Ferries to Ryotsu

The ferry port of Ryotsu lies on Sado in Japan and is the island's main gateway to the mainland. From here you can reach Niigata. Up to 20 departures a day are listed, and the crossing takes around an hour. The port is served by Sado Kisen.

Getting there and the terminal

The terminal has the address Ryotsuminato 353, Sado-shi, Niigata Prefecture, and spreads over two floors with shops, places to eat and waiting areas. Two paid car parks lie right next to it. The first is free for the first half hour and limited to vehicles 2.5 metres high, the second is free for the first hour and allows 3.3 metres; both machines take only 1,000-yen notes, and the second gives no change. If you come without a car, use the island buses run by Niigata Kotsu, whose Sado timetable Sado Kisen points to for connections.

Check-in

Foot passengers buying their ticket at the desk or at a machine should be there 30 to 40 minutes before departure, according to Sado Kisen. The gates only open 15 to 20 minutes before departure. If you booked online, have the digital ticket ready and scan it at the gate, ideally with the screen brightness turned right up. With a vehicle a much longer deadline applies: at least one hour before departure in the car ferry waiting area. Drivers and passengers have to be sitting in the car for boarding, and the operator asks for ten minutes in hand for that.