 Poster: A snowHead
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We've been wanting to ski Japan for ages. Finally started looking into it and it seems like it's going to cost about £1600 for a week and another 1k on top to do the second week based on this rough break down:
- 1 weeks budget accommodation and lift pass is approx £700
- 1 weeks food etc approx £250
- 2 weeks budget accommodation and lift pass is approx £1400
- 2 weeks food etc approx £500
- Flights approx £700
When going all that way it seems like a bit of a waste to only do the one week and while we knew it was going to be a lot, 2.5 grand is a big chunk of money, especially when compared to skiing Europe. Just wanted to know if people thought this was a realistic cost or if there's any way to get the price down a bit somehow. Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm going for 2 weeks, end of feb-early march.
Flights £350 accumulated Avios points for BA with a tied in Amex card.
Accomodation: Single person in double room with ensuite in Australian Alpine Club Lodge (includes breakfast), not delux, but i am sure it is fine and friendly = £550
You could do a dorm room, shared bath down the hall for half that in numerous places (one "luxury" I am prepared to pay for)
12 of 14 day pass =£375
I won't be eating out every night (will a few though) so food should be a lot less than your budget.
I think the whole two weeks will come out around £1700
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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el nombre,
Q: Is it possible to do Japan even vaguely cheaply?....
A:...no
But it's a hell of an experience if you can afford it. Long flights though...big carbon footprint.
Alaska, BC etc can give the same powder experience with shorter flights and cheaper accommodation etc 6000miles to Tokyo, 4000miles to Anchorage
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| rungsp wrote: |
I'm going for 2 weeks, end of feb-early march.
Flights £350 accumulated Avios points for BA with a tied in Amex card. |
Where you flying to? Avios only seems to show flights to Tokyo.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If you book two one-way flights with Avios it costs exactly the same in points and £££ as a return...but:
You can book a through flight to Sapporo on the way there.
You cannot book a flight that originates in Sapporo for the way back....so it will have to be
London-Tokyo-Sapporo as a one way
Sapporo to Tokyo with local
Tokyo-London as a one way.
I spoke to BA about this and they said it was something to do with code-sharing and various code-sharers allowing their leg to be the start, some don't. JAL don't.
If you try to book a return London-Sapporo it simply shows up as impossible.
BTW...it costs a lot more Avios points (and even ££) if you book all JAL through BA or a connecting flight. Don't know why.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rungsp, thanks for that, useful to know for the future.
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| valais2 wrote: |
el nombre,
Q: Is it possible to do Japan even vaguely cheaply?....
A:...no
But it's a hell of an experience if you can afford it. Long flights though...big carbon footprint.
Alaska, BC etc can give the same powder experience with shorter flights and cheaper accommodation etc 6000miles to Tokyo, 4000miles to Anchorage |
but you could go 10days in bc with no fresh couldn't you???
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Yes, Japanese people do it all the time. It's not their fault we are Gaijin 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Like this;
Honshu skiing should be cheaper than Hokkaido. Hokkaido has a Gaijin premium now.
Don't go direct London to Tokyo, get a connecting flight, eg Korean for Sapporo?, check Skyscanner, ITAFlight matrix & others.
But apparently Virgin Atlanic will transport one set of skis and poles free of charge in addition to your main bag. I need to check this though.
Stay in Ryokans , think Japanese B&Bs, not hotels. They're really good and Japanese are generally v friendly.
Supermarket food, make sandwiches etc and buy ricecakes for a quid and noodles are dead cheap and filling.
Collect Hotels.com free nights over the year for work trips, then use them up on your main holiday...sweet, I just saved 150GBP on Tokyo hotels.
But, in the main treat it as a one off holiday with skiing and see anything else Japanese that you might want to see, Tokyo, food, etc
The memories will be all the better.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ryokans are expencive - try instead to look for Minshuku - if you want to stay cheap and in contact with locals.
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el nombre, AAC Lodge is dirt cheap if you are a member (I am not) and inexpensive if you are not a member.
