CTS rental counters sit on the 1st floor between Domestic and International
Agencies like Toyota, Nippon, Times, Orix, Budget, and Nissan cluster on the first floor of New Chitose Airport, with dedicated shuttle buses out to their off‑airport lots in 5–15 minutes. This setup suits people landing at CTS and pointing straight at Niseko, Furano, Asahikawa, or eastern Hokkaido without a Sapporo stop. If your plan is three nights around Odori Park or Susukino, regulars say skip the airport car and use JR into Sapporo Station instead.
Winter pickups at CTS can eat 30–60 minutes of daylight
In January and February, staff often add snow‑tire checks, English driving briefings, and extra paperwork, which some Facebook reports say turns a quick handover into a 30–60 minute process. That matters when sunset in Sapporo can be around 16:00 and you still have 2–3 hours of driving to Kutchan or Furano. Factor that into any same‑day run toward Niseko via Route 276 or Tomakomai.
Snow around CTS and Sapporo gets serious fast
Winter runway footage from CTS shows plows running constantly and nearby roads fully white, and drivers report the Chitose–Sapporo stretch on Route 36 and the Hokkaido Expressway feeling like a white tunnel during storms. Several first‑timers online say they arrived after 8–10 hour flights and then tried to drive 45–60 minutes into Sapporo in heavy snow, calling it “not worth it just to save a train fare” of roughly ¥1,150 on JR Rapid Airport.
Regulars separate city time from road‑trip time
Experienced Hokkaido visitors in Facebook groups often take the 37–40 minute JR Rapid Airport into Sapporo, stay car‑free in the city, then rent later from outlets around Sapporo Station or Susukino on the day they head to Biei, Furano, or Lake Shikotsu. That move dodges airport‑to‑city stress and cuts 1–2 days of rental cost when a car would just sit in a hotel garage.
Step‑by‑step: picking up a rental car at CTS
- 1. After clearing arrivals in Domestic or International, follow signs to “Rental Car” on the 1st floor between both terminal zones.
- 2. Check in at your company’s counter (Toyota, Nippon, etc.); have passport, license, and International Driving Permit ready if required.
- 3. Staff assign your vehicle and direct you to the correct shuttle stop; buses usually run every 10–20 minutes.
- 4. Ride 5–15 minutes to the off‑airport lot, then inspect the car, confirm ETC card, child seats, and snow tires in winter.
- 5. Sign final forms, set the in‑car GPS using a phone number or map code for your first stop, and confirm 24‑hour roadside assistance details.
- 6. Before leaving, check local road info for the Hokkaido Expressway and possible closures on routes toward Niseko, Furano, or Obihiro.
Watch out for fatigue and late‑day winter arrivals
Facebook complaints often come from people landing after 16:00, spending 45 minutes at rental counters, then facing a 2–3 hour night drive in blowing snow toward Niseko or Sahoro. If your arrival is after mid‑afternoon and it is December to March, strongly consider one night near CTS or in Sapporo and start driving after 08:00 the next morning.
One last tip
Print or screenshot your hotel’s phone number and map code before flying; most Hokkaido rental GPS units at CTS work best when you punch in a 10‑digit phone number, not an English address.