connackers 0 Posted October 11, 2004 Share Posted October 11, 2004 A mate and I are planning on going to Hokkaido for christmas and new year. Am tempted to try to take advantage of the cheap train ticket offer and go from Okayama (3hours local train journey south of osaka) and make a couple of stops along the way. Has anyone tried this before and know how feasible it is? Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted October 11, 2004 Share Posted October 11, 2004 take the ferry! Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted October 11, 2004 Share Posted October 11, 2004 My friend had taken train from Yokohama to Hokkaido with his motorbike in summer. He loved that cheap train ticket(Is it Seishun 18 Kippu?) and visited many places.(Actually, he always slept at the station.) He can't do it now because he got a baby this year and his wife will not allow him to do that for few years. Cheap train trip always sounds very fun to me! Link to post Share on other sites
connackers 0 Posted October 12, 2004 Author Share Posted October 12, 2004 That`s what it`s called - the Seishun 18 Kippu, cheers! Want to try to get up there and back using the five day pass. Was thinking about the ferry also, but from Okayama the nearest one leaves from Kyoto so not sure if it`s worth it. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 13, 2004 Share Posted October 13, 2004 Connackers, Taken the local from Hiroshima to Tokyo and that was a hell of a trip - first train to last train. Even if you have a few stops in there I would just be exhausted and not up for skiing after that. It would probably take you 3 solid days to get up there, maybe 4. Never done it so dont know mate. Indosnm is right. Take the ferry. Its like 18 hours or something... Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted October 13, 2004 Share Posted October 13, 2004 I did the "Seishun 18 kippu" trek from Tokyo to Hokkaido in the summer a few years back. It took about 36 hours ... We slept out the front of a station in Hachinohe on the way back and got bitten by loads of big mosquitoes. Was a hell of a trip. Link to post Share on other sites
james b 0 Posted October 13, 2004 Share Posted October 13, 2004 Hi Guys. I am catching the train from Niseko to Amori, and then a few days later on to Tokyo. looking a some web sites it did not seem to complicated, it was bout 7 hours to Amori with a couple of changes & 4 from there to Tokyo, is this right!!! now you have me worried, cheers Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 13, 2004 Share Posted October 13, 2004 when confused ask. Its like 7 hours from kyoto to tokyo the local route. Yuki thats crazy I could not spend a day riding trains without alot of beer and a moving toilet. Link to post Share on other sites
connackers 0 Posted October 13, 2004 Author Share Posted October 13, 2004 Cheers for the help people - i guess i can rule out the train and concentrate on looking for ferry options or cheap flights/deals Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted October 13, 2004 Share Posted October 13, 2004 Bro, from most cities you can get the 10,000 yen each way deals if you book 2 mths in advance. Limited but if you can get hold of them way quicker and not that much more expensive. Gone are my hardcore days! call me what you want but these days I will take any way that can get me there the quickest! even if it means shelling out a few more! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 Mate - we were off our nuts that day goin ta Tokyo... There are toilets on almost every train. Luckily that wasnt an issue. Crazy, but only 2,500 yen from Hiro to Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
connackers 0 Posted October 14, 2004 Author Share Posted October 14, 2004 AAAaahhhh!!! Went into the travel agent today and the cheapest return flight is apparantly 80,000 yen!!! Aparantly because i want to go in the new year holiday. So i guess it`s back to trying to find out an alternative route. Or planning a different holiday " title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> The ferry`s starting to look a good option again! Link to post Share on other sites
guzzlers-baps 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 How long would that journey take? Link to post Share on other sites
connackers 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 The train would probably take a full two days of travelling (using the discount ticket) as those trains are pretty slow and there`s only a couple of short night trains you can use. The ferry between Maizuru to Otaru takes either 20, 30 or 36 hrs! Most guide books and information on the web says 30 hrs. But the travel agent seemed to reckon it left at 00:30 (definitely at night) and arrived at 20:30 the next day. This I work out as being 20 hrs but she was convinced it was 30 ??? We had a 30 min argument about it My mate who`s done it says it takes 36. I`ve given up and am going to Hakuba! Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 it also depends on the weather too. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Have you thought of hitchhiking? I've never seen anybody doing it in Japan, but whenever I've done it, I haven't had to wait more than five minutes (looking pretty damn feral too!). And however hard I protest, I'm always put down right where I'm headed. No walking at all. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Hey Ocean what is that typhoon like around your parts right now? Anyone I know that hitches with a sign always gets there too Ocean Link to post Share on other sites
connackers 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 It`s a good idea but i`ve never tried it before - think having my first attempt over such a long distance with a snowboard might be pushing my luck (there`s two of us also). Especially as i`d probably need to pre-book accomodation to be able to get it cheap. Definitely an idea for the future though. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 in japan there isnt much difference in prebooking price. PS Niseko is expecting 20000 auzzies this year so you better book now. Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I think you left a ZERO off that figure, fattboy. They have some direct flights into Sapporo from Oz from this season which can only make things worse! Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Connackers, what you doing down in Okayama? My wife's from Kurashiki and we are thinking of ditching Tokyo and heading back there. Provided I find suitable work of course. The typhoon just hit hard here in Tokyo, and the air warmed up 10 degrees in just a few minutes...went from clammy slashing rain to hot booming winds just like that. Weird! Link to post Share on other sites
connackers 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 I`m doing the ALT thing, in a town just between Kurushiki and Okayama City. Kurushiki seems like a pretty cool place. Only been here a little over a year though so not in much position to comment! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 badmigs, If youre a lawyer I wouldnt expect youd be able to find any work in Kurashiki/Okayama in that field. If youve been there you know how small of an area it is and its not like Okayama is boasting international companies - he says without knowing - but judging by the size of it youre gonna end up teaching at Novacation Wouldnt Kansai be better suited for somebody with your quals? Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Yeah, Osaka/Kobe is the locus of opportunity. My company may actually relocate to Kyoto next year, which would encourage me to keep suckling at the teat for awhile longer. I'm wondering if there are some J law firms around Kurashiki that wouldn't mind having an American lawyer come in once or twice a week to help with any English language work they may have. There are some people down there doing this already that I know about. If I got 2-3 of these places lined up, I might make a rummy go of it. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Badmigs, I think that as a "consultant" you could work a variety of fields - just would you want that job insecurity? If your firm is going to relocate to Kyoto wouldnt that be ideal? Or are you trying to leave it? If youre leaving it to go to Kurashiki youre going to be working for peanuts down there I would think. Maybe now is the time for you to find that Niche market!!! Link to post Share on other sites
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