I Tested How Cheaply I Could Travel Using the Seishun 18 Kippu and Timee

I want to travel. But I have no money.

Have you ever had that problem? I have, many times. In fact, for me, travel is even a battle of how to scrape together the funds.

For my college graduation trip, I borrowed about 1 million yen from my sister to cover the costs (I paid it back after I started working). For my round-the-world trip in 2023, I raised funds from people who supported my journey through crowdfunding.

Of course, it is also fine to work hard for a certain period and save up enough money before going on a trip. In fact, that is probably the standard way.

But the standard way is not the only correct answer. How to have options other than the standard way is also important in life. There is one thing common to all 8 billion people in the world: that we are the youngest we will ever be right now. In other words, for all of humanity, "now" is the best timing.

I have traveled to 42 prefectures and 47 countries so far. What I learned from that experience is that desires also have an expiration date. If you think "I want to go," now is the best time to go. The moment you think "I want to travel" is the best timing.

I'll go someday. I'll travel when I save up money. There is no guarantee that "someday" will ever come. Your physical strength, health condition, work, or family situation might change. The circumstances of the town you are visiting might change. There is even a possibility that the world will become a place where you cannot travel, like during COVID.

Besides, even if that day were to come, the person you are then will be different from the person you are now. That place you wanted to go to five years ago—the place might not have changed, but the you from five years ago is no longer there. The freshness of your desire has faded.

That is why I want to say: if you want to travel, go on a trip now. There may be various circumstances, but first, put "now" at the top of the list of times to go on a trip.

Not when you save up money. Not five years from now. Travel now. Once you decide that, you will run into this problem again.

I want to travel. But I have no money.

Here is some good news. A new solution to this problem has appeared.

The gap-time job service "Timee."

No, it didn't just appear now. The Timee service started in 2018. But at the time, I didn't know about gap-time jobs. As Timee became increasingly popular, I learned of its existence, and I used it for the first time in December 2023.

I was convinced that this is a service that changes society. Or rather, it is already changing society. Since then, I have worked through Timee several times, but I was always looking for jobs near my home.

However, last month, I read this note and realized for the first time: you can use Timee even when you are traveling. If you do that, you can travel while earning travel expenses.

I want to travel. But I have no money.

That was the moment "Timee" emerged as a new solution. I could have done it since 2018 if I had wanted to, but until I encountered this note, the idea of "doing Timee while traveling" had never occurred to me. Why hadn't I noticed it until now?

So, I tried traveling while earning travel expenses with Timee. I tested whether it is possible to travel even without money.

To keep expenses down as much as possible, I used the "Seishun 18 Kippu" for transportation. Simply put, the Seishun 18 Kippu is a ticket that allows unlimited rides on JR local trains (excluding Shinkansen and limited express trains; please check the specific lines and rules yourself). In the spring of 2025, which I used this time, a 3-day pass is 10,000 yen, and a 5-day pass is 12,050 yen. Despite the name "Seishun 18" (Youth 18), there is no age limit. You can feel JR's sentiment of "let's stay young for life."

This time, I bought a 5-day pass. At this point, it was decided that this would be a 5-day trip. My destinations were Gero Onsen and Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. I chose them because I wanted to go somewhere reasonably far from Yokohama since I had an all-you-can-ride pass, and because I wanted to warm up in the hot springs.

How cheaply can you travel using the Seishun 18 Kippu and Timee?The 5-day verification trip began.

Day 1 (Yokohama to Gero. 1st night in Gero)

I woke up at 4:30 AM and left the house at 4:55 AM. I transferred from my local station to Yokohama Station and took the JR Tokaido Main Line. At 8:29 AM, I got off at Shizuoka for a break and had breakfast at a cafe.

I got back on the train and headed steadily west. After transferring at Hamamatsu and Toyohashi, I arrived in Gifu. From there, I took the JR Takayama Main Line. It takes about 2 hours from Gifu to Gero. I didn't realize it was so far even though it's in the same prefecture. At 3:16 PM, I arrived safely at Gero Station. It had been 10 hours and 21 minutes since I left home.

