Can You Rent a Campervan in Hokkaido in Winter (Dec–Mar)? Companies With Winter Closures and What to Check Before Booking [2026]

Yes, there are companies in Hokkaido where you can rent a campervan from December to March. However, some companies stop operating in winter. The three companies whose official sites state a winter closure are Tajima Rental Station Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (November 1 to March 31), Iris Rental Campingcar (rentals suspended from December to March), and Chikichiki Camping Car Rental (open only from April to October) (each company’s official site, checked 2026-10-05).

On the other hand, the official sites of Camping Lines Hokkaido, Shin-Chitose Campervan Rental Center, and BicUp mention winter pricing tiers, winter business hours, or winter tires. Moving Inn (New Chitose Airport and Tokachi-Obihiro Airport branches) also rents out campervans in winter (confirmed with the operator, 2026-10-05). This article puts only what could be verified on official sites or with the operator into tables, including these four companies. It then goes on to what you should check before booking once you have decided to rent in winter. For when to switch to studless tires, I leave that to our article on when studless tires are fitted.

Which companies operate in winter? Four companies confirmed on official sites or with the operator

Here, "operating in winter" means the official site gives a winter pricing tier, business hours, or equipment details, or the operator confirmed that it rents in winter. Whether a vehicle is actually available is something to check on the booking screen or by inquiry. What we could confirm is as follows (each company's official site, checked 2026-10-05).

Company	Winter details on the official site	Base page
Moving Inn (New Chitose Airport, Tokachi-Obihiro Airport)	Rents out in winter (December to March) (confirmed with the operator, 2026-10-05). Every vehicle has studless tires and 4WD, and every HIACE and Cresson Journey has an FF heater (interview with Moving Inn, October 6, 2026). Check rates on the booking page	New Chitose Airport branch／Tokachi-Obihiro Airport branch
Camping Lines Hokkaido (Sapporo, Asahikawa)	Winter season pricing tier runs 2026/12/20 to 2027/2/28. All vehicles are full-time 4WD, switched to studless tires from November until about the end of April	Sapporo BASE / Asahikawa BASE
Shin-Chitose Campervan Rental Center	Business hours are 9:30–18:00 from October to March. From November to March, a 4WD with studless tires is required	Shin-Chitose CRC
BicUp (Sapporo main store)	Studless tires from October 1 to April 30. For 2027, the winter season pricing tier runs January 1 to February 25	Sapporo main store

This article does not cover rates, vehicle types, or pet policies. They vary by company, and the pricing tiers switch in winter. Please confirm prices on each base page and the booking screen.

When do companies with a winter closure shut down, and until when?

The start of the closure differs by company: some close from November and others from December. If you think in October that it is still before winter and plan a trip for early November, there may be no rental days at all. Here are the three companies that state it on their official sites (each company's official site, checked 2026-10-05).

Company	Official site wording (translated)	Period when you cannot rent
Tajima Rental Station Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto	"Closed for the winter (11/1–3/31)"	November 1 to March 31
Iris Rental Campingcar	"December–March: rentals suspended for the winter" (on-season is April–November)	December to March
Chikichiki Camping Car Rental	"Seasonal operation from April to October" and "closed during the winter"	November to March (open April to October)

For Tajima, our base data said "December to March," but the official site said from November 1. We went with the official site wherever they differed. Dates can change, so do not take this table at face value; check the official site again before you book.

If you rent from December to March, what should you check before booking?

What winter renters tend to overlook comes after the question of whether a company is open. If you book the way you would in summer, your itinerary can slip over tires, water, or pickup times. In the order to check, there are five items.

What to check	Where to look
Your dates do not fall in the winter closure	Official site business information and price list
Winter tires (studless) fitted, and whether it is 4WD	User guide and FAQ
Whether there is a heater (FF heater)	Vehicle page
Whether the water system (sink, shower, toilet) is usable	User guide
Pickup and return times at the airport	User guide

For the worry about driving on snowy roads itself, our article on easing your worries before a winter campervan trip in Hokkaido covers it. This article sticks to what you should check with the company.

When you book can also change the price. For how early-bird discounts are counted back from your start date, see our article on booking a winter campervan before December 31.

