Hokkaido & hot springs?
 

Any suggestions for a location with a nice hot spring to visit or general advice for visiting this area for 2-3 days? How long is the travel from Tokyo? Any good budget places to stay?

Thanks!

I really enjoyed Noboribetsu Onsen. Stayed at the Noboribetsu Grand Hotel, which wasn't a budget place by any standards. It had one of the best, if not the best, spas I've ever been to in Japan. I'm sure you can google for budget places in Noboribetsu.

If I remember you correctly from another thread, you have kids? There is another hotel near the Grand Hotel named Takimoto-kan that has a huge indoor swimming pool with fun slides. You don't have to stay in that hotel to use the pool. They have swim wears for rent, too.

There is a Bear Park nearby for the kids, too.

Try this website:
Japanese Guest Houses - Hot Spring Map of Japan and List of Hot Springs in Japan

I second Noboribetsu. The "Hell Valley" (Jigokudani) was certainly something memorable (basically a steaming, rocky valley with streams of boiling water and little bubbling geysers - very close the main part of Noboribetsu), you might even be able to check out Mt Hiyori as well.

Check out this guy's videos (17, 18 and 19) >> Oyunuma and Mt. Hiyori in Hokkaido - AOL Video

Yes, I have a 12 & 15 year old. Thank you so much for the information!

I felt that Noboribetsu is a bit overdeveloped and there are no budget places in Town (no minshuku or ryokan in low price class). cheapest started around 8000yen without food.
But if you want to do only a short trip i guess its the best bet because its close to sapporo and so close to the airport and not to far from Honshu.
The Shinkansen end in Hachinohe wich is why it takes around 10 hours by train to get up there.
You might want to take a place or find a night train.
oh, there might be a ferry service from Toyko to around sapporo!

Around that area is the lake Toya-ko wich has fireworks every evening, another onsen, a nice lake-side area and a place wich didnt get restored after a volcano eruption and looks like it got bombed. I would suggest renting a car for that area. There is a youth hostel but its a bit outside of the city

I although enjoyed the rugged coast of muroran. There is a youthhostel from wich a nice walk along the cliffs go to a cape. otherwise Muroran is a pretty ugly industrial town.

By the way, does it have to be Hokkaido? The nicest onsen ive been is 1 hour from Aomori (Tohoku) in a Ryokan. The Ryokan is outside the city and there is a beatifull hike nearby. The Onsen is huge and everything is dark wood. The water is milky and it is mixed bathing (so dont be shy) but there is an hour only for the girls. The ryokan is 5000yen without food (there is a kitchen but no restaurants near by!) and 10000yen with food (my friends said the food was amazing). If you book the ryokan before you go there will be a free bus from aomori.
The good thing would be that you can be there in 4 hours by shinkansen and a bit express train. Oh that place is called sukayu onsen!

Thank you for such detailed information! I think we may not be able to get north so the closer option were great! I'll post what we did when we get back!

There is one I went to a couple years ago in Karuizawa that was a really nice. I don't remember the name, but if you're still looking at options and the location is feasible, I can update with the place's name and details in a couple days.