Japan: Hokkaido Route, tailor-made by car

Important remarks

- Triple rooms in Japan are generally rooms with twin beds or a double, in which a folding bed is installed to accommodate the third person. Due to the inconvenience this causes, we advise against using this option as far the possible.

- Please check with your international vaccination centre about the recommended healthcare measures in Japan.

- Depending on the return flight, the trip may be one day longer.

- In general, people with tattoos are not accepted in the onsen for cultural reasons. If they're small tattoos, they could be covered with a plaster, but access isn't guaranteed if the tattoos are large.

- Please check which documents are required to enter the country.

- The proposed excursions and tours for each day are purely suggestions, as you can tailor the trip to suit your times, tastes and needs.

- A credit card is considered a guarantee, so sometimes you will need one for check-in at hotels.

- Hotels usually have cots available. Otherwise, babies will have to share a bed with an adult.

- To pick up your rental car, you'll need a credit (not debit) card in the name of the person who made the booking, who must also be the named driver of the vehicle.

- Driving in Japan: 1.Almost all Japanese vehicles are automatic, which makes driving easy and comfortable. 2.Speed limits are very low: 40 km/h in cities; 80 to 100 km/h on motorways; and between 30 and 60 km/h everywhere else. Even though almost all drivers tend to drive at 20 km/h over these limits, be careful with the police, as they usually patrol the roads with radars. 3.The motorways are among the best and safest in the whole world, but there are many tolls and they're usually extremely expensive. 4.It is strictly forbidden to double-park and to park on the pavement and in private car parks. And the fines are very high. The only solution is to use official car parks, but these are quite expensive. 5.It's a good idea to use GPS. 6.As for signs, almost all of them are written in Japanese and English (or, failing that, in Japanese with the Latin alphabet). 7. Zero tolerance against people who drink and drive, so don't even think about trying. 8.It's polite to flash your hazard lights to say thank you to another driver, which is akin to bowing your head in gratitude. 9.The police use a megaphone to ask you to pull over. 10.Along with speeding, the most common offence is parking in unauthorised areas. The authorities might clamp your car, tow it away or place a yellow sticker on the rear-view mirror with the corresponding fine. 11.You need to have an international driving licence. If your driving licence is from Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, Slovenia, Switzerland or Taiwan, there's a special agreement with Japan and you'll only need an official translation of the licence from the JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) or your corresponding consulate. This official translation is valid for up to one year, as is the international driving licence.