Are winter tires fitted? The switch date differs by company

BicUp explains its tires as "summer tires from April 30 to October 1, studless tires from October 1 to April 30." It also writes, "Depending on rental periods, the changeover timing may vary" (BicUp FAQ, checked 2026-10-05). Camping Lines says, "From November to around the end of April, we switch to studless tires" (user guide, checked 2026-10-05).

Even for the same winter, the switch date differs by company, October 1 versus November. For a trip from December to March, studless tires can be assumed at any company, but it is safest to ask once at booking whether the vehicle for your dates is already fitted. What to look at on the tires on pickup day is covered in the changeover-timing article introduced at the beginning.

Do you have to rent a 4WD?

Some companies make 4WD a condition in winter. Shin-Chitose CRC says "from November to March, a 4WD with studless tires is required," and at booking you tick the optional studless tires and 4WD (Shin-Chitose CRC, checked 2026-10-05). All Camping Lines vehicles are full-time 4WD (user guide, checked 2026-10-05).

If you want to narrow down your choice, our article on which drive type to choose for Hokkaido snow roads sorts it out using police accident data and JAF experiments. On the booking screen, do not miss whether 4WD and studless tires are standard or an optional choice.

What about heating? How to check for an FF heater

For winter overnight parking, heating that works even with the engine off is the key. BicUp says every vehicle has an FF heater as standard equipment, and Shin-Chitose CRC also writes that its vehicles are fully equipped with an FF heater inside (BicUp, Shin-Chitose CRC, both checked 2026-10-05). For how the equipment works and fuel use, see our article on how FF heaters work and the bases that rent vehicles with one.

What to check is whether the vehicle you are renting has one. Even within the same company it can differ by vehicle type, so look at each type on its vehicle page.

Are there companies whose water system cannot be used in winter?

Water is easy to overlook. Camping Lines states: "During the winter season from November to April, we do not load water to prevent freezing. During this period, the sink, shower, and toilet cannot be used in any vehicle" (user guide, checked 2026-10-05).

We could not confirm a similar statement on other companies' official sites. If you rent in winter, be sure to ask at booking whether the water system can be used in winter. If it cannot, build into your itinerary where the toilets are and a way to bathe at hot springs or similar. RV parks that stay open in winter are listed in our article confirming, on official sites, the RV parks and Michi-no-Eki where you can stay overnight in winter.

Is pickup at New Chitose Airport at the same times in winter as in summer?

If you pick up at the airport, the times can be fixed in winter. Camping Lines says "only in the winter season, pickup and return at New Chitose Airport are available at fixed times," with four slots: 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, and 17:00 (user guide, checked 2026-10-05). At Shin-Chitose CRC, the business hours themselves change to 9:30–18:00 from October to March (Shin-Chitose CRC, checked 2026-10-05).

In winter, flights can also be delayed or cancelled because of snow. How pickup is handled if your arriving flight is late is another item to ask about before booking.

What should you do about companies with no winter details on their official sites?

In what we checked this time, for most companies other than the seven above we could not find any statement about winter operation or closure on their official sites. A missing statement is neither proof that they are open nor proof that they are closed.

In that case, it is enough to ask these four points by inquiry.

• Whether they can rent on your planned dates (which days between December and March)
• Whether the vehicle for those dates has studless tires, and whether it is 4WD
• Whether the water system (sink, shower, toilet) can be used in winter
• Whether there are winter-only limits on pickup and return times

You can follow the base pages for candidate companies from our editors' picks of 15 Hokkaido campervan rentals. For the whole picture of winter driving and how to spend your time, our winter Hokkaido campervan travel guide is the entry point.

Checklist before you press the booking button

Here is everything so far, put into a form you can use before booking.

• Your dates do not fall in the company's winter closure or rental suspension period
• The vehicle for your dates has studless tires fitted
• I have confirmed whether 4WD is standard or needs an optional selection
• The FF heater is fitted to the vehicle type I am renting
• I have asked whether the water system can be used in winter
• If picking up at the airport, I have asked about the winter time slots and how delays are handled
• I have sent an inquiry to companies with no winter details on their official sites

How to drive in winter Hokkaido is summarized in our complete guide to winter campervan driving.

Pages to read next

• When are studless tires fitted? Rental companies' winter tire policies
• Easing your worries before a winter campervan trip in Hokkaido
• Winter Hokkaido campervan travel guide
• RV parks and Michi-no-Eki where you can stay overnight in winter
• Hokkaido campervan rental price guide