For the first day, I just wanted to arrive safely. However, since I had time, I went for a walk around town after checking into the guesthouse. Surprisingly, it was raining, but I enjoyed myself by visiting footbaths and hot springs in the city.

For dinner, I had Gero milk ramen. It was delicious.

The first day ended with travel, a light walk around town, a hot spring bath, and dinner.

Expenses: 4,798 yen
・Bagel sandwich + cafe latte 1,320 yen
・Hot spring hopping pass 1,500 yen
・I LOHAS Muscat 160 yen
・Gero milk ramen + xiaolongbao 1,700 yen
・2 liters of water 118 yen

Income: None

Day 2 (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Timee work. 2nd night in Gero)

When I woke up, the rain that had been falling until last night had stopped. I was grateful. Just by not having rain, the quality of a trip improves significantly. I understand that rain is necessary, but I can't help but think, 'Please don't rain while I'm traveling.'

I went for a run in the morning, took a shower, and went for a walk. Isn't that a great way to spend time? And then, I made a pit stop at a footbath.

I got hooked on footbaths on the first day, so I decided to go footbath hopping from the morning. And from here, it was time for Timee. My debut working with Timee while traveling.

My workplace was a super famous pudding shop. Because tourists flock there, there is always a line in front of the store. My job was to manage that line. My working hours were from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (with a 45-minute break).

During my lunch break, I walked around the town and ate a curry bread.

The shop staff were kind, but after they taught me how to form the line, I was completely left on my own. I was alone the whole time I was working, so it was somewhat tough. Customers asked me all sorts of things. 'How long is the wait?' 'Where is the restroom?' and so on. I managed to get by with improvisation or by unleashing my ultimate weapon: 'I don't know.' If I don't know, I don't know.

From my life experience so far, I knew that pretending to know something I don't or giving random answers is the most dangerous behavior.

However, people grow. By the afternoon, I hardly said 'I don't know' anymore. I was able to guide people to the nearby restroom (it was right across from the shop), and I was able to tell them how long it would take to get into the store, while adding a disclaimer like 'It's just an estimate.' Being able to do something I couldn't do before—that was a joy. I realized that you can grow even in just one day.

As time passed, I started to like this pudding shop. That's because all the customers coming out of the shop had happy faces. Many customers sat on the benches outside the shop to eat their pudding, and they would praise it one after another, saying things like 'It's delicious' or 'It's incredibly smooth.' Even though I was just a one-day staff member, I felt somewhat proud, thinking, 'Right? Our pudding is delicious, isn't it!'

At 5:00 PM, I clocked out on time. It was very interesting to hear the customers' voices, but since it was outdoors, the last hour was particularly tough. The wind picked up and it got cold. Immediately after clocking out, I warmed up in the footbath in front of the shop.

I was standing up all day long, so I was pretty tired. To reward myself for finishing my first Timee shift while traveling, I went out for dinner. I ate Gero's specialty, Kei-chan.

The theme of this trip is "Let's test how cheaply I can travel using the Seishun 18 Kippu and Timee." However, the point isn't just to keep costs as low as possible. There's no point if you don't enjoy the trip. There are as many travel styles as there are travelers, but my policy is this:Save as much as possible on accommodation and transportation. Earn travel expenses with Timee in between sightseeing. On the other hand, don't skimp on sightseeing and food.

I ordered the Kei-chan as a set meal and added a drink, so it cost a fair amount, but I have no regrets. After finishing my meal, I went to the hot springs. Here, I learned how amazing a hot spring is after working. Honestly, I don't really like working. If I didn't have to work, I'd never want to work a day in my life. But if a hot spring after working feels that good, I thought maybe I wouldn't mind working once in a while. I wanted to tell myself, "Why are you being so condescending?" but regardless, I decided that working isn't so bad after all.

The night view of Gero seen after the hot spring was beautiful. I felt once again that I had truly set out on a journey.