Their price for a non member is in line with most of the budget end Lodges, it was the only one I found with ensuite though.
You'd easily find places for JPY 7000 per night including breakfast, if you are willing to be one of four in a dorm you could get down to JPY 4000 area in various Lodges (all of which look quite OK)
Over 2 weeks that would revise your figures by £500 or so!
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You know it makes sense.
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Flying half way around the world to go skiing is never going to be "cheap".
However a ski trip to Japan can be done for the same price as USA or Canada.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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why go on the cheap? If its as you say something you have wanted to do for ages, make it the trip of a life time. You can always make the money back, but the memories last a lifetime 
We did this to W/BC a couple of years ago, and I still dream of going back almost every day...
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Poster: A snowHead
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+1 dennisp
There is an article about 'Japan on the Cheap' in the next issue of Fall Line.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I may be thick...but what's this Gaijin thing? Please explain  .
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mountainaddict, foreigner.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Not sure about all costs but (having just had fab trip to Japan) my top trip is to fly with Finn Air. Much the shortest journey time and cheaper than other flights. Japan is fabulous and it has now become an ambition to ski there so will be interested to hear how you get on!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Booked to go to Hakuba on Honshu at Feb half-term with my teenage son thru http://www.japanskiexperience.co.uk. Really helpful people and great advice on where to stay and what to do . Will be flying to Tokyo Haneda airport with BA, flights to this airport are easier to use air-miles/Avois on and due to 20 years of work travel I was lucky enough to have a stack to burn. Haneda is closer to Tokyo and the maglev train goes into the main station for the bullet train to Nagano. Can't wait! 
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| dennisp wrote: |
why go on the cheap? If its as you say something you have wanted to do for ages, make it the trip of a life time. You can always make the money back, but the memories last a lifetime
We did this to W/BC a couple of years ago, and I still dream of going back almost every day... |
Ski Japan cheapish or don't ski Japan, that's pretty much our options.
This plan has been pushed back more than a couple of times because people can't afford it. We can keep putting it off in the hope that we have enough money to burn on a fancier trip at some point but things have a tendency to never happen if you do that.
Thanks for the info though guys.
Mike Pow, do you know when the next issue of fall line is out?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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^ no shame in that. ski bum "rules"
so long as you have a place to sleep, and dry your gear, then its all good in my book 
you don't need to go all the way to Hokaido for the ja-pow.
there is plenty around Nagano - which is a 2hr train ride from Tokyo on Honshu itself.
get the "snow search japan book", this has all the info you need.
seek out some quieter resorts off the beaten track. these will resorts be cheaper AND less crowded.
also book accommodation before you go (as that is how they seem to do it in Japan).
once your in Japan then lift tickets (£20-30 a day) and eating out (£5-8 for rice curry etc) is actually very good value.
however the flight is always going to be expensive, and budget accommodation doesn't seem to be as common as you would find in europe.
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| I love Mayrhofen wrote: |
| Not sure about all costs but (having just had fab trip to Japan) my top trip is to fly with Finn Air. Much the shortest journey time and cheaper than other flights.... |
How long does a FinnAir flight take n how much (approx)? Ta
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FWIW when I was booking my flights for this season, FinnAir were totally unable to guarantee to take my skis (and also how much any additional fees might be) on the last leg of the flight "you'll just have to wait and see when you land in Tokyo (I think, may have been somewhere else)." BA were something like £70 more, happy to pay that for the peace of mind personally.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| FWIW when I was booking my flights for this season, FinnAir were totally unable to guarantee to take my skis (and also how much any additional fees might be) on the last leg of the flight "you'll just have to wait and see when you land in Tokyo (I think, may have been somewhere else)." BA were something like £70 more, happy to pay that for the peace of mind personally. |
Never had a problem or been charged extra for taking skis to Hokkaido with KLM and their partners.
KLM, ANA, JAL
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FAQ
Flights are though the same (Wish she would be a pilot). 
