Access to Niigata City
To get to Niigata City, the City of Water, whose population is over 800,000, the plane, the railroad and the expressways are available.
Airplane
For travelers who plan to take the airplane on their trip to Sado, we would recommend you land at the nearest Niigata Airport. It is 8 kilometers from Niigata Airport to the Sado Kisen Niigata terminal. The taxi will take 30 to 40 minutes and cost about 2,600 yen. You can also take the regular route bus, but you must take the bus for Niigata Station first and then transfer to the bus for the Sado Kisen terminal.
| Domestic flights |
Route | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Shin-chotose Airport (Hokkaido) → Niigata Airport | About 1 hour 15 minutes | |
| Komaki Airport (Aichi) → Niigata Airport | About 55 minutes | |
| Chubu International Airport (Aichi) → Niigata Airport | About 55 minutes | |
| Itami Airport (Osaka) → Niigata Airport | About 55 minutes | |
| Fukuoka Airport (Fukuoka) → Niigata Airport | About 1 hour 40 minutes | |
| Naha Airport (Okinawa) → Niigata Airport | About 2 hours 50 minutes |
| International flights |
Route | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Khabarovsk Airport (Russia) → Niigata Airport | About 2 hours 10 minutes | |
| Vladivostok Airport (Russia) → Niigata Airport | About 1 hour 30 minutes | |
| Harbin Taiping International Airport (China) → Niigata Airport |
Niigata Airport About 2 hours 20 minutes | |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (China) → Niigata Airport |
About 3 hours | |
| Incheon International Airport (South Korea) → Niigata Airport |
About 2 hours 30 minutes | |
| Guam International Airport (U.S.A.) → Niigata Airport | About 3 hours 45 minutes |
Shinkansen & Limited Express trains
The railroad will make your access from Tokyo or Osaka easier. Both reserved and non-reserved seats are available.
| Path | Route | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Niigata | Joetsu Shinkansen | About 2 hours |
| Nagoya → Niigata | Tokaido & Joetsu Shinkansen | About 3 hours 40 minutes |
| Osaka → Niigata | Tokaido & Joetsu Shinkansen | About 4 hours and 20 minutes |
| Limited express (via Kanazawa) | About 6 hours 40 minutes | |
| Fukushima → Niigata | Tohoku & Joetsu Shinkansen (transfer at Omiya) | About 4 hours |
| Tokyo → Naoetsu | Joetsu Shinkansen & Hokuhoku Line (transfer at Echigo-yuzawa) |
About 2 hours |
| Osaka → Naoetsu | Hokuriku Main Line Limited Express (transfer at Kanazawa) | About 5 hours |
| Nagoya → Naoetsu | Chuo Main Line Limited Express & Shinetsu Main Line (Transfer at Nagano) |
About 5 hours |
Express Bus (※Reservation is required.)
The express bus may take some more time than the railroad, but it is convenicent when you plan to travel at night.
| Path | Route | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Niigata | *For details, check with Niigata Kotsu, Echigo Kotsu or Seibu Bus. | About 5 hours 30 minutes |
| Tokyo → Naoetsu | *For details, check with Niigata Kotsu or Seibu Bus. | About 5 hours 50 minutes |
| Osaka → Niigata | *For details, check with Niigata Kotsu or Hankyu Bus. | About 9 hours |
| Nagoya → Niigata | *For details, check with Niigata Kotsu or Meitetsu Bus. | About 7 hours |
| Aizu Wakamatsu | (*No reservation is required.) For details, check with Niigata Kotsu. | About 2 hours |
Private Car
If you want to travel at your own pace, using a private car is the best way, whatever else might be said, isn't it?
| Path | Route | Mileage / Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Niigata | Nerima IC (Interchange) - (Kanetsu Expressway) - Nagaoka JCT (Junction) - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Niigata-nishi IC. |
An about 300km drive will take about 4 hours. |
| Tokyo → Naoetsu | Nerima IC - (Kanetsu Expressway) - Nagaoka JCT - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Joetsu IC |
An about 312km drive will take about 4 hours. |
| Nerima IC - (Kanetsu Expressway) - Fujioka JCT - (Joshinetsu Expressway) - Joetsu JCT - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Joetsu IC | An about 290km drive will take about 3 hours 40 minutes. |
|
| Osaka → Niigata | Suita IC - (Meishin Expressway) - Maibara JCT - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Niigata-nishi IC | An about 583 km drive will take about 7 hours. |
| Osaka → Naoetsu | Suita IC - (Meishin Expressway) - Maibara JCT - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Joetsu IC | An about 466km drive will take about 5 hours 40 minutes. |
| Nagoya → Niigata | Komaki-higashi IC - (Chuo Expressway) - Okaya JCT - (Nagano Expressway) - Koshoku JCT - (Joshinetsu Expressway) - Joetsu JCT - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Niigata-nishi IC | An about 483km drive will take about 5 hours 30 minutes. |
| Nagoya → Naoetsu | Komaki-higashi IC - (Chuo Expressway) - Okaya JCT - (Nagano Expressway) - Koshoku JCT - (Joshinetsu Expressway) - Joetsu JCT - (Hokuriku Expressway) - Joetsu IC | An about 321km drive will take about 4 hours. |
| Fukushima → Niigata | Koriyama-higashi IC - (Banetsu Expressway) - Niigata-chuo IC | An about 149km drive will take about 2 hours. |