Express Bus Hakuba

Information about luggage restrictions: 

There are no restrictions on the number or size of items you can check in. But due to the limited space in the bus, especially on night buses, we often cannot accommodate everyone’s skis and snowboards. In cases where the luggage space becomes full, we may have to regretfully decline your items.

For customers concerned about this, we recommend sending your equipment in advance via a courier service, if possible. If sending in advance is not an option, you can consider reserving an additional seat at the child fare to use as a dedicated space for your belongings. Please decide whether to reserve a seat for your luggage on your own.

Please note that:
1. Even if there is extra space available in the bus’s trunk room on the day of travel, we cannot provide a refund for the luggage seat fee, so please be aware of this in advance.

2. Please make sure to use dedicated covers or bags for your skis, snowboard, and snowshoes.

3. Please note that we do not take any responsibility for any damage to your belongings.

Please read before making an inquiry:

1. This bus can be reserved in advance. You can also purchase tickets at the ticket counter on the same day. However, please note that these buses can fill up, so we recommend making reservations in advance.

2. You can make a reservation 1 month prior to the travel date but not before the release of timetable.

3. To check seat availability, please visit the reservation page. If the bus is fully booked, you will see indicators such as “×”, “No Seat Available”, or “Not Available”. We will not answer to the inquiries about the seat availability.

4. The online reservation system and the ticket counter share the same seat availability. If online bookings show no available seats, the ticket counter will have the same status.

5. This bus typically has a restroom onboard. However, on some additional buses or due to inspection schedules, there is a possibility that there may not have restroom available. Whether they have restrooms or not, there is usually a restroom break at a service area or parking area.

6. Only one bus departs at each scheduled time. Additional buses may be added during busy periods. We cannot provide information on whether more buses will be added, so please refrain from inquiring about them. We recommend checking the reservation website for updates and availability yourself.

7. The timetable is not expected to change significantly from last year, so please refer to the timetable from the previous year until the updated one becomes available.

8. Alpico does not handle the operation of the reservation website. If you encounter issues like your card being denied, the reservation page loading slowly, not sure what to fill in the form, error occuring while proceeding, or being unable to proceed despite availability, etc., please reach out to Keio Dentetsu, which is the company that manages the reservation website, directly at info@highwaybus.com for help. (We often receive inquiries about card denials, but when we test it, it usually works fine. So, please try using other cards or attempt booking later the next day or so.)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: When will the Shinjuku – Hakuba winter timetable be released?
A1:We aim to update the timetable before November, but it may take longer. If the winter timetable is not yet available, please be patient for its release. We kindly ask that you refrain from inquiring about the release of the timetable, as we cannot provide more details than what is available on the timetable page.

Q2: Will the bus from Shinjuku to Hakuba be running this winter season, and when?
A2: Once the operation and timetable are finalized, they will be posted on the timetable page as soon as possible. If the winter schedule is not yet available, please be patient for its release. We kindly ask that you refrain from inquiring about the release of the timetable, as we cannot provide more details than what is available on the timetable page.

Q3: When I try to book a bus online, I am unable to make a reservation. Is it fully booked, or is it a website error?
A3: See reasons why you cannot make a reservation here.

Q4: I booked a bus online, how do I board it?
A4: See how to board the bus with online booked tickets here.

Q5: Can I select seats in advance when making reservation online?
A5: If you’re traveling alone, you can choose seats in the front, rear, aisle, or window. However, if your preferred seat is not available, you won’t be able to select it.

For groups of two or more, you can only choose seats in the front or rear. Seats are automatically assigned to be adjacent whenever possible, but if there are no available adjacent seats, your group may be separated.

You can check for available seats on the reservation website. Please note that we do not handle inquiries regarding seat availability, seat selection, seat changes, etc.

**Only one-way tickets are available; there is no round-trip fare.

**An extra separate fee (1,400 yen per person) is required when getting on the late night bus (departing from Shinjuku at 23:05 and 23:15).

【Children’s fares】
■6 years and older: Adult fare
■1 to under 6 years old: Child fare (Half of adult fare)
■Under 1 year old: Travel free if not occupying a seat. However, they count as passengers and may be refused boarding if capacity is reached. Therefore, if the maximum capacity is reached, we reserve the right to refuse boarding for children not paying fares. It’s recommended to purchase a ticket (child fare) even if the child won’t occupy it.