hey toh,
if u'r only going to hokkaido and not visiting anywhere else on honshu, forget about the japan rail pass. the japan rail pass is only worth it when you travel across long distances, like from tokyo to osaka or down to hiroshima/fukuoka. you will be flying into hokkaido, i believe, and within hokkaido, the JR rail pass is redundant.
You have another option called the <u>Hokkaido Rail Pass</u> though.
http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/railpass/4days_01.html
Pros:
- You get to relax and enjoy the long journeys
- You don't have to worry about losing your way
- You can experience the famous efficiency and service the Japanese are known for
- The trains (and buses too) are absolutely punctual so you are unlikely to worry that your itinerary will be pushed back etc.
Cons:
- You will have to schedule your itinerary according to the train schedules as they don't come as frequently as you'd like them to
- The journeys are pretty long e.g. Sapporo to Hakodate takes 3hrs, Sapporo to Furano takes 2hrs
- You can't take breaks or view attractions/sceneries between your destinations
- Some attractions, like the ainu village, hell valley and lake toya, require a local bus transfer as they are not located near the station. These buses are VERY infrequent so you will incur waiting time, or will have to rush to catch an earlier bus out
<u>Driving</u>
A good guide book and map should suffice. you can enquire at places like JTB in Taka or at the tourist information counter at the airport or at Sapporo station when you arrive in town.
Pros:
- Gives you lots of flexibility with your itinerary as you can come and go as and when you like
- Gets you to places faster
- You can stop along the way if anything interests you, or to take in the panaromic views of the abundant nature, or just to stop by a convenience store to grab a bite
- The speed limit in Sapporo downtown is 40km/h, 50km/h further out of town, and 70km/h on the highways. Cars generally go at a slower pace here and the roads are far from congested
Cons:
- Rental cars come with GPS systems, but they're in Japanese
- If it's just 2 people, it may cost more per pax to drive than using public transport
- You may tire from driving around all day
This is certainly non-exhaustive, but it's about all I can think of at this moment.
It's prob still early to decide which mode of transport you shud use, but I'm more inclined towards the HRP for the 2 of you. Make a list of places you'd like to visit first, and work out a rough itinerary from there based on location e.g. start off from Hakodate, move up towards Toya and Noboribetsu and then Sapporo, and make your way to the central to Furano or sth. After you have a rough itinerary, check the train and bus schedules online to see how they can fit, how much it would cost you and if it'd be worth getting the HRP.