How do I get from the airport to Sapporo?

New Chitose Airport sits about 50 kilometers south of Sapporo in the flat agricultural lowlands around Chitose — far enough that you'll want a plan before you land. Follow the signs downstairs to the JR station in the airport basement. The JR Rapid Airport (快速エアポート) runs every 15 minutes to Sapporo Station: 1,150 yen, 37 minutes, no transfers. Buy a ticket from the machines — they have English — or tap any IC card (Suica, Pasmo, Kitaca all work here). For 530 yen extra you can reserve a U-Seat in car 4 for a guaranteed seat, but the unreserved cars are rarely packed unless you land during weekday rush hour. The train is clean, quiet, and warm. You might doze off and wake up at Sapporo Station, which is fine — it's the end of the line.

If your flight lands after the last rapid train — currently around 10:45pm, though check JR Hokkaido's timetable for your specific date — airport limousine buses still run to several Sapporo hotels and the station area. Budget around 1,100 yen and 70-80 minutes; they stop at every hotel along the route. Not terrible, just slow. Taxis from CTS to central Sapporo run 14,000-16,000 yen ($88-100), and the ride takes close to an hour on the expressway. That said, splitting a cab four ways after a late arrival makes the per-person math look reasonable — and in winter, standing at a bus stop at 11pm with luggage in minus-ten wind chill is something you'd rather skip. One thing to avoid: the occasional unlicensed transfer touts who approach you in the arrivals hall. Use the marked taxi stand or pre-book through your hotel.

Sapporo Station drops you right in the center of the city. The south exit faces Odori Park (laid out in 1869, still the city's central axis), about ten minutes on foot down Ekimae-dori — you'll smell grilled corn from the street vendors before you see them in summer, or catch the dry cold snap between buildings in winter. An underground walkway called Chika-ho runs from the station to Odori, and from there Pole Town continues underground all the way to Susukino, so from November through March you never need to step outside onto the packed-ice sidewalks. If your hotel is in Susukino — the main eating and drinking district — take the Namboku subway one stop south from Sapporo Station, or walk the whole underground stretch in about 20 minutes. Your IC card works on the subway too. Mind you, Sapporo's grid layout is far easier to read than most Japanese cities. Streets here run in actual straight lines. You'll orient yourself fast.