Access from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa

Asahikawa is the second largest city in Hokkaido, which is well known that Asahiyama Zoo is located in. As Furano and Biei, a popular tourist spots in Hokkaido is not very far from Asahikawa, not a few tourists to Hokkaido would also visit the city.
Due to no direct public transportation from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa, you have to transit in Sapporo to reach Asahikawa by either way, bus or JR.
There are four options to move from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa.

Plan A

All the way from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa by JR
Total trip time: 2h 02 min (37 min from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + 1h 25 min from Sapporo to Asahikawa)
Total ticket price: JPY 5,360 ( JPY 1,070 from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + JPY 4,290 from Sapporo to Asahikawa )
*In case you make round trip between Sapporo and Asahikawa by JR within 6 days, S Ticket (ticket for round-trip free seating ) with JPY 5,080 is useful and reasonable.
*You can purchase S Ticket at Midorino Madoguchi, JR ticket counters.
Plan B

New Chitose Airport to Sapporo by JR and Sapporo to Asahikawa by Bus
Total trip time: Approximately 3h 02 min ( 37 min from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + 2h 25 min from Sapporo to Asahikawa)
Total ticket price: JPY 3,130 ( JPY 1,070 from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + JPY 2,060 from Sapporo to Asahikawa)

*Round trip bus ticket from/to Sapporo to/from Asahikawa is JPY 3,860
*You can buy the round trip bus ticket at the bus terminal in Sapporo station

Plan C
New Chitose Airport to Sapporo by bus and Sapporo to Asahikawa by JR
Total trip time: Approximately 2h 45 min ( 1h 20 min from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + 1h 25min from Sapporo to Asahikawa)
Total ticket price: JPY 5,320 (JPY 1,030 from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + JPY 4,290 from Sapporo to Asahikawa)

*Round trip bus ticket from/to New Chitose Airport to/from Sapporo is JPY 1,950
*You can buy a round trip bus ticket from/to New Chitose Airport to/from Sapporo at the counter on 1st floor of New Chitose Airport
* In case you make round trip between Sapporo and Asahikawa by JR within 6 days, S Ticket (ticket for round-trip free seating ) with JPY 5,080 is useful and reasonable.
* You can purchase S Ticket at Midorino Madoguchi, JR ticket counters.

Plan D
All the way from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa by bus
Total trip time: Approximately 3h 45 min( 1h 20 min from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + 2h 25min from Sapporo to Asahikawa)
Total ticket price: JPY 3,090 ( JPY 1,030 from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo + JPY 2,060 from Sapporo to Asahikawa)

*Round trip bus ticket from/to New Chitose Airport to/from Sapporo is JPY 1,950
*You can buy a round trip bus ticket from/to New Chitose Airport to/from Sapporo at the counter on 1st floor of New Chitose Airport
*Round trip bus ticket from/to Sapporo to/from Asahikawa is JPY 3,860
*You can buy the round trip bus ticket from/to Sapporo to/from Asahikawa at the bus terminal in Sapporo station

Plan E – Updated in Aug 2018

Direct bus from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa
The direct bus has been operated the route from New Chitose airport to Asahikawa since Apr 2018 according to official website of Hokuto Kotsu, a major Hokkaido bus company.
Total trip time: Approximately 2h 50min
Total ticket price: JPY 3,800
Four times in a day

*Round trip bus ticket is JPY 7,000
*You need to buy the bus ticket through a website for direct bus from New Chitose airport to Asahikawa in advance.
The above website is also introducing the time table as well as the fare details etc.

As stated above, when you go from New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa, the fastest way is Plan A that goes all the way by JR, on the other hand, the cheapest way is Plan D that uses buses from the airport to Asahikawa. Plan E, the direct bus from the airport to Asahikawa is also reasonable choice if you understand Japanese to proceed online booking offered by the local bus company. In the mean time, except the route from New Chitose airport to Sapporo by JR, each ticket by JR or bus provides special discount price for the round trip. If you already have a plan to come back to the airport from Asahikawa via same route, those discount round trip tickets are relatively much cheaper than one way ticket.
Train from the airport to Sapporo is often clouded and no available seat. If you want to secure to sit on the seat for 40 min, I recommend to use the bus for this route or pay additional fee for reserved seat for the train.

-Updated-
Inter city bus pass is also available. This bus pass covers the routes from New Chitose airport to Sapporo and Sapporo to Asahikawa. Once you get the pass (JPY 6,000 for 3 days pass, JPY 9,000 for 5 days pass), you can reach 20 cities and more than 100 travel spots in Hokkaido by local buses.

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