Niseko Hire Car

Complimentary Vehicle : Snow Ski Japan recognise the desire of many customers to enjoy the freedom of a rental or hire car.  To make this easy, Star Chalet has a complientary vehicle for the use of their customers.  Other Hire Car companies are availble in Niseko, with a wide range of rental cars.

Driving Conditions : If you are used to driving on the left hand side of the road, you will be very comfortable driving around Niseko. The country roads are not very busy and Japanese drivers are very polite. Road signs are easy to read (English and Japanese) and the major highways are numbered so it’s easy to navigate using this system

The Law: Drinking alcohol and driving in Japan is illegal. They have a zero tolerance policy.

License Requirements : In order to rent and drive a car in Japan, you must have a Japanese drivers licence or an international driving permit.

Driving in Snow: Literally millions of people drive in snow and ice conditions each winter – it’s not “rocket science” – however you do need to be careful - obviously !  There are three cardinal rules that must be obeyed when driving in an alpine conditions:

Firstly, drive slowly, secondly always drive slowly and thirdly, and this is the most important of all, drive slowly !

If you stick to these 3 Simple rules you will be able to enjoy your driving without too many problems. On a practical note we suggest that you leave your auto transmission in 2nd gear whilst driving around the village. Watch out for pedestrians. Most of the skiers and snow boarders in the village are on foot. In the middle of winter you will be driving on fresh snow, which gives reasonable traction. As the temperatures become a little warmer towards the end of winter you will get some ice on the roads and this presents a special challenge for both pedestrians and drivers. If you encounter a storm, white-out conditions can occur instantly so stay alert and concentrate.

In summary - Stick to the 3 Rules!

ALSO REMEMBER - DRINK DRIVERS GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL !    DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.