Planning the Trip of a Lifetime: Finances and freaking out

Money, as they say, makes the world go round. Money is that necessary evil which allows us to live life and fulfill our heart’s desires. Mine being a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

This past weekend I sat down with the Parental Unit (who also happens to be my financial adviser) to do some maths. Not my favourite subject, or one I’m particularly proficient in, but it was something I needed to do in order to figure out the logistics of my trip to Japan. So we sat down with a pen, paper, basic itinerary and the internet to work out how much this trip is going to cost.

The answer: £7930.

Ouch.

Talk about reality hitting home. Everything not only became real but also a little more frightening. Now I’ve been saving hard for over a year, every scrap I’ve earned and any spare changed has been funneled into my Great Japan Trip of 2010 fund. I don’t have £8k but I’m more than half way there. But the figures scare me – and this is the most costly scenario plan and it’s not like I’m actually staying at five star hotels either. I’m mainly looking at budget establishments, the odd ryokan and three star is my limit. I’m plan on staying at the Tokyo Hilton, various Toyoko Inns, the Hotel Granvia in Kyoto and its cheaper sister hotel in Osaka. I am also looking at staying in a couple of ryokan, the trick is finding cheap and as authentically traditional as possible.

Hmmm.

The big expense is the cost of the Japan Rail Pass (a 21 day pass is ¥57,700 – around £403), spending money to cover transport and admission to shrines, museums and other activities. But, however much this sum adds up to, it is achievable. If I work hard, if I save hard and if I’m smart about making use of sales and offers or contacts.

20 weeks to go …