Most travelers dread layovers when flying, but I've actually come to enjoy them.
27.01.2025 - 03:15 / insider.com
In November, after three months of interviews, I lost out on a job and decided it was time for a travel break. I set out on a three-and-a-half-week trip to Japan.
The timing worked out — the favorable dollar-to-yen exchange rate, mild weather, and vibrant autumn foliage made it a great time to visit.
With little time to find a travel companion, I embraced the freedom of solo travel and the ability to make plans on a whim. And since I'd traveled on my own before, I thought I could wing it. This trip to Japan proved to be more difficult than expected.
My trip included exploring the "golden triangle" of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, with day trips to nearby destinations like Nikko, Mount Fuji, Nara, and Himeji. It also included visits to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, and a week in central Japan.
The trip cost about $3,400, not including the airfare, which I paid for with credit card points. As a cost-conscious backpacker, I stayed in pod hotels or hostels and mostly ate street food, convenience store fare, or noodles at ramen shops.
My biggest expense was accommodation, which totaled more than $915 for 24 nights. On-the-ground transportation added up as well. While local trains were fairly inexpensive, tickets for the Shinkansen bullet train were costly. My ride from Tokyo to Toyama was the most expensive at about $100, Hiroshima to Osaka was about $70, and Osaka to Tokyo was about $90.
A few indulgences included attending a kimono tea ceremony, a Kobe steak dinner, and visits to a handful of themed cafés.
While I loved the trip, here are three things I would have done differently.
My pre-trip research focused mainly on sites and activities, not the logistics. I didn't book anything in advance, aside from my first few days in Tokyo. This led to a chaotic and inefficient trip full of missed trains, lost opportunities, and unnecessary stress.
I had read that Japan was popular in autumn, but it was busier than I expected, and difficult to find last-minute budget accommodation. Many of the popular attractions, including Tokyo's Ghibli Museum and Ninja Tokyo restaurant, had been booked in advance. Other places throughout the country, including Osaka's Nintendo Museum, and ryokans — traditional Japanese homestays — everywhere, also booked up quickly.
I did get lucky with the tea ceremony — a plus of solo traveling — but I wish I'd pre-booked the ones I missed out on.
I also would have booked accommodation ahead of time on sites with a free cancellation policy. This would have allowed me to secure lodging while also offering the flexibility to change plans.
For transportation, I would have secured my IC card when I arrived at the airport. These cards — which include Suica, PASMO, and Icoca — are prepaid and allow
Most travelers dread layovers when flying, but I've actually come to enjoy them.
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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vitus Stenhøj Schiøtz, 23, a Danish traveler who got a working holiday visa to live in Japan. He moved to Japan in late 2024 and works as a chef in a restaurant in Nozawaonsen, a small town northwest of Tokyo . It's been edited for length and clarity.
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