Even if you are insistent on travelling Beppu to Hakpdate all by rail, at least build in an overnight stop.


Sendai or Morioka would be my suggestions.

I have taken long trips like this and really at the end they are not fun at all. Green car or regular, it doesn't matter--Just fly from Kyushu to Hokkaido as others have stated.

Why is that? According to hyperdia, you get an itinerary where you leave Beppu at 11.20a (via comfortable transfers at Kokura, Himeji and Tokyo, taking shinkansens that are not Nozomi or Mizuho) and arrive Fukushima at 22.16p where you can transfer to a sleeper train that gets into Hakodate the next day at 6.35a.

I am glad you and others have said this. I was - as a relative novice in Japan - afraid to. But it sounds like the rail trip from he** to me. The OP's parents - who seem to be traveling with him - are probably about my age (late 60's) or younger - and I don't reckon it will be great fun for them either.

Also - this is pretty much a 2 week trip. I don't know how light or heavy OP and folks will pack - but carrying large luggage on Japanese trains isn't my idea of a swell time.

And FWIW to OP - my husband and I are close to 70. Flying from where we live to Asia is no big deal for us. Except in terms of jet lag. But train stations in Japan are something else (no people in golf carts who pick us up at gates and get us to other terminals). They're much more geared to younger people - especially people traveling on business best I've observed. They're certainly not impossible or super difficult - but 10 minute connections for us older folk - forget about it. Robyn

Why is it? Because sleepers can have be booked out solid. Some are extremely hard to buy tickets for

Okay, as long as the OP said what he said because the seats are sold out and not because he didn't think the schedule would work out...

Thanks or the large amount of input from everyone... Had been busy in the weekend.
robyng You are pretty right on about my folks ages... We will be sending luggage to Hokkaido as it is a shopping trip as well. Only light luggage will be carried.
evergrn Maybe I will take your suggestion for stopping at Sendai, what is your recommended timetable so it makes the travel less from hell... Assuming we can start later and have a nice break at Sendai? By the time the train get to Morioka it would have been night time already.
gnaget My driving is terrible, never bother to get full license once I got the restricted...

Another +1 to flying instead of sitting on the train all day. If you even don't have a JR Pass, there's really no reason to do this.

What kind of price am I looking at? Need something cheap...

Using one of the special fares or airpasses reserved for foreign visitors, you can fly on domestic routes for 10,000�13,000 JPY per sector.

So to go from Kyushu to Hokkaido, you could fly FUK-CTS non stop (JL3513/3515 or NH289) for around 10k. Or if you prefer flying from somewhere close to Beppu to somewhere close to Hakodate, you could book the 2-sector itinerary OIT-HND-HKD for twice that.

I actually wasn't the one who suggested the stop in Sendai. But since you ask, here it is...

Sat 11/22
Beppu 10.53a-(Sonic)-12.03p Kokura 12.26p-(Sakura)-2.44p ShinOsaka 3.16p-(Hikari)-6.10p Tokyo
At Tokyo, your options would be 6.20p Komachi (arrives Sendai at 7.52p), 6.36p Yamabiko (arrives Sendai at 8.49p) or 7.20p Komachi (arrives Sendai at Sendai at 8.53p). The first option's a tight transfer as you know, but you can do it. The second one's very slow, but it saves you from having to stand around at the station. The third option allows you time to explore Tokyo Sta complex if you're so inclined.

Sun 11/23
Sendai 10.42a-(Hayabusa)-12.29p ShinAomori 12.45p-(SuperHakucho)-2.58p Hakodate

If you're going to break up the trip, then I'd cut into the time in Beppu rather than Hakodate if it were me.

Well, you are prepared to pay USD 379 for a train ticket. I can tell you that it will be less than that. There are also LCCs operating in Japan. Skymark, Starflyer, etc. Many fly to Chitose on Hokkaido.

Skymark flies FUK-CTS non-stop. Also Air Do flies to Hakodate but you would connect at HND. You can fly from a large number of airports on Kyushu to Haneda on ANA. And this would be an ANA ticket since they have part ownership of Air DO.

Ok, Skymark ranges from JPY 12.9k to 18.9k for FUK-CTS depending on advance purchase and availability. The full fare is 24.9k.

Note that domestic tickets in Japan go on sale 60 days in advance and the cheapest advance purchase is 28 days. If you have *A or Oneworld miles then domestic Japan travel is good value on ANA and JAL, respectively.

I like the ANA Experience Japan fare. You can book on line right now for trips up until next March. No blackout periods either and I see you mentioned towards the end of the year..If by that you mean around the NY period, I would book those flights ASAP.



https://www.ana.co.jp/wws/us/e/wws_c...experience_jp/

I feel sorry for your folks ... if they were to endure this epic train journey.

Experience Japan fare 10000 one way, can only be booked online by you.

JAL/ANA air pass 10000 - 13000 one way. I know travel agents in HKG are reluctant to book these, claiming they don't exist. These can't be booked online.

Don't they require that you fly ANA to Japan? It doesn't state this but I think it would be implied.

Hang on guys, I am listening, the locations that I we are going is fixed, only can really twist the traveling time and what to travel. I am trying to work out the best plan for my folks and myself.
After learning the 10800 yen fare, I am looking for tuning this part of my trip which had been the sticking point from the day of planning.

robyng, if I was your kid would the below itinerary still be too hectic? Have to as you cos you would really have closer thinking channel as my folks would... (Thanks in advance for your opinion)
As the guys that really want me to change my traveling by air, this one below I think is the best I can work on for my folks, instead of traveling ahead to Hakodate/New Chitose, will think of a night at Sendai and Morioka (recommendation?)
This one involve getting up early. But we will make up time going to Sendai by air on ANA. Plus its easy on the budget, swapping the Green Seat to Normal and using that money to fly instead and we are able to make up alot of time.

04:53
BEPPU
[77 Min]
LTD. EXP SONIC 2
06:10

06:36
KOKURA
[17 Min]
SHINKANSEN KODAMA 851
06:53


07:08
HAKATA
[5 Min]
Fukuoka City Subway Kuko Line
07:13
FUKUOKA AIRPORT

Then
11/23
(SU) NH1275
Fukuoka Sendai
Operated by ANA WINGS
Dep 08:00
Arrive 09:40
Travel time 01:40
Economy
735