I will be traveling from Kyoto to Happo in January. I am thinking of hiring & driving (4 adults & 4 teens. Any advice?
Besides train what are my other options (small bus with driver?)

Train is by far the best option. Can you navigate Japanese raods and highways? Bullet train from Kyoto to Nagoya, then change for an express straight to Hakuba station. No stress and you can kick back with a few beers and enjoy the views.

there are buses going up, but typically only on weekends (?) ...not true? I forget, havent used one in a long time. I agree with TT, train is best.

i know people that drove last season it is not hard.

drive to nagoya when you are almost through nagoya there will be a junction for the Chuo highway. take the Chuo for about 2 hours and then get onto the nagano bound highway. Get off at toyoshina and follow the signs to hakuba.

hello ding 33.
i live in kyoto and i had happo one season pass last year.
haven't planned anything yet for this winter but mostlikely i'll be driving up there a lot.
let me know if i could help

ewok, you read your keitai mails?

seems like it is snowing in happo right now.
cb and i are driving up there this weekend (sorry d33 for ..) and wondering if anyone else's coming and need a ride.

leaving kyoto 8ish pm on friday the 21st and
coming back on the 24th leaving happo 2ish.

i drive to my work from mon to fri
and then drive up to hakuba on the weekend,
that is a lot of driving and no good for our environment at all.
sorry about that so at least i would like to share a lift if possible in winter.

Did you guys go up? Sounds like opening weekend was DEEP! It's gonna be hard for me to get into the snow much this year but it would be great to go up to Hakuba again for a couple of days.

Saw daikon back in the UK over the summer. Pretty poor ones too they were with some weird name.... can't remember now.....

big-will, err daikon? 大根　だいこん　(big root)　=)

ger, cb stayed in kansai and i went up. was a skiier and puttier this wknd. good time. my senpai's friend who works in osaka during a week and teaches kyokushin karate in nagano city every weekend was driving last night and it was snowing heavily espacially from toyoshina to okaya junction. so today might have been good.

when are you thinking of going up this winter? lets plan in advance so more people in the car

Oops. obviously posted that in the wrong thread!!!

big will's big root machigai heee

probably about as often as you read your web mail

How many hours of treacherous driving does it take?

And how long for a woman driver?

i saw my twin last that was skyline happo with his injured thigh. looking forward to going up with davo and rest, sg =)

thursday, treacherous　and woman, what do you imply?
takes about 4.5 hours from k to h.

Take no notice Ewok, of Thursday's nasty chauvanistic view of women's driving skills....I'm sure its very hard driving with the kitchen sink shackled to your hands

Any trips planned? I probably won't be able to make it out much this year but I'll be in Kyoto around January 30th and hope to head into the mountains after that...

what you gonna commit in Kyoto that warrants hiding in the mountains.

There's a big elementary school English thing happening (which I'm planning on avoiding in lieu of going to the mountains).

jan 30 noted ger.
can take days off feb 2nd and possibly the 3rd if the schedule suits you.
got extra paid holidays and would like to use them all during this winter.