1 Week to Blast Off...

Okay, this is my first proper blog, so be kind to me :)

Introductions. I'm 17, female, I love travelling, and I am going to Japan in a week and a day, alone, and for 28 days, as you may have already gathered. This will be my first experience abroad alone.

I'm so nervous.

But I'm also really excited.

Aaaaaaaaah.

*Minor panic attack*

Right, back to blog. 2 years ago, I studied Japanese for 9 months, so I am familiar with the language, but slightly rusty, as I haven't practised in a while. Of course, by 'slightly', I mean extremely and by 'a while', I mean 2 years.

What excellent planning skills I have. This bodes well, I think.

Anyway, my accommodation budget is an average of £20 a night and I am covering most of the major tourists destination. In fact, I'll just post my itinerary below:

So you can see my average costs, although I have a feeling I will spend a bit more on transport than I have currently budgeted. The blue indicates the time my 14 day Japan Rail Pass is valid for. That pass is really good value, unlimited travel on any Japan rail trains for 14 days, it came to about £293. I booked almost all of my accommodation far in advance, over 6 months in advance to get the cheapest rates, but I wish I had started sooner! Many of the best reviewed hostels were fully booked by the time I found them, which was very frustrating! But there are so many options, especially if your budget is a bit looser and bigger than mine. For my stay in Tokyo, I contacted a family via a homestay website which I found in a quick Google search, and I am staying in their home for all of my time in Tokyo, bar the single night after Nikko. There are hundreds of families willing to house tourists, and it is generally a much cheaper option than hotels in Tokyo. More than that, however, the experience of staying in a Japanese home is one that I am looking forward to. 

I've budgeted about 1000 yen per day for entrance fees to various attractions and temples, I'm mainly thinking about temples in Nikko, Kyoto, Fuji Q Highland theme park in Fujiyoshida and Edo wonderland in Nikko.

I am planning on purchasing a Kinugawa Theme park pass for my stay in Nikko, which covers the round trip between Tokyo and Nikko, entrance to one or both of the theme parks in the area, and discounts to select temples in the area. I am only interested in one of the theme parks, so the pass will cost me 6000 yen, approx £40, which seems almost too good to be true if I'm honest! I shall soon find out...

I'm writing this blog mainly for myself, to remember all my thoughts and emotions, as well as the cool stuff I am sure to do, and the awesome people I hope to meet, as I won't have lots of family and friends to help me remember back home. It's likely, however, that you are planning your own trip to Japan, in which case, I hope you read something at least vaguely useful on here! If you are reading to laugh at me, then that will probably happen. You're welcome.

Here is what my trip looks like on a map:

I have booked and planned everything myself, so if you have any questions about my trip or planning your trip, then I will happily respond to comments.