18 days in japan ( do i buy 7 days or 21 days jr pass?)

Hi there,

I can't make a direct comparison with air travel as there are so many different factors involved. What I can tell you is how the rail journey would work and then I hope you can find what best suits you. Using the JR Pass to Niseko is possible. The JR Pass covers the full route and you can use the Hokkaido Shinkansen up to Hakodate, from where ltd. express runs to Niseko. The full route from Tokyo would take somewhere between 6-7 hours but you'd be in Niseko with only one transfer. Night travel is not possible but starting early would allow you to arrive around lunch time. I do not think you'd use the pass within Niseko but could use it for day trips to say Sapporo or elsewhere in Hokkaido (Nobori Betsu is a great choice is you want to try an Onsen). The JR Pass covers travel to/from the airport but only within its validity period. Normal tickets are required otherwise. What I can also say for sure is that a 21 day JR Pass would provide you with excellent savings compared to purchasing normal rail tickets with your full itinerary. You can also bring snow gear on the train without any additional cost.

Going for a 7 day JR Pass + flights is not a bad idea either but be sure that you would use those 7 days to cover your long distance travels. As these are the most expensive, think of travel to Kyoto and back to Tokyo using the Shinkansen.

I think it will also matter if you prefer air or rail travel. Personally I'm a bit biased in that sense :) So I hope this will help you decide the best option for yourself. If you are still doubting, write our the full place for both options. Like what transport do I need to get to the airport, how long am I waiting, what are the total costs and so on.

Hope this helps,
Daniel