From Tokyo to Sapporo

[insomniacx]

Hi! I am new to this forum but let me tell you the details of my trip, i am open to any criticism, suggestions, or comments. I am 19 years old and have had the dream since i was about 14 to go back packing in japan for a few weeks. Ive been saving my money up since then and i leave in a little over a month now. Ive already booked my flight from Los Angelos to Narita. My uncle is in the air force and works around there and i am going to stay with him for about a week and we plan to climb mt. fuji during this time. After that he will drive me to wherever i need to go to get to sapporo. This is where my main question comes in, i have done some research and the cheapest thing i have found is going from heneda airport to new chitose airport, which will cost me about $250 for a direct flight. After that i would take the skybus from new chitose airport to sapporo. If anybody knows a cheaper way to get to sapporo it would be greatly appreciated since i am kind of pressed for money. i know there are trains that go there but from what ive found they all seem too expensive.

once i am in sapporo i dont really have anything planned.... i just have 2 weeks of doing what i please with hopefully around $500 dollars on me, a tent, stove, maybe 5 days worth of food, and other various essential amounts of back packing equipment. keep in mind i dont know any japanese whatsoever, and ive never really done anything on my own like this before. i really want to enjoy myself, rather than be stressed the entire time about what the hell i am doing. so i realize i need to get some serious planning going in the next month. so, any experienced japan travelers please help me out what would you do if you were me?

[MMM]

Camping on Japan's wild Hokkaido island | Travel | The Guardian

This might be helpful.

I think you are going to need more money. Not all camping areas will be free.

[Firebird]

The cheapest way from Tokyo to Sapporo is by train with the Seishun 18 kippu.
On the page they suggest a route that is possible in 2 days, i took 3 ( as you will have to buy 5 days anyway, thatll leave you with 2 after arriving in Sapporo). I stopped in Morioka and Hakodate and stayed in Hotels, so after all its maybe not that much cheaper than flying but you spent 2-3 days.

In Sapporo you will not be able to camp because it is a big city, you can however stay in youth hostels or capsule hotels starting for 3000yen a night, there was a nice new place in downtown when i was there, i can look up the name for you if you want (it was kinda fanzy kapsulehotel).

You can probably camp in most other places around Hokkaido, on beaches or stuff, but you problem will be transportation... If you could speak a bit japanese i`d recommend hitchhiking (was quite easy in Hokkaido). You can still do it without japanese, people will pick you up! If you could get the seishun 18 kippu and make it to Sapporo in 3 days you could use 2 more days in the train for longer trips and do the rest with hitchhiking or buses.

[insomniacx]

Firebird thank you very much! I looked up the seishun route and found out about the hokkaido and higashinihon pass that says it can get me from tokyo to sapporo in 24 hours for 10,000 yen with 5 days unlimited travel time. Unlike the seishun though it also comes with a membership to the youth hostels. Even though im not using your suggested route i never wouldve found this one without your help so thank you. The youth hostel i am thinking about staying at is the Sapporo House YH, it goes for 3150 yen a night with a membership, breakfast for 600 yen and dinner for 1000 yen. of course if there is another place you suggest please let me know! I never really thought about hitchhiking, i didnt know if it was accepted around hokkaido or not, but if you say so

and MMM thanks for the link ill have to look into a little more.

[Firebird]

Yeah, that ticket also sounds good, the only negative point is that it must be used on five consecutive days.... otherwise its good!

The examples of how to get to Sapporo in 2 days are for the Seishun 18 kippu as well! Only example 4 is for the other pass.
For you individual plan you can use Hyperdia | Timetable and Route Search in Japan..

For the youth hostel: The one by the trainstation is quite nice and its good to meet people. i have posted a few pics in this post (the first ones) of the place i stayed in Sapporo. It is new and kind of a capsule hotel but with a really nice spa.The good thing was that it was right in the city center (susukino). It cost 2900yen and the place is called Avinel, here a link to tripadvisor. You wont really meet other travelers here but its a nice place to crash, cheap and new. The spa is really good (japanese style)