Expenses: 3,240 yen
・Gero Curry Bread (2) 950 yen
・Kei-chan set meal, drink (used half-price coupon) 2,150 yen
・Mountain Dew can 140 yen

Income: 6,563 yen
・Timee work (6 hours 15 minutes)

Day 3 (Timee from 18:00 to 20:00. From Gero to Takayama. First night in Takayama)

Since my Timee shift was in the evening that day, I spent the time until then sightseeing. I went to the morning market and visited the Gassho Village.

I went to the workplace from the previous day, this time as a customer. Using the reactions of yesterday's customers as a reference, I bought three types of pudding. They were all truly delicious. For me, they became a "taste of memories" in many ways.

The Gero hot spring town is compact and everything is within walking distance. That is very nice. I think you can generally see everything in one day of sightseeing. Being a hot spring area, I interspersed my time with footbaths and hot springs, visited the Hot Spring Museum and Onsen-ji Temple, and walked around eating local snacks.

After enjoying plenty of sightseeing, I started my Timee shift at 18:00. This time, it was dishwashing work at a restaurant. By the way, it was the restaurant where I ate dinner the previous night. The pudding shop was a customer from Timee. The Kei-chan shop was a Timee user from the customers. It's kind of interesting to be able to experience both the perspective of the shop staff and the customer.

Unlike the previous day, it was indoors, so I could work comfortably without worrying about the cold. However, the iron plates were heavy, and I used up quite a bit of energy in just two hours. Work is tough.

After clocking out, I picked up my suitcase that I had left at the guesthouse and went straight to Gero Station. This is where I say goodbye to Gero.

I took the night train to my second destination, Takayama. I arrived in exactly one hour. I checked into the guesthouse and went to sleep immediately.

Expenses: 5,138 yen
・Gero Gassho Village admission fee 800 yen
・Gohei-mochi 300 yen
・Gero Pudding (3) 1,430 yen
・Hot Spring Museum & Shirasagi-no-yu 600 yen
・Water 2 liters 118 yen
・Butter sandwich "Caramel Nut" 420 yen
・Frog bread 500 yen
・Onsen egg soft serve 470 yen
・Hida beef bun 500 yen

Income: 2,600 yen
・Timee work (2 hours)

Day 4 (Timee from 17:30 to 22:00. Second night in Takayama)

I welcomed the morning in Takayama. On this day too, I spent the time until my evening Timee shift sightseeing in the city.

On the way to the morning market, I stopped involuntarily in front of Jintsu-ji Temple in a residential area. Words by Kirin Kiki were written there.

"Don't be arrogant, don't compare yourself to others, find things interesting, and just live calmly." It was a phrase that stayed in my heart. I felt that the expression "live calmly" was unique and very much like Kirin Kiki.

I went to two types of morning markets: the "Jinya-mae Morning Market" and the "Hida Takayama Miyagawa Morning Market." The Jinya-mae Morning Market was small in scale, but it was interesting. They were selling apples from a farm. Since I had come all the way to Takayama, I decided to buy a variety called "Hida." I said, "Please give me one Hida," but the lady wouldn't let me buy it right away. She said, "Hida is soft, you know." She told me, "If you want something hard, get Fuji or Shinano Gold."

Neither Fuji nor Shinano Gold felt like Gifu. You can eat them in Yokohama, too. I thought, this has to be "Hida," which has an overwhelming Gifu feel. I was about to say, "Please give me one Hida" again. But the lady was faster for a split second. She gave me apple samples. Fuji, Shinano Gold, and Hida. She let me eat them all. After tasting them, my mind was made up. I'll buy one Fuji and one Shinano Gold.

The "Hida" apple, which had an overwhelming sense of Gifu, was not chosen. The moment I ate it, I understood. It was certainly soft. It tasted good, but it was soft. I prefer my apples to be crisp. It wasn't a matter of preference; I was firmly in the "apples must be crisp" camp. I decided to choose what I liked rather than focusing on the Gifu vibe. That's what I thought. Thank you, ma'am. By the way, she mentioned that both the Fuji and Shinano Gold apples were grown at this farm, so they were indeed from Takayama. Even if they didn't have a "Gifu vibe," they were apples grown in Gifu.

The second stop was the Hida Takayama Miyagawa Morning Market, which was larger and lined with many more shops. There were clearly more foreigners than Japanese people, and it felt like being abroad.

