Our winter season begins on December 19th and ends on March 15th.
While unfortunately the Snow Shuttle service is limited to the winter season, private charters and tours are available year-round.
For the Snow Shuttle service, reservations can be made up to three days before departure. Buses do fill up during peak season so making your reservation in advance is advised.
For our Private Charter service, enquiries must be made at least one month before the departure date.
For the Snow Shuttle service, reservations are open from June.
For our Private Charter service, reservations are currently open for the summer season. Please enquire from June about rates and reservations for next winter.
Our booking engine has real time availability information.
All reservations are made online through our secure server.
After making the reservation, payment must be made within 60 minutes
At this stage we only process one way reservations. To book a round trip reservation please make 2 reservations.
No. All payment is required in advance.
Subject to availability, you may purchase a ticket upon boarding.
We are sorry however, we do not have waiting lists for reservations.
You may purchase a ticket on behalf on someone else. Please ensure that the name of the travelling passenger is listed on the reservation.
All passengers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
We will seat all passengers on the same reservation together.
If you have a special request we will do our best to accommodate you but cannot make any guarantee.
Flight Arrivals at Narita Airport
Please allow a minimum of 60 minutes if arriving at terminal 2, or 85 minutes if arriving at terminal 1 or 3.
Flight Arrivals at Haneda Airport
Please allow a minimum of 60 minutes if arriving at the Terminal 3, or 75 minutes if arriving at terminal 1 or 2.
Train Arrivals at JR Nagano/JR Iiyama Stations
Please allow a minimum of 20 minutes.
International Flight Departures (all airports)
Please allow 150 minutes between bus arrival and flight departure.
Domestic Flight Departures
Please allow 75 minutes between bus arrival and flight departure.
Train Departures from JR Nagano/JR Iiyama Stations
Please allow 20 minutes between bus arrival and train departure for passengers who do not need to purchase train tickets.
*Please note that connection times are for reference only. If purchasing train tickets on site then more time may be required.
Hakuba:
Hotel pick up and drop off available upon making your reservation.
Nozawa Onsen:
Hotel drop off available for night buses only.
Myoko Kogen:
Hotel drop off available for night buses only.
Madarao Kogen:
Hotel drop off available for night buses only.
Shiga Kogen:
Hotel pick up and drop off available upon making your reservation.
Airports:
We do not offer transfers to airport hotels.
To modify your reservation, please contact us via the form at the bottom of this page. Please include as much detail as possible about your request.
Change fees may apply:
“Change” refers to any alteration of reservation that does not decrease the value of said reservation. If the alteration decreases the value of a reservation, then the cancellation fees will be applied to the difference in fare.
To cancel your reservation, please select “Manage Reservation” at the top of this page. After inputting your details, you will see an option to cancel your reservation. Please note that all cancellation fees will apply.
If the booking is cancelled, then the date of the original booking is used to calculate the cancellation fee.
*Early bird or special offer tickets may not be subject to the terms outlined above. Please refer to your reservation confirmation for details.
We do not accept any request to change or cancel reservations over the phone.
To modify your reservation, please contact us via the form at the bottom of this page. Please include as much detail as possible about your request.
To cancel your reservation, please select “Manage Reservation” at the top of this page. After inputting your details, you will see an option to cancel your reservation. Please note that all cancellation fees will apply.
Cancellation fees for basic package (Shuttle Reservation only)
46 days or more before date of travel: 10% of total fare
21 – 45 days before date of travel: 20% of total fare
8 – 20 days before date of travel: 50% of total fare
7 days or less before date of travel: 100% of total fare
Cancellation fees for other packages (Private Charter Reservations etc)
Cancellation more than 30 days before check in/travel: Loss of deposit (25% of total)
Cancellation 30 days or less before check in/travel: 100% (no refund)
Note that cancellations received after 16:00 Japan Standard Time are deemed to be received the following day.
*Early bird or special offer tickets are non-refundable. Please refer to your reservation confirmation for details.
It takes approximately 5-10 business days, depending upon your bank, before you will see the refund.
Please contact your travel agent to cancel or make any modifications to your reservation.
You can switch to an earlier or later bus on the same day free of charge, but seats cannot be reserved in advance. Changes are on a stand-by basis, so if paying customers book first, a seat may not be available. To guarantee a seat, you’ll need to purchase another ticket.
IMPORTANT:
If you have booked an accommodation transfer with us and change to an earlier or later bus, your accommodation transfer will no longer be valid. No refund will be provided in this instance.
Airports:
Please check in at our counter located in Terminal 3 at Haneda Airport, or Terminal 2 at Narita Airport.
Hakuba:
Please check in at “Hakuba Base Camp” at JR Hakuba Station.
Nozawa Onsen:
Please check in with staff or driver at Chuo Terminal.
Shiga Kogen:
Please check in with staff or driver when boarding.
Madarao Kogen:
Please check in with staff or driver at Hotel Tangram or Madarao Kogen Hotel.
Myoko Kogen:
Please check in with staff or driver at Akakura Bus Stop.
Iiyama Station:
Please check in with staff or driver at the Madarao Exit.
Nagano Station:
Please check in with staff at Bus Stop 26.
Airports:
The check in counter will open 1 hour and close 15 minutes before the bus departure time. Passengers who arrive after check in has closed will not be able to board the bus.
Hakuba:
The check in counter will open 1 hour and close 5 minutes before the bus departure time.
Nozawa Onsen:
Check in from 30 minutes prior to departure.
