Happo Apartments

About the area

**Location** Happo Apartments is located in the Happo area of Hakuba Village--the heart of Hakuba Valley. **Directions** From Narita to Happo Apartments: Bus (1): A company called Nagano Snow Shuttle runs direct buses from the airport all the way to Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. It will cost you approximately 11,000¥ and will take about 6 hours, depending on traffic. The buses from Hakuba to Narita run for the same price. Another option when traveling back to Tokyo (there is no option when coming from Tokyo) is the Nagano Snow Shuttle bus direct from Hakuba to Shinjuku for about 10,000¥. Bus (2): Usually Alpico runs a bus service direct from Narita once a day. Please get off the bus at Happo Bus Terminal. Bus (3): If you want to stay a few days in Tokyo before making your way to Hakuba, you can catch a bus from Shinjuku to Hakuba. After arriving at Narita, you will need to catch the Narita Express (1 hour) from the Airport to Tokyo, and then proceed to wherever you’re staying in Tokyo. When leaving for Hakuba, go to Shinjuku Station and head across the street to Shinjuku Bus Terminal. This is where you will transfer to Alpico bus services for Hakuba, which runs at various times throughout the day. Please click the ‘WINTER SEASON’ tab to see times. The journey is about 5 hours. The bus stop you will get off at is Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. Train (1): If you want to get to Hakuba a little bit quicker, after catching the Narita Express to Tokyo station, you can catch the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagano. The Hokuriku Shinkansen has both reserved (~¥8500) and unreserved seating (~¥8000) on its Hakutaka and Asama routes, and only reserved seating on its Kagayaki route. These trains may say “For Kanazawa” or “For Nagano,” but all of these routes stop at Nagano Station. Once you arrive at Nagano Station, you will walk out onto the main thoroughfare, and you need to exit on the East Side of the station (to the left) and take the lift down to the ground floor. Go to the end of the row of bus stops to #26 and buses to Hakuba (also run by Alpico Group) leave approximately every hour starting from morning until evening and will cost you ~¥2000 one way. Please note buses stop for the day at around 8pm. The bus station you want to get off at is Happo Bus Terminal. Train (2): There is also a Limited Express Train from Shinjuku, the Azusa, which has one direct service every day from Tokyo to Hakuba, leaving at 8:00am and arriving at 11:41 (approximately 4 hours) for ~¥11,800 per adult. You can book tickets online or at Shinjuku Station. From Haneda: Monorail: Haneda has a Monorail that will take you to Hamamatsucho Station (MO10 or 11 –> MO01). From there you can change to the Yamanote Line going towards Tokyo station (leaving every few minutes). Then depending on your plans continue on your way as per the instructions above. Train: There is a train station located at Haneda Airport as well, and all you need to do is catch the Keikyu Airport Limited Express to Shinagawa Station and change to the Yamanote Line to Tokyo Station. From here you can change to the Shinkansen (as explained in the Narita section) and make your way to Hakuba. If you are going to Shinjuku to catch a bus then you can take the Yamanote line from Hamamatsucho to Shinjuku or change at Tokyo again to the Chuo line, which will take you through to Shinjuku. Bus (1): There is also a bus from Haneda Airport run by Nagano Snow Shuttle, which costs approximately 11,000¥ and usually takes 5-6 hours. The buses run from Haneda Terminal 3. Please reference the Narita section if you would prefer direct buses from Hakuba to Shinjuku. Bus (2): Like with Narita, Alpico runs a winter-time-only bus to Hakuba directly from Haneda once a day. Please check their website for the bus schedule. Bus + Train: There is also a bus from Haneda to Tokyo Station or to Shinjuku. Head to the Bus Ticket Counter on the first floor of the airport (in either terminal) and buy your tickets there. Upon arrival, follow the signs to the shinkansen ticket gates or to your next bus. Transport by Taxi (from either airport) There is a taxi shuttle service called Airport Taxi which can pick you up from the airport and bring you directly to the hotel. Please check out their website for more details or to book. The one drawback to this option is that they tend to get booked out fast, so it’s better to reserve sooner rather than later. Please check their website for prices as they change depending on the dates. Rental Car The most convenient option may be to take a car as you can freely stop for bathroom breaks, food, or to get some fresh air (especially for restless kids) on the journey here. You would also have a car for personal use while in Hakuba. The downsides to driving are having to navigate through Tokyo, taking the expensive toll roads, and driving 4.5 - 5 hours here, especially if you're a bit tired from the flight. You would also have to inform the rental company ahead of time that you would need winter tires and a vehicle with AWD/4WD. Vehicles without those features won't make it up the hill to the hotel or to any ski resort unfortunately. Here are some options for finding rental cars: Tabirai - Select Pick up → Major Airports and then choose either Narita International Airport or Tokyo International Aiport (Haneda) from the drop box and input your dates to see what is available. Rentalcars.com - Type in Haneda or Narita Airport, select your dates/times and then search.