Walking around Gero was fun, but Takayama is also a city that is enjoyable to stroll through. I ate Takayama ramen, had sweets at a cafe, and walked through streets lined with traditional buildings.

And before my Timee shift, I had Hida beef sushi. It was my second time having Hida beef in 10 years. I really love it.

I started my Timee shift at 5:30 PM. This was my first time working three consecutive days through Timee. I was washing dishes at an izakaya. Since I had used the dishwasher for two days in a row, I had completely mastered how to use it. I didn't do any direct customer service, but since I was standing at the counter washing dishes, I made sure to actively say things like "Welcome" and "Thank you."

When I was job hunting, I had such a strong aversion to customer service that I thought, "Anything but a customer service job." However, I realized that I like saying "Thank you." Also, I like using a slightly louder, clearer voice.

The work was busy. I don't know how many dishes I washed. It was a workplace worth working for, as I really felt like I had done a job and been useful.

After finishing my Timee shift, I debated whether to have a late dinner, but since it didn't look like any shops were open, I gave up.

Expenses: 5,708 yen
・2 apples: 290 yen
・Bean snacks: 520 yen
・Chinese noodles (regular): 900 yen
・Matcha cream shiratama: 1,200 yen
・2 liters of water: 120 yen
・Hida beef platter: 2,178 yen
・Coffee: 500 yen

Income: 4,950 yen
・Timee work (4 hours and 30 minutes)

Day 5 (From Takayama to Yokohama)

Finally, the last day of the trip. Today is basically just for traveling, but I decided to enjoy a morning set as a final treat.

This morning set was 500 yen. It was quite good. The fruit was delicious.

10:23 AM, departed Takayama.

On the way back, I didn't get off the train at all except for necessary transfers. On the train, I read books, wrote notes, and looked out the window. When I got a little hungry, I ate the apples and bean snacks I bought at the morning market the day before.

I arrived at my nearest station at 8:57 PM. The 5-day trip to Gifu came to an end.

Expenses: 500 yen
・Morning set: 500 yen

Income: None

Summary

Here are the expenses incurred other than local costs.

Transportation (Seishun 18 Kippu 5-day pass)12,050 yen
Accommodation (2 nights in Gero, 2 nights in Takayama)13,603 yen

I basically looked for the cheapest accommodation, but Gero was expensive. It might have been because it was the graduation trip season in March.

The total amount I earned from Timee locally over three days was 14,113 yen.

Here is a breakdown of the income and expenses for this trip.

It resulted in a deficit of 30,924 yen. I thought I might break even if I earned money with Timee, but that was a bit naive. However, I found that I could take a 5-day trip to Gifu with an out-of-pocket expense of just over 30,000 yen while working with Timee. And that's without holding back on eating what I wanted while there. Hida beef is expensive, but I didn't hesitate to go for it.

Moreover, since Timee allows for same-day payment with no fees, you can truly travel even if you only have 30,000 yen on hand.

And one more thing. My purpose for using Timee this time was to earn travel expenses, but I felt that using Timee while traveling is an experience that goes beyond just earning money.

There are many highlights to traveling, and one of them is interacting with the locals. But I'm an introvert. I can't just make friends at a local izakaya. That's where Timee comes in. It's hard to strike up a conversation on your own in a casual setting, but Timee is work. It provides a kind of forced interaction. Communication happens naturally.

When you try to communicate with locals while traveling, you usually end up in the position of a customer. The conversations that take place are between the one receiving the service and the one providing it. I'm not saying that's bad, but it's not exactly a flat conversation.

On the other hand, with Timee, you can talk from the same position as a local resident—as a 'worker.' People were surprised when I said, 'I came from Yokohama on a trip. I came here to work to earn travel money,' but I felt like I was able to interact with them from a different perspective than that of a tourist. Working while traveling. It might just make the trip more meaningful.

■ Read this as well
This is the note that inspired me to plan this trip. Thank you, Mikan no Kanzume-san.

A travelogue of hot spring hopping in Gero Onsen

Gourmet food I ate on my Gifu trip