Shiga Kogen:
Please wait for the bus 15 minutes prior to your scheduled pick up time.
Madarao Kogen:
Please wait for the bus 15 minutes prior to your scheduled pick up time.
Myoko Kogen:
Check in from 30 minutes prior to departure
Iiyama Station:
Check in from 30 minutes prior to departure
Nagano Station:
Check in from 45 minutes prior to departure
As long as you have a copy on your smartphone or tablet, then you will be able to board to bus.
Yes, all of our vehicles have heating.
No, our buses do not have restrooms on board. However, we make regular comfort stops along the way, giving guests the opportunity to use the restroom and stretch their legs.
Between Tokyo and Nagano there will be at least two rest stops including the stop at Oyaki Farm where customers will receive a complimentary Oyaki dumpling to sample.
Between Resorts in Nagano there will be one stop at Oyaki Farm where customers will receive a complimentary Oyaki dumpling to sample.
*Direct buses between Myoko and Nozawa as well as Hakuba and Nagano Station will not make any rest stops.
Most buses offer free Wi-Fi, but charging ports are not available.
You may bring food and drinks onto the bus.
*There are no rubbish bins on board the bus, please take all rubbish with you when you leave the bus or dispose of it during rest stops.
Luggage allowance is 1 piece of checked baggage per person, and 1 small carry on item to be put on your laps, under your seat or in the overhead compartment. Excess luggage can be purchased at reservation (guaranteed) or on the day (subject to space availability).
Yes, you may bring skis or snowboards as your item of luggage included in your ticket.
If you have one ski bag and one suitcase, you will have to purchase one extra piece of luggage.
Carry on luggage can be stored on your lap, under your seat or in the overhead compartment.
Small check-in sized suitcases are generally ok however, overhead luggage compartment size varies from bus to bus.
You can purchase extra luggage through the “Check Reservation” button at the top of this page.
We are very sorry but under Japanese law we are unable to transport goods or luggage without the owner.
If you have lost checked-in luggage, please fill out our Lost Property form as soon as possible so we can investigate. We will contact you once we have investigated.
If you have lost carry-on luggage, please fill out our Lost Property form as soon as possible so we can investigate. An investigation will usually take up to 10 days. Because of the number of lost property enquiries we receive, we will only come back to you if the item is found.
Infants can travel free of charge. An Infant is any passenger age 0-4 who does not occupy a seat.
Passengers who are 5 years and above require a seat and must pay the full fare price.
Please note that there must be at least 1 adult per infant.
We are sorry but we cannot provide child seats.
All customers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
While we make all effort to wait for delayed flights and trains however, in many cases it is not possible. We are only permitted to use the vehicle stopping areas for limited times.
We also factor in the consideration of the other people on the bus and any inconvenience it will cause them if the bus departure is delayed.
All decisions on waiting for delayed flights or trains are solely at the discretion of Nagano Snow Shuttle.
If you miss your bus you have two options:
Standby Travel (Free of Charge) – You can wait for the next available bus on a standby basis at no extra cost. However, seats are not guaranteed, and you may not get a spot if the bus is full. (Accommodation transfers will no longer be valid if the passengers miss their original bus)
Purchase a New Seat – You can buy a new ticket to secure a guaranteed seat. We can provide a letter to support your travel insurance claim. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance with sufficient coverage.
Note: Fare-paying passengers have priority over standby travelers. The only way to guarantee a seat is to purchase one.
We are sorry but we do not refund fares for reasons outside of our control. If your flight is delayed and you miss your bus, please seek compensation from the airline or rail company that caused the delay or claim on your travel insurance. We will provide documentation on request.
Throughout the winter season we monitor weather and road conditions closely. If there is a situation that prevents the operation of our service (road closures etc..) customers will be refunded for the portion of the service that we were unable to provide.
We do our best to keep all of our buses running on schedule.
Nagano Snow Shuttle does not take responsibility for circumstances outside of its control that cause delays (bad weather, road closures, accidents, traffic etc..).
In the event of significant delays, Nagano Snow Shuttle may offer customers an alternative means of transport, but any fares or other payments are the responsibility of the customer.
You can reach us through the “Contact Us” button at the bottom of this page. Please provide as many details as possible in your message to help us assist you more efficiently.
In case of emergency, please call us on +81 261 75 5360
Our office hours are from 07:00 – 19:00 during the winter season.
Our general terms and conditions are outlined here.
If you have reserved our Nagano Snow Shuttle service, please see terms and conditions on the booking page or on your voucher.
If you have reserved our private charter service, please see our private charter specific terms and conditions on your quote.
If you have lost checked-in luggage, please fill out our Lost Property form as soon as possible so we can investigate. We will contact you once we have investigated.
If you have lost carry-on luggage, please fill out our Lost Property form as soon as possible so we can investigate. An investigation will usually take up to 10 days. Because of the number of lost property enquiries we receive, we will only come back to you if the item is found.
Unfortunately, our cancellation policy applies to all reservations. Please proceed with canceling your booking as usual.
If needed, we can provide an official letter to support a travel insurance claim. To request this, please use the “Contact Us” button at the bottom of this page.
Please check your spam folder. If you cannot find the email, please use the “Manage Reservation” button at the top of the page to view your reservation and ticket.
If you are unable to see your reservation get in touch via the “contact us” button at the bottom of this page.
We apologize for the inconvenience, please contact us to arrange an alternative payment method.
In case of emergency, please call us on +81 261 75 5360
Our office hours are from 07:00 – 19:00 during the winter season.
