How to get there
Where is Sapporo Teine?
The
Sapporo Teine ski resort (made up of Sapporo Teine Highland and Sapporo Teine Olympia) is located 20km northwest of
Sapporo in Hokkaido. Sapporo Teine is situated 105km northeast of Niseko.
The drive from Sapporo to Teine takes about 40-45 minutes. If you don’t have a car, there are various economical transport options that can be packaged up with a lift ticket and equipment rental.
Train and Bus Combination to Travel to Sapporo Teine
From the JR Sapporo train station catch a train to Teine. The trip takes 9 to 15 minutes and there are frequent departures, but if you’re keen to get first tracks you can check the train timetables on
Hyperdia.
From Teine station there are buses to Teine Olympia and Highland that take 15 to 20 minutes. On weekends and holidays there are 11 schedules per day to and from the ski areas, and 6 schedules on weekdays.
You can buy a very good package deal from the JR Sapporo train station tourist office. For only ¥5,850 you get a return JR train ticket between Sapporo and Teine, the bus ticket, a 6 hour lift pass, and ski or snowboard rental. If you don’t need to hire equipment, it’s only ¥3,750 (2011 rates).
Bus to Sapporo Teine from Sapporo Hotels
Hokkaido Resort Liner has a bus service to Teine Highland and Teine Olympia with various hotel pick ups. A one-way ride is ¥1,500, or a return transport and 6 hour lift ticket page costs only ¥5,300 (2011 rates). There is only one bus service per day.
If you don’t want the potential hassle of trying to navigate the train system it can be advantageous to take the bus, particularly if you’re staying at or near one of the
Sapporo hotels serviced by Hokkaido Resort Liner. For those with their own ski or snowboard equipment, it also saves the inconvenience of lugging gear from your hotel to the nearest subway station and onto the train, then from the Sapporo subway station to the Sapporo JR station (about an 8 minute walk), and then from the Teine station to the bus.
One disadvantage is that the Resort Liner bus doesn’t arrive at the Highland Zone until 10am, so on a powder day you might miss first tracks. Another downside is that the bus trip can take a long time, especially if your hotel is the first on the pick-up schedule.
Taxi Package
A fast and convenient way to get there is to catch a taxi. Sapporo Teine has taxi packages for about ¥7,200 per person that includes the taxi and a 6 hour lift ticket. Check with your hotel concierge for the latest offer.
Tours
Black Diamond Tours sometimes do unguided or guided day tours of Sapporo Teine that include transportation from Niseko. They also include Sapporo Teine on some
BDT multi-day tours.
Other Ski Resorts Nearby
Sapporo Kokusai is another of local
Sapporo ski resorts.
Niseko is 105km by road to the southwest of Sapporo Teine, about a 2 hour drive.
Kiroro is 50km away, also to the southwest, a drive that takes about 1:20 hours.