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
Fly into one Hokkaido airport, out of another
You are tired of the idea of driving the same long roads twice.
An open-jaw plan lands at one Hokkaido airport and leaves from another, so you move one way across the island. It cuts back-and-forth travel when your route is a line, such as Sapporo to Biei and Asahikawa.
The trade-off is booking complexity and, if you drive, a possible one-way car fee.
What does open-jaw mean here?
An open-jaw ticket flies you into one airport and out of another. In Hokkaido you might arrive at New Chitose near Sapporo and leave from Asahikawa or Hakodate.
JNTO lists Sapporo, Asahikawa, Hakodate and Kushiro as major cities 1. Flights from Tokyo to New Chitose take about 90 minutes, and the Hokkaido Shinkansen runs from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 2.
When does it save time?
It helps when the places you want line up. Sapporo to Asahikawa takes about 1 hour 20 minutes on the JR Hakodate Line, and from Asahikawa Airport the Lavender-go bus to Biei takes about 15 minutes 3.
A route such as Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Biei and Asahikawa runs in one direction, so you finish near the departure airport and avoid driving back.
What is the warning about rental cars?
Renting in one place and returning in another often incurs a one-way drop-off fee, and availability can be limited. Ask for the fee in writing before booking, and compare it with the cost of backtracking.
Read Hokkaido Rail Pass or a rental car before you decide how to move.
What about booking and baggage?
An open-jaw trip needs a multi-city ticket or two one-way tickets. Check baggage and change rules for each. Our Hokkaido direct or via guide covers the Malaysian side.
If the savings are small, a return plan may be simpler. See New Chitose Airport to Sapporo and beyond for the usual arrival.
Who should choose it?
Choose open-jaw when your route is a line, you have enough days to cover it, and the airlines allow it. Skip it for a short trip based in Sapporo, where you return anyway.
For a guided approach, read the private car itinerary guide, and see the Hokkaido page for the wider picture.
If you are planning a one-way Hokkaido route, send us your dates, the places you want and whether you will drive. We check whether a different departure airport saves enough to be worth the extra booking care.
Keep planning
A private-car Hokkaido itinerary
Hokkaido is large, and you want the days to be about the views, not the timetables.
Getting to Hokkaido from Malaysia
You want Hokkaido, and you are not sure whether the route has a stop or two.
New Chitose Airport to Sapporo, Otaru and Furano
You land in Hokkaido tired, and the onward route should be the easy part.
Hokkaido, planned around your family
You picture cool air and open land, and want it to be easy for everyone.
Open-jaw flights
You would rather not walk the same route back to the airport you flew into.
Questions travellers ask
What is an open-jaw trip?
An open-jaw trip lands at one airport and departs from another, so you travel one way across the region instead of returning to the start. In Hokkaido that can mean arriving at New Chitose near Sapporo and leaving from Asahikawa or Hakodate.
Does it save time?
It can. A route such as Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Biei and Asahikawa runs one way, so you do not drive back. Asahikawa Airport is about a 15-minute Lavender-go bus ride from Biei, according to JNTO.
What is the risk with rental cars?
Renting in one place and returning in another often incurs a one-way drop-off fee, and availability can be limited. Ask for the fee in writing before you book, and compare it with the cost of backtracking.
Is open-jaw harder to book?
It needs a multi-city ticket or two one-way tickets, which affects baggage and change rules. We check the airline rules and your allowance first. If the savings are small, a return plan may be simpler.
Sources
Figures are checked against these sources and dated so you can see how current they are.
- JNTO, Hokkaidoaccessed 2026-10-20
- JNTO, Hokkaidoaccessed 2026-10-20
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Bieiaccessed 2026-10-20
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