Hi Daniel,
Sorry, some massive changes to my plans. We decided to head to hokkaido instead because we realised that the weather, even around the alps area would still be relatively hot.
Day 1: NRT to Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo to Sapporo (FLY)
Day 3: Sapporo (Should we head to otaru or spend the whole day in Sapporo?)
Day 4: Sapporo - Furano
Day 5-13 (9 days):Furano/Biei/Asahikawa (We have not really decided where exactly to go yet. Probably spend a 2 nights in Furano for the farm, lavender before heading to Biei and Asahikawa. Is there a native village around the area? We will not have a car)
Day 14: Asahikawa to Tokyo (FLY)
Day 15: Tokyo
Day 16: Tokyo to NRT
Should I get the 4 days flexi JR Hokkaido Pass, 7 days pass or just buy the tickets, and get like the local passes like the furano-biei pass. If I get the flexi pass, I would probably still need to get the daily pass locally right? For instance the Sapporo - Otaru Pass.
Also, would I be able to take the Norokko train and some Twinkle Bus if I do not get the JR Hokkaido pass and would you advise us to add reservations if we are getting the tickets individually? Would the trains in the non reserved area be packed?