By car
By car
Otaru is 25 minutes away from Sapporo by car.
By ship
By ship
Otaru is one of Hokkaido's key ferry ports, and the closest to Sapporo. Shin-Nihonkai Ferry (http://www.snf.jp/06-6348-1120) operates a daily service between Otaru and Niigata 18 hours, ¥6,200+ and between Otaru and Maizuru near Kyoto 20 hours, ¥9,600+. Both services are overnight, and private cabins are available for a higher fare the base fare buys sleeping space on the floor.
By train
By train
Otaru is a major station on the JR Hakodate Line from Sapporo, with very frequent train runs. At a cost of ¥620, there are at least five trains per hour; the fastest service, the Airport Rapid, reaches Otaru in 30 minutes. The complete journey on the Airport Rapid from New Chitose Airport to Otaru takes 70 minutes.