9-Day Nagano Indy Trip Logistics
Planning an international ski trip can be overwhelming; luckily, you have connections! This page is dedicated to where to meet, what flights to book, what to bring, and details about transportation and money on your ski trip.
Getting There
Where to meet
There are three spots where you can choose to meet the group on the first day of your trip.
Option #1: Meet the group at Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) at 12:00pm (recommended option)
|
Meet at HND Airport at 12pm (noon) on the first day of your trip in front of the MOS BURGER & CAFE on the 4th floor of the International Terminal (Terminal 3).
You can see the MOS BURGER & CAFE on the live airport map here. The 4th floor is relatively quiet and secluded so it's a great spot to meet up! A few notes:
|
|
|
Option #2: Meet at Echigo-Yuzawa Bullet Train Station at 4:00pm
If you're already in the mountains around Hakuba, Myoko, or Yuzawa, it may be easier to meet at the local bullet train station, Echigo-Yuzawa.
The meeting location is in front of the East Exit. Note that this train station is easy to navigate as there are only two exits, East and West.
The meeting location is in front of the East Exit. Note that this train station is easy to navigate as there are only two exits, East and West.
|
|
Option #3: Meet in the hotel lobby at 4:30pm
If you're already skiing around the Yuzawa area, you can opt to meet in the lobby of the hotel at 4:30pm. Meet in the lobby by the big pillar across from the front desk (pictured below) of the Maiko Kogen Hotel.
Meet at this big pillar right inside the lobby, across from the front desk
|
Getting Back & Alternate Endings
|
This trip ends with a drop off at Nagano bullet train station at 5:00pm on the final day. This means you should not get a departing bullet train that leaves before 6:00pm.
From here, you can catch a bullet train to Tokyo (approximately 90 minutes) or continue on to the well-known Hakuba ski resort area via a 90-minute highway bus. While you can reserve train tickets in advance, there is usually plenty of availability unless the trip ends on a Sunday or National Holiday. Your Indy Host can help arrange returning tickets. If you're looking to continue on to Hakuba, you can reserve bus tickets here (reservations open two months in advance). There are also non-reserved busses which are first-come-first served which depart roughly hourly. If you're looking to continue on to the well-known (but lesser well-known than Hakuba) Myoko area to continue your ski trip, the bullet train also connects to Joetsu-Myoko Station which is a quick 23 minute ride away. See the route on Google Maps here. |
Pro Tips
We're experts at running ski trips in Japan. Here are some recommendations that will make your life significantly easier!
We're experts at running ski trips in Japan. Here are some recommendations that will make your life significantly easier!
Pro Tip #1: Mail your ski bags
TLDR: This tip is useful if you're spending a few days Tokyo before or after your trip. Otherwise, don't worry about this pro tip.
If you're planning on spending a couple days in Tokyo before the trip, you can mail your big, clunky ski bag directly to the Maiko Kogen Hotel for only about $32. If you're spending an extra day or two in Japan after the trip, you can mail your ski bag directly from the ski resort on the final day to Tokyo's NRT or HND Airports. While it only takes 48 hours for your bag to be sent from the airport to the first hotel, 72 hours are required for mailing your bag the opposite way (from the last hotel to the airport). Your Indy Host can help you mail your bags from the final resort.
For example:
Arrive in Tokyo two days before your trip and mail your bag to our starting point at Maiko Kogen Hotel. Your baggage should arrive at the hotel two days later. Before mailing your bag, be sure to confirm with them that it will be delivered by the night of your tour start date. In Japan, if they promise a delivery time, it'll be there when they say, 99% of the time.
For more information on mailing bags, check out this great article about how it's done here.
If you're planning on spending a couple days in Tokyo before the trip, you can mail your big, clunky ski bag directly to the Maiko Kogen Hotel for only about $32. If you're spending an extra day or two in Japan after the trip, you can mail your ski bag directly from the ski resort on the final day to Tokyo's NRT or HND Airports. While it only takes 48 hours for your bag to be sent from the airport to the first hotel, 72 hours are required for mailing your bag the opposite way (from the last hotel to the airport). Your Indy Host can help you mail your bags from the final resort.
For example:
Arrive in Tokyo two days before your trip and mail your bag to our starting point at Maiko Kogen Hotel. Your baggage should arrive at the hotel two days later. Before mailing your bag, be sure to confirm with them that it will be delivered by the night of your tour start date. In Japan, if they promise a delivery time, it'll be there when they say, 99% of the time.
For more information on mailing bags, check out this great article about how it's done here.
Pro Tip #2:
|
Pro Tip #3:
|
Money
What you can expect to spend on this trip
|
This trip includes a lot but but it doesn't cover your lunch, drinks, or snacks. So how much should you bring and how should you bring it?
The amount of money you spend in Japan largely depends on your preferences. Are you going for the most expensive sake? Will you be buying lots of souvenirs? Compared to places like North America, Japan is cheap. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to spend per purchase:
In general you can expect to spend ¥4,000 per day for basic purchases up to ¥10,000 per day if you're going big. |
How to spend in JPY
The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen which is denoted by "JPY" or as "¥".
Credit cards
While credit cards are now accepted at the majority of establishments in Japan, you should expect some lunch vendors at the ski resorts we visit to only take cash.
Getting cash in Japan
As a visitor, there are two main ways of getting cash in Japan: 1) bring your home currency with you and exchange it at the currency exchange window, or 2) use ATM's within Japan to withdraw your funds. All major convenience stores will have ATM's that are compatible with foreign cards as long as your bank allows the transaction.
Currency exchange window
You can exchange your home currency into JPY after arriving in Japan. This is a very simple option as there is no bank to get in the way and decline your currency conversion. The simplicity has a price though because the exchange window doesn't give you the most advantageous rate.
Withdraw funds from ATM's
You should be able to withdraw funds from any Seven Eleven ATM in Japan. The conversion rate is great but sometimes banks have issues with Japanese ATM's which can cause them to block your transactions. Be sure to check with your bank before coming to see if they have a ATM withdrawal fee or currency conversion fee. If they do, it may be cheaper to just convert cash at a currency exchange window.
The best idea
Is to show up in Japan with a few hundred dollars of your own currency, convert it into JPY, then use ATM's after that. Be sure to call your bank and let them know you'll be making withdrawals from Japanese ATM's so they don't block your account!
