Hokkaido Rail Pass or a rental car
Furano, Biei and Otaru sit far apart, and you are not sure whether to drive or ride.
Trains, roads and flights
ETC cards, tolls and expressway passes
You plan to rent a car in Hokkaido and want to understand tolls before the bill surprises you.
Tolls add to a rental car’s cost, and an ETC card lets you pay them without stopping at the gate. For Hokkaido, visitors can use the Hokkaido Expressway Pass, which costs 13,500 yen for 7 days for an ordinary passenger car 1. Compare it with your actual route before you rent.
What are ETC cards and tolls?
An ETC card is an electronic toll card read by a device in the car, so you pass through the gate without paying cash. Visitors usually rent the ETC card together with the vehicle 2.
Tolls add to the daily rental cost on long expressway drives. Our guide on renting a car in Japan as a Malaysian explains the rest of the rental.
What is the Hokkaido Expressway Pass?
It is a flat-fee pass for expressway driving over a set number of days. For an ordinary passenger car it costs 7,700 yen for 4 days, 9,600 yen for 5 days, 11,600 yen for 6 days, 13,500 yen for 7 days and 15,400 yen for 8 days, with lower prices for light vehicles 1.
At the Bank Negara selling rate of RM 2.603 per 100 yen on 19 October 2026, the 7-day price is about RM 351 1 3. The rental vehicle and ETC card are not included 1.
Who can use it, and what are the rules?
The pass is for foreign visitors holding non-Japanese passports, for ordinary passenger cars and light vehicles 2. You rent the ETC card together with the vehicle 2.
The period of use cannot be extended midway, so choose carefully, and apply for separate ranges on a longer trip 2. The page also states that new applications from car rental companies are currently suspended, so check its status before you plan around it 2.
Is the pass worth it?
Compare it with the tolls on your route. A long cross-Hokkaido drive across several days is where a flat pass makes sense. Short drives around Sapporo may cost less without it.
Read Hokkaido rail pass versus rental car and rail, rental car or tour. A private driver is another option; see the private car itinerary.
Are there other regional passes?
DoRaPuRa also lists a Tohoku Expressway Pass and a Niigata Expressway Pass 4. Terms differ for each region, so read the rules before you book the car.
What should Malaysian travellers prepare?
Check the rental company’s ETC policy before you book. Read driving on the left and, for winter, winter driving in Hokkaido for tropical drivers. Confirm road and service seasons with the Hokkaido seasonal operation check. For the region, see Hokkaido.
If you are costing a Hokkaido rental car, send us your route, days and number of drivers. We estimate tolls against your route and check whether the pass would help.
Keep planning
Winter driving in Hokkaido for first-time snow drivers
You can drive well at home, and snow and ice on a strange road is a different test.
A private-car Hokkaido itinerary
Hokkaido is large, and you want the days to be about the views, not the timetables.
Renting a car in Japan as a Malaysian
You drive at home and want to be sure your licence is enough in Japan.
Rail, rental car or private driver in Hokkaido
Hokkaido is huge, and you are not sure how your family should move around it.
What to confirm before locking Hokkaido dates
You have chosen your Hokkaido dates and want to be sure the things you came for are running.
Questions travellers ask
What is an ETC card?
An ETC card is an electronic toll card used with a reader in the car, so you drive through toll gates without stopping to pay cash. Visitors usually rent the ETC card together with the rental vehicle. Ask the rental company whether the car has an ETC reader and what the card costs.
How much is the Hokkaido Expressway Pass?
For an ordinary passenger car it is 13,500 yen for 7 days, about RM 351 at the Bank Negara rate of RM 2.603 per 100 yen on 19 October 2026. A 4-day pass is 7,700 yen. The vehicle rental and ETC card are extra. Check the page, as the figures and availability can change.
Who can use the pass?
Foreign visitors holding non-Japanese passports, in ordinary passenger cars or light vehicles. You rent the ETC card together with the vehicle. The period of use cannot be extended midway, so choose the day count carefully, and apply for separate ranges on a longer trip.
Is the pass always worth it?
Not always. Compare it with the tolls on your actual route, because short drives around Sapporo may cost less without it. A long cross-Hokkaido drive across several days is where a flat pass makes sense. We total your route's tolls before you decide.
Are there passes for other regions?
DoRaPuRa also lists a Tohoku Expressway Pass and a Niigata Expressway Pass. Terms differ for each region, so read the rules for the one you plan to use before you book the car.
Sources
Figures are checked against these sources and dated so you can see how current they are.
- NEXCO East, DoRaPuRa, Hokkaido Expressway Passaccessed 2026-10-20
- NEXCO East, DoRaPuRa, Hokkaido Expressway Passaccessed 2026-10-20
- Bank Negara Malaysia exchange rates (JPY)accessed 2026-10-20
- NEXCO East, DoRaPuRaaccessed 2026-10-20
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