Schedule[]
There are four boats: Sunflower Mito, Sunflower Tsukuba, Sunflower Sapporo, Sunflower Hestia. At least one of these boats is generally making the trip each day, although there are a few occasional exceptions.
Oarai -- Tomakomai[]
- Boat #1: 18:30 to 13:15
- Boat #2: 23:59 to 19.45
Tomakomai -- Oarai[]
- Boat #1: 18:45 to 13:30
- Boat #2: 23:45 to 19:00
You can only reserve spots two months in advance. It is literally from 9am two months in advance of the date that you want to travel, so for example, the February 3 trips open for reservation on December 3 presumably.
See: http://www.sunflower.co.jp/ferry/schedule/index.shtml
Rates[]
Accommodations[]
- Suite: 30,000 yen (includes bath/shower, toilet, tap, tv, fridge, table, chair, locker, yukata, bath towel, face towel, bath mat, slippers, hot water pot, toothbrush)
- 1st Class (A): 19,500 yen (includes shower, toilet, tap, tv, table chair, locker, yukata, face towel, slippers, hot water pot, tea stuff, toothbrush)
- 1st Class (B): 13,500 yen (includes tap, tv, table chair, locker, yukata, face towel, slippers, hot water pot, tea stuff, toothbrush)
- 2nd Class (with bed): 9,500 yen (includes blankets, pillow, shelf, slippers)
- 2nd Class: 7,000 yen (includes blankets, pillow, shelf)
From what I understand, the different 1st class rates depend on which of the boats you take. I think Sunflower Mito, Sunflower Tsukuba have A level 1st class and Sunflower Sapporo, Sunflower Hestia have B level.
Cars[]
- 23,000 yen for cars under 5 meters long
- 5,000 yen for every meter over 5
This price includes basic 2nd class accommodation.
See: http://www.sunflower.co.jp/ferry/tariff/index.shtml
Transportation to and from Ports[]
- Tsukuba to Oarai: 1 hour by car, 2 hours (?) by train, bus
- Tomakomai to Sapporo: 42 minutes on train and 13 minutes on bus or 100 minutes on bus
See: http://www.sunflower.co.jp/ferry/beginner/04_index.shtml
Recommendations[]
- Arrive by 5pm for the 6:30 departure. Some parking is available near the ferry terminal.
- If you plan on taking the bus from Tomakomai to Sapporo, make sure you get off the ferry quickly after it docks so you can get in line to take the bus right away. If you don't get in line quickly enough to get a seat on the bus, take the bus to Tomakomai station and take the train from there. The bus is a regular bus (making all kinds of stops) on the way from Tomakomai to Sapporo, but it is semi-express bus (stopping a few times in Sapporo and a few times in Tomakomai) on the way from Sapporo to Tomakomai.
- There are lockers on board for you to store your valuables. Be sure to use them.
-- Shaney 11:03, 8 Jan 2006 (UTC)
See also...[]