Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass user guide

I explain many deals in this site but these are mostly available for overseas tourist only. In this post, I would like to show you the deal for both resident and overseas tourist in this post. This deal, Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass is designed for the trip to eastern part of Hokkaido. If you are under 25 years old, you can get this pass at U25 discount rate.

I would like to show you how you use this pass.

Overview

Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass is available exclusively for Peach Air arrival passengers in New Chitose airport and Kushiro airport. It is valid for 5 days which includes unlimited ride of any trains in the coverage area. This deal covers central and eastern part of Hokkaido, such as New Chitose airport, Sapporo, Otaru, Asahikawa, Furano, Kushiro, Nemuro and Abashiri.

Prices and valid period

This ticket is valid for any 5 consecutive days until April 5, 2019. But the last day of sales is March 31, 2019. If you are under 25 years old, you can get U25 discount price.

Child rate is applied to 6 to 11 years old. Child who is 5 years old and younger is free of charge. U25 rate is applied to 12 to 25 years old. You have to prove the age by official documents, such as passport, driver’s license.

One day means midnight to midnight, technically 0:00 to 23:59. Even if you start using the pass at 23:00. you will spend one full day for just one hour. So try to start in the morning. It does not make sense to start to use in late evening.

Valid train and railway lines

Please see the coverage area map below:

You can take any train’s non reserved seat in the coverage area. All limited express trains, rapid trains and local trains have non reserved seat. This pass does not cover any local bus services, street car and subway. Only JR trains are covered by this pass.

If you want to take reserved seat or Green seat (1st class seat), you have to pay full charge of reserved seat limited express fee or Green seat fee. The extra fee is not the difference between reserved and non reserved. In this case, the pass covers only base fare ticket:

e.g.
Trip from Sapporo to Asahikawa
Green seat fee 4,550 yen
Reserved seat fee 2,320 yen
Non reserved seat fee 1,800 yen
Base fare 2,490

The pass covers base fare 2,490 yen and non reserved seat fee 1,800 yen. If you take reserved seat, you have to pay 2,320 yen. The extra fare is not 520 yen (2,320 yen – 1,800 yen). If you take Green seat, extra fare is 4,550 yen. Again it is not the difference between non reserved and Green which is 2,750 yen (4,550 yen – 1,800 yen).

You may find some more information in regards to non reserved seat and reserved seat in the link below:

How to purchase Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass

This pass is available for Peach Air passenger only. There are some restrictions. Please see the following conditions. You must know these conditions before you use this pass.

• This pass is sold at New Chitose Airport station only. You cannot purchase it at any other stations. And also if you arrive in New Chitose airport, you must purchase it at New Chitose Airport station. You cannot buy it in Kushiro. Meanwhile if you arrive in Kushiro airport, you have to purchase it at Kushiro station and Twincle Plaza Kushiro branch.
• When you purchase this pass, you have to show Peach Air boarding pass.
• The pass is sold on arrival day only. You cannot purchase it in advance. You cannot use the boarding pass of previous date.
• You can choose the arrival day or next day to start using the pass. You cannot choose other dates.
• You can purchase one pass per one boarding pass. There is other deals, Peach Kita Hokkaido Pass. But you cannot purchase both by one boarding pass even it is different kind pass.

You cannot get a pass until you arrive in New Chitose airport or Kushiro station. You must start using it right after you purchase or next day. If you arrive in late night, you can start using the pass next day.

If you arrive in Kushiro airport, you have to take a bus to get Kushiro station. Kushiro airport is about 45 minutes away from Kushiro station. You have to take Akan bus to get Kushiro station. This bus is not covered by this pass but you can get discount fare by the coupon. You have to print out the coupon in the link below:

Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass bus discount coupon (PDF)

You have to print out it. You cannot show this coupon by the smartphone, tablet or laptop. You have to print it same number as your travel member. If you travel with someone, you must print two copies.

This pass is sold until March 30, 2020. The last day of using this ticket is April 5 and it is valid for 5 days. But this sales period may be extended.

The route of Peach Air

Peach Air is most popular Japanese LCC (Low Cost Carrier). As of October, 2019, Peach Air operates the following route:

• Tokyo (Narita) – Sapporo (New Chitose)
• Osaka (Kansai) – Sapporo (New Chitose)
• Sendai – Sapporo (New Chitose)
• Fukuoka – Sapporo (New Chitose)
• Taipei (Taoyuan) – Sapporo
• Osaka (Kansai) – Kushiro

Please confirm the updated timetable in the official sites:

Peach Air

Eligibility

You must get New Chitose airport or Kushiro airport by Peach Air. Nationality and travel status do not matter. All you have to do is showing your boarding pass when you purchase it. If you live in Japan, you can purchase it. Of course Japanese can purchase this.

Compare regular fare and Peach Higashi Hokkaido Pass

It is very easy to get the worth of this ticket. Please see the fare table on major segments.

These above fare table is shown by the segment. If you purchase a regular fare, you may purchase just one ticket for several segment because you can make a stopover. Actual cost may be cheaper than these above fares. However you may use this table for rough calculation.

Anyway you may get the worth by only round trip to Kushiro or Abashiri. If you have a circle tour, New Chitose airport – Sapporo – Kushiro – Abashiri – Asahikawa – Sapporo, total fare is around 18,000 yen. You can get the worth anyway. You may add trip to Furano and Biei from Asahikawa, and trip to Otaru from Sapporo. Your saving is bigger and bigger when you add some trips.

Sample trip plan by Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass

If I use this pass, my trip plan is the following:

Day 1
Arrive at New Chitose in the morning.
Leave New Chitose for Asahikawa.
Stay in Asahikawa

Day 2
Leave Asahikawa for Furano and Biei.
Enjoy trip to Biei and Furano.
Catch the last train to Abashiri.
Stay in Abashiri

Day 3
Leave Asahikawa for Kamikawa.
Catch the bus to Sounkyo / Daisetsu mountains (not covered by the pass).
Catch the last train to Abashiri.
Stay in Abashiri

Day 4
Leave Abashiri for Shiretoko.
Take sightseeing bus to Shiretoko peninsula (not covered by the pass).
Take the train to Kushiro. Enjoy the scenery of Kushiro marsh.
Stay in Kushiro

Day 5
Leave Kushiro for Sapporo or New Chitose.
*If you have a time, you can drop by Obihiro.
**If you can stay more, you can go to Sapporo. I do not include Sapporo and Otaru even though those places are covered by the pass. Because Sapporo is very closed to New Chitose. It is not a good idea to spend one of five days coverage period. Otaru is very closed to Sapporo too.

This above plan is just one of the idea. You can use the pass as you like!

Assessment

If you fly in Hokkaido, this is a very good deal. Even for overseas tourist, this is an attractive deal. It is much cheaper than Hokkaido Rail Pass. Especially if you have a plan to visit eastern Hokkaido, this deal must be considerable.

Enjoy visiting Hokkaido at affordable cost by Peach Higashi Hokkaido Free Pass.