Hokkaido Winter Drive – Back to New Chitose Airport

How time flies when you are having a good time. Sadly it was time for us to head back to New Chitose Airport, where our winter escapade began.

We had to choose between the quick route along the Hokkaido Expressway and the more scenic seaside drive along Route 36. Naturally, we chose the Route 36, also avoiding the expressway tolls which aren’t cheap.

This was a surprisingly smooth journey, except around the Tomakomai area, where there were plenty of traffic lights. This is a great area to have a meal or to shop, but pity we didn’t have the time to do so, as we were rushing to return our car before the 12noon deadline.

Thankfully, we made it to the Times Car Rental depot in good time. It was a pretty smooth and quick process returning the car, and in no time we were on the complimentary shuttle bus heading towards the airport.

The New Chitose Airport is nowhere as big as Changi or Narita, but it is certainly a shopping and dining paradise nonetheless. There are loads of wonderful restaurants. We settled for lunch at a Sushi restaurant which amazed us with its high tech checkout process.

All the waitress had to do was to use a handheld device, armed with Near-Field Communication technology, to “scan” all the empty sushi plates on the table. It looked a lot like a magician waving her magic wand. In a few seconds, the cost of our meal was automatically displayed on a compact LED screed which we then brought to the cashier to settle our bill.

After lunch, we explored the myriad shopping and entertainment options at the airport mall. There were a lot of places to keep kids entertained, from Hello Kitty World, to Doraemon World, to Royce Chocolate World:

Only in Japan, where kids of all ages never grow up! 🙂

This is part 9 of my Hokkaido Winter Drive blog series, click HERE to read my concluding thoughts about our trip!

• Part 1 – 2017 Hokkaido Winter Drive
• Part 2 – Sapporo to Jozankei 
• Part 3 – Jozankei to Otaru
• Part 4 – Otaru City
• Part 5 – Otaru to Niseko
• Part 6 – Niseko to Lake Toya, Noboribetsu
• Part 7 – Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
• Part 8 – Kojohama
• Part 9 – Back to New Chitose Airport
• Part 10 – Concluding Thoughts

My wife and I enjoy having guests over at our place for fellowship over a nice home-cooked meal. If you would like to drop by to try some of my wife’s wonderful cooking and to talk more about travel and life, do drop me a mail at lenniechua@gmail.com to arrange a dinner date! Everyone welcome!

Blog Series

• 2019 Thailand Fly & Drive (Bangkok, Khao Kho, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son Loop, Chiang Khan, Khon Kaen, Khao Yai, Pattaya)
• 2019 Cameron Highlands Brothers Drive
• 2018 Bali Drive
• 2017 Hungary Winter Drive
• 2017 Hokkaido Winter Drive
• 2019 Drive from Singapore to Thailand (Krabi, Phuket)
• 2018 Drive from Singapore to Thailand (Bangkok, Rayong)
• 2017 Drive from Singapore to Thailand (Krabi, Phuket)
• 2016 Drive from Singapore to Thailand

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