to matsumoto for sight seeing if you have an off snow day.

The bus from nagano to hakuba is 1400 yen.

 

With JR pass alternately you can take N'EX to Shinjuku and then take the Azusa straight to Hakuba station, but this will take 5/6 hours +, but you won't have to pay for the bus between nagano and hakuba.

 

Long post!!!!!!!

That's my experience getting to Hakuba in the last few weeks on a 3 week trip to Japan.

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Awesome thanks tim.... We just bought our JR east 4 day flexi passes here for about $260 aussie which sounds a little more expensive but at least will avoid a bit of hassle when we get there.

 

Since we have the pass, the simple fast route on the shinkansen seems most appropriate but it's good to know the other options anyway.

 

We arrive early morning so may even get a few arvo turns in if we're lucky! Looking forward to riding the skinkansen too... Anyway thanks again.

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Yeah mate, shink is worth it!

Just go downstairs at Narita, exchange your pass and head to Tokyo station.

Bus to Hakuba leaves Nagano station east exit and you just pay when you get off actually!!!

A good trick for skiing the arvo is to stand next to the electronic pass return machine and offer someone returning their pass the 1000 yen deposit. Go ride and then collect your 1000 yen when you return the pass. Free arvo skiing/boarding!

 

The other thing about JR east pass is that they are meant to stamp it each day you use it. I have used mine 3 days and have not been stamped once. I think it is still good for 4 days. In Tokyo on the JR line and from Hakuba station to Matsumoto you don't reserve a seat and just show the bloke at the ticket barrier your JR pass and he waves you through. I think he is meant to stamp it, but hasn't yet!!

You can then probably ride the trains for extra days or sell your pass on to someone else when you are leaving!!

 

Have a good trip

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snosurf - a couple of other things to remember:

 

1. At Narita, before anything else, find an international ATM and GET YEN CASH, plenty of it...unless you brought some from Perth anyway.

 

2. Make sure that you are arriving in Nagano before the last bus for Hakuba leaves (can't remember but it's not that late in the evening)

 

3. The above route assumes that you are going to Tokyo Station from Narita by the Narita Express. Almost as convenient is the Keisei Skyliner which goes from the same station(s) at Narita to Ueno, another Tokyo station which is also on the shinkansen line to Nagano. If it's more convenient time-wise (though of course you'll need to buy a ticket, as it's not JR), catch the Skyliner rather than the Narita Express and transfer from the Keisei Ueno Station to JR Ueno (well signposted through an underground passageway - abt 5 mins with luggage).

 

4. I remember from visiting friends that have used them, the JR passes are only stamped when you first 'activate' them, to show the date. They are unlimited use within the duration bought, so JR staff won't stamp them - though they should be checking to make sure you aren't using beyond their validity...

 

Hope this helps you. Enjoy!

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Thanks for that skidaisuki... How much is a skyline ticket from narita to Ueno? Might be easier to just get the N'ex if it's gonna cost more.

 

I am changing bulk cash before I leave though i'll get my less prepared (and stubborn) mates to get cashed up at the ATM before we jump the train (otherwise they'll be bumming off me all the way to the snow).

 

Anyway thanks mate

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 Quote:
Originally posted by scouser:
 Quote:
I've found some people have roughly 1C higher body temperture than Japanese
From studies of your guests gamera?
I've heard that too. I think I read it somewhere.
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snosurf - no trouble. The Skyliner ticket is (I think) JPY 1,920 one way, so obviously in most cases catching the Narita Express will makes more sense using the JR Rail Pass.

 

However, it's worth remembering the Skyliner if you find yourself delayed and there's a Skyliner leaving sooner than the NEX. Hopefully you won't be in that position, though.

 

I notice that you are arriving early morning on a redeye. Arvo turns are definitely feasible if you don't hang around. Depending how early you can get to Nagano by shinkansen, you might get fair use out of a half day pass. Grab some food en route, though!

 

Other advice: Aokiko and its connected resorts (10 minutes' drive from the village) are hidden treasures of Hakuba when the snow is good, especially on weekends when they are still likely to be much less busy than Goryu/47/Happo, and far cheaper if you can arrange a discount.

 

Cheers

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Motherhucker:
That Japanese have a lower body temp.
Who me? \:D

35.2C when I checked it soon before I had an influenza injection back in November. I was not able to believe it!!! Too low.


> Cortina(?), Tsugaike and Aokika
snosurf, maybe Tsugaike also might have some crowds on weekends, Cortina and Hakuba Norikura,
Sun-Alpine (Sanosaka, Aokiko plus Kashimayari) are probably quieter.
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