Rusutsu continues to be more and more popular each year and with good reason. It has won “The World Ski Award for Japans Best Ski Resort” multiple times and receives over 14m of powder snow each season. It consists of 3 mountains and terrain to satisfy all levels of boarders / skiers. Rusutsu will not leave you disappointed and it’s why we’ve made over 20 trips to this place alone!
Typically, holidays in the snow are expensive and Rusutsu is no exception but we have a few tips and tricks when selecting and booking your accommodation that can save you a fair amount of money:
1- Set a budget.
Sounds silly but if you don’t tell a travel agent your budget they might freak you out with the quote. Rusutsu has a few different options from low end dorm style / pensions to high end luxury so setting a budget is key.
2- How many in your group?
If you have a group between 4-10 people you may want to consider a self contained house or apartment. These can potentially save you a bit of money and they’re great fun. If you have 2-3 people you may want to consider twin or triple share in the resort. This can potentially half or third your cost.
3- Traveling solo and /or want to save money?
Pensions are a great option. What is a pension? They’re basically family run bed and breakfasts and will often have shared bathroom facilities. Sounds like a YMCA Hostel? Not quite. They are very clean, you get your own room, and is a great place to meet people to go ski/ride with. Rusutsu Resort has a budget wing called the Highland / Travel lodge. This is located in the older part of the resort and can save you $$$ too.
4- Consider staying out of Rusutsu Resort area.
As awesome as the resort is, accommodation does tend to cost more. Consider areas like Rusutsu town or even Kutchan to save money. Some places run a shuttle service to the lifts but it would be a good idea to rent a car. This also allows you to take day trips to other towns / mountains.
5- When do you fly out?
If your flight home is early in the morning you might want to consider staying overnight at an airport hotel. This potentially saves you money by reducing the cost of accommodation for that night but also avoids a costly early private transfer if the bus isn’t yet running.
6- Staying at Rusutsu Resort
…will include breakfast and when you book early you receive free lift passes (more often than not). This is something to consider when looking at accommodation outside of the resort and comparing prices.
This just about covers everything you need to know! Whatever you end up choosing, you won’t be disappointed. Rusutsu is a fantastic location and it’s why we hold the Emergency Care Conference there each year! One final tip… book early as Rusutsu is extremely popular and has limited accommodation. It’s not uncommon to see all options booked out by August for peak periods.