Car Hire at Sapporo Train Station

A major rail, bus and metro terminal, the bustling Sapporo Train Station complex is both the busiest and largest public transportation hub on Hokkaido Island. Managed by JR Hokkaido since 1987, it was fully renovated and extended in 2003 and today serves the Hakodate Main Line and other lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). From here, travellers can reach every point on the island, including many popular destinations like Otaru and Tomakomai for short day-trips from Sapporo or Asahikawa, Hakodate, Obihiro and Kushiro further afield.

A popular winter destination, Sapporo is famed for its world-class ski resorts and the wonderful Sapporo Snow Festival which takes place in early February. Host of the 1972 Winter Olympics, the city has more than 1,000 kilometres of pistes and regular night-time skiing facilities during the season. There are many interesting places to visit in the heart of the city centre, such as the Sapporo Science Centre, Ishiya Chocolate Factory (a must for the kids) and the Historical Village of Hokkaido, an open-air museum featuring fully-furnished period structures portraying what life was like in Sapporo in days gone by.

With a car hire from Sapporo Train Station you'll have the whole of Hokkaido Island at your disposal, which has all the contrasts of northern Japan ranging from first-class ski resorts to quaint little fishing villages hugging the country's idyllic Pacific coast. Don't miss the picturesque seaside town of Otaru famous for its canals, fresh seafood and music box museum, nor the geothermal wonders of Noboribetsu about a two-hour drive south of Sapporo. A firm favourite with visitors is leisurely drive through Shikotsu-Tōya National Park where you can enjoy the Nakayama Pass and the crystal-clear waters of Lake Toya.

Founded over seventy years ago, Auto Europe is one of the longest-established car rental companies in the world. By closely collaborating with all the top vehicle providers, we now offer over 28,000 different locations in more than 180 popular destinations, including Sapporo, Tokyo and the rest of Japan. We have all the best solutions for your trip to Sapporo with the widest possible choice of cars, whether it's a small, economical vehicle for city sightseeing or something more spacious and powerful for an extended road-trip around the island. Whatever you're looking for, please feel free to reach out to our rental specialists for assistance should you need any help at all with your reservation and they will be very happy to find you the best deal.

Station Information

Sapporo Train Station was originally a whistle-stop station on a local railway line connecting Hokkaido's coal mines with the regional shipping port. It gradually in importance and stature in line with the city itself and by the 1960s had become a large and very impressive multi-storey building in the heart of Sapporo’s burgeoning financial district. Today it is one of Japan's busiest and most important public transport centres with five platforms, ten tracks, two large concourses and an exhaustive range of on-site passenger facilities and amenities.

Where to pick up my car hire at Sapporo Train Station

Most of the main rental companies offering car hire at Sapporo Train Station (such as Alamo and Enterprise) have their offices in streets close to the station's premises. In order to speed up the collection process, it's always a good idea to make sure that you have al the necessary documents to hand when you arrive to collect your vehicle, such as your passport, driving licence, credit card and car hire voucher.

	Alamo at Sapporo Train Station 1 1 1 Kita 7 Jo Higashi Sapporo, Japan 060-0907 +81 50 1712 2997	Opening Hours: Daily 8am-7pm
	Enterprise at Sapporo Train Station 1 1 1 Kita 7 Jo Higashi Sapporo, Japan 060 0907 +81 50 1712 2997	Opening Hours: Daily 8am-10pm
	Nissan at Sapporo Train Station 5 Chome-1 Kita 4 Jonishi Sapporo, Japan 060-0004 +81 11 596 6523	Opening Hours: Daily 8am-8pm

Station facilities

Few of the world's railway stations boast such a wide range of on-site passenger facilities as Sapporo Train Station. From fancy restaurants to cozy cafes, a selection of luxurious boutiques and even a cinema, Sapporo Station has it all. There are no less than seven large shopping centres integrated within the station complex, some even with tax-free shopping opportunities available. These include the Paseo Shopping Centre, Stellar Place (a seven-story department store with a cinema, restaurants that include a special ramen section, and clothing stores) and the Sapporo Esta Shopping Centre and the Apia Underground Shopping Centre. Each shopping centre has a sizeable food-court with several excellent restaurants, thus making the station a hub for fine-dining throughout the day and night. Also located within the station complex are the popular Daimaru Sapporo (an eight-story duty-free department store on its west side) and Marui Imai department stores. Don't miss the five-star JR Tower Hotel Nikko which offers amazing views from its roof-top observation deck (T3), as well as first-class spa and wellness facilities. Visitors looking for general travel info should drop in to the JR Information Centre inside the station. There are many other convenient travel-related facilities such as places that sell prepaid SIM cards, foreign currency exchange offices and ATMs that accept overseas cards.

How to get to and from Sapporo Train Station

Sapporo City is located approximately 45 kilometres from New Chitose Airport and takes around 60 minutes by car (using the expressway). Picking up your your car hire from Sapporo Train Station is in some ways a better option than collecting it at New Chitose Airport. For instance, it's just a 35-minute express train ride from to the station from the airport, plus it's also possible to catch a bus which takes about an hour and a half if the roads are clear. Sapporo Train is located right in the heart of the city centre and is served by all the JR train lines and two of the city's three subway lines. The Sapporo Train Station bus terminal is also situated a little to the south-east of the station and easily reachable on foot. The Sapporo Subway stop offers access to all the main parts of the city and streetcars (known locally as shidens) pass the station's main entrance (note that they are boarded from the rear and exited from the front).

Parking tips

In Sapporo, you'll find numerous parking possibilities, including many large underground car parks and several multi-storey car parks in an around the city centre, some of which offer staff-assisted parking, especially near the city's main tourist attractions. There are plenty of good options in close proximity to Sapporo Train Station, most notably Kitaguchi Parking which is a large underground car park operated by Sapporo City Council, which is conveniently located for both the station and many of the Sapporo's most important sights. The nearby Sapporo Odori underground car park is another excellent place to park for a few hours, although overnight parking is not an option here. It's worth noting that if you spend 2,000 yen or more at a single store in Stellar Place department store located within the station complex, you are entitled to up to 2 hours of free parking.

Useful links

Sapporo Train Station website