Hey –
I have never been travelling solo before, and only ever travelled to Florida, Spain, Poland and France with family.
I have always wanted to travel – Japan has been my dream for many years. I am now 30, don’t have anyone to go with so I thought screw it I’ll just go solo!
I am really quite nervous as I have awful anxiety, I have no sense of direction, and I am rather ignorant speaking no other language but English. I get really sweaty and disoriented in busy areas but I do really think this trip will be good for me and I am actually excited!
I plan on going for around a week or so and it’ll be in either October/November or December (it will completely depend when my work can approve my holidays).
I love food and good sights, I am not a huge party animal but I do like a drink now and then.
Sorry to ramble, just looking for advice:
– Anyone else travelled solo with bad anxiety?
– For a week realistically how much money would I need (in pounds £ or Yen ¥) to have a comfortable trip
– Hotel, Hostel, Capsules? What’s best
– I don’t have a set agenda on what I want to see – what area do you recommend going to too see the most?
– I’ve seen online the locals are quite supportive of people that don’t speak the language is this true?
– Do I backpack it? Do I need much supplies? Is it cheap/easy enough to get stuff whilst there?
– Will I be bored going alone?
– Should I plan my trip to a T or go with the flow?
*I did have a longer list but I can’t find it this is briefly what I remember I’ll edit in more if I remember*
**I am dyslexic so please excuse the terrible grammar lol**
5 comments
How are you with following and using a GPS? I struggle with directions and went with family. I found public transportation to be manageable but I struggled sometimes with finding specific locations,even when I was close by. I really want to go to Japan solo but my anxiety is getting in the way.
I think you need more time than a week exploring Japan. I would do some research and figure out what you want to see and do.
Tokyo, Osaka,Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Yokohama, are the some of the most popular spots
I would take a solo trip prior to Japan, one that uses public transport before going.
You could also sign up for guided tours.
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>I have no sense of direction
Don’t worry about it if you have a smartphone
>I am rather ignorant speaking no other language but English
That’s most people
>I get really sweaty and disoriented in busy areas
Try less crowded places
>For a week realistically how much money would I need
Depends on what you want to do
>Hotel, Hostel, Capsules? What’s best
Depends on your budget and what you like
>I’ve seen online the locals are quite supportive of people that don’t speak the language is this true?
Define “supportive”, and by “the locals” do you mean people who work in tourism? yes, they’re supportive of their customers.
>what area do you recommend going to too see the most?
Depends on what you like
>Do I backpack it? Do I need much supplies? Is it cheap/easy enough to get stuff whilst there?
Depends on what you need
>Should I plan my trip to a T or go with the flow?
Depends on your preference
Edit; would you be ok with pachinko parlors everywhere?
Honestly if I were just coming for a week I would just limit myself to Tokyo and surrounding areas (Kamakura, Nikko, Kawagoe, Hakone are among possibilities)
Google maps and Google translate with the camera function are things that you will want to be very familiar with using.
If your home country’s ATM card can be used in Japan then you can just take out cash as you need it. Bring your credit card and install a Suica card in your phone.
Capsule hotels are not usually for more than one night, so you should look at hotels like the Dormy Inn chain. Personally I have never stayed in a hostel in my life, but if you want to save money I guess that’s a possibility. It might be a good way for you to meet up with travelers while you are here, for advice or companionship
Personally, the key part of travelling solo is having the freedom to do what you want and are comfortable with. A lot of the questions you are looking for advice on really comes down to personal preference, so it’s a bit difficult to provide a clear answer.
-Be sure to look up the resources on this subreddit, your phone will be able to help you on most things from directions to translations.
-You are going to get the exact quality you pay for, so how much you bring/spend depends entirely on what you’re comfortable with. A one person hotel may range from 10k yen to 20k yen a day. Hostels and capsules would increase social opportunity but have almost no privacy.
-Agenda, again, depends entirely on what you like. There’s a lot of posts on the subreddit for ideas. Some people like to plan, others don’t.
-Convenience stores are very convenient. You can get most things you need locally if need be. Again, just depends if you want to spend cash in Japan to buy things you already have back home.
I’m on same boat will travel solo in Osaka for 10 days end of May to 1st week of June. I’m a bit of an introvert and not good in directions