#1 Be prepared for your flight
Be entertained
- The flight to Korea takes around 6-7 hours for a direct flight from Singapore to Seoul, Korea and 9-11 hours for a connecting/stopover flight. I managed to watch 5 and a half korean dramas on my way to Seoul. Time flies when watching television dramas and the next thing you know, you are in another country.
Give yourself some time
- Be prepared for flight delays. If you are planning your own itinerary, try not to have a tight schedule. After all, it is a holiday and you do not want to rush and experience anxiety. Relax! 2 out of the 4 flights I took (budget airline) was delayed for an hour or so. Thankfully, I have some time to spare.
#2 Know your way through the city
Seoul Subway map
- The font size of the subway map on the train are seriously only for people with perfect eyesight. Having a map downloaded in your phone can save you the trouble of asking for directions. You never know when you will need it. You can download the subway map here: Version 1 Version 2
Get a T money card or the Seoul City Pass Plus
Depending on your needs I recommend getting either getting the T money card or the Seoul City Pass plus card. You can get the following cards from convenience store bearing the T money logo such as: GS25, CU, 7-eleven, Mini Stop, Buy The Way. I got my from the 7-eleven store at Incheon International airport.
T money card (2500 won)
- The T money card is a cash card where you can tap and go so you don't have to buy a ticket every single trip. (Similar to EZ link card in Singapore, Easycard in Taiwan and Pasmo card in Japan.)
- The advantage of this card is that you get transfer rebates. The small amount adds up and who knows you can be saving 10 bucks or so for shopping or food.
Seoul City Pass Plus (3000 won)
- The Seoul City Pass Plus is basically a T money card but with additional promotions/discounts for tourists. You can see some of the discounts they have here: Seoul City Pass plus Discount
- I would only recommend this card if you are planning to visit a lot of tourist attractions like the Palaces, Seoul Tower and museums.
*Note: I would not recommend the M-PASS Card because the korean subway fares are fairly cheap and you might end up paying more than required with the M-PASS Card.
You can check out the rates of the M-pass card here: M-pass card rates
Subway fare calculator
- If you would like to estimate the cost of the transportation to plan out your budget for your trip, you can use this free online subway fare calculator: SMRT Korea
- Simply enter you Departure and Arrival Station or click on the stations on the map for calculations.
Experience the different modes of transport in Korea
Try riding the taxi or public buses!
- I'd watched a lot of Korean dramas and had always wanted to try taking the public buses in Korea! Sadly, the bus stops in Korea only offer information of the routes in hangeul so if you can't read it, you can't ride it. (Thankfully, my Korean friend was with me and I just followed along.) However, similar to the subway, there are announcements made in English at every stop so you will know where you are going.
Last option: Why not try walking?
For backpackers - When time isn't an issue, why not consider walking? Sinchon station, Ewha Women's University station and Hong ik University station (Hongdae) are within walking distance. If you are travelling around these locations why not get a map, walk and explore the entire area?
#3 Wifi is everywhere
- Korea is a wired city so there isn't really a need to buy a prepaid card unless you really need wifi 24/7. Chances are major department store offer free wifi services and there are also various wifi hotspots at places like Hongdae, Sinchon, Namdaemun market etc.
- Here are some of the Wifi network names I'd connected to for free with no registration required while visiting Seoul: 5G Seoul Wifi, Seoul Wifi, Emart_free_wifi, Shinsegae_free_wifi etc.
- Most of the cafes offer free wifi when you purchase their drinks or food. The password can be found on the receipt or you can just approach the counter.
#4 Get things at a cheaper price!
Download your coupons
- A good thing to know is that Korean tourism board offers a ton of discount vouchers (5-20%) for tourists. So if are planning to buy a ton of masks from shops like Etude House, TheFaceShop, Nature Republic or have some food and drinks at Dunkin Donut or Holly's Cafe, you definitely want to print out the coupons before you board your flight. There are also discount coupon for museums and other performances.
- Also do note that you are eligible for a tax refund when shopping at retail stores bearing the Tax Refund logo, with a minimum spending of 30 000 won. (You are required to present your foreign passport for verification so do bring it along) You can get a tax refund at the airport but do remember to get a stamp of approval before taking the airport train to the departure gate!
- Note*** For those who are planning to buy facial products, do note that it is not always the cheapest to buy at Lotte Duty Free shop!
The story goes: I was at TheFaceShop outlet in Myeong Dong and the mask pack (30masks in a pack) is going for 1+1 (50% discount) - meaning that when I buy 30 masks, I get another 30 masks for free. So I will get 60 masks for 30 000won and on top of that, I can get a tax refund since it has the Tax refund logo.
I wanted to kill myself because I only visited the Myeong Dong, TheFaceShop outlet after I bought all my facial products at the Lotte Duty Free department store with only a mere discount of 10% although I don't have to pay the tax (I can get my taxes refunded anyway). The nice lady at the Myeong Dong outlet then advised me that it is only worth it to shop at the Lotte Duty Free Shop if we are buying products in bulk. If you are buying 1 or 2 packs (which is already a lot of masks), you might as well go to the usual outlets for better offers (they give out more freebies compared to the Lotte Duty Free Shop too). So there you go, learn from my mistake. Don't be a noob like me. :(
Know where to shop!
If you are looking for a cheap deal, avoid places like Myeong Dong (except if you are buying masks), Insadong and Itaewon which are designated for tourists and will potentially burn a hole in your pocket. Head down to Namdaemun market, Hongdae (Hongdae Flea Market) and Edae (Ewha Womans University Station) for cheap clothing, bags and souvenirs. Ask for discounts and you will most likely get one or the shopkeeper might just throw in a freebie for you.
Don't be shy! When learning a language, you need to speak up! I ordered some of my food in Korean and when I was near Ewha Womans University, the Uncle selling Gyeranbang (Egg bread) gave me a thumbs up for my effort!
Photos courtesy of Flyscoot.com
Convenience store are everywhere. You can just get a Samgak Kimbap and a drink under 2000won. Check out my GS25 adventure here.
There are a lot of guesthouses in Korea and some guesthouses offer cheaper room rates if you stay for 8 days or more. If you don't mind sharing a room with other travellers, you can save a lot of money. I stayed in Ultari House for a week and met a lot of fellow Singaporeans there! K and Allen were really great hosts. Kudos to them.
You can book your hostel via different travel websites. I booked mine through Hostelworld.com It is a pretty long running and trustworthy site and the plus point is that no transaction fees will be charged.
I hope my long post will be useful in helping you in planning your trip. If you have any tips to share with other fellow travellers, do leave a comment in the comment box below! Enjoy your stay in Korea!
*Do note that I am not paid to advertise any of websites or airline being mentioned. It was solely based on my personal experience.
#5 An opportunity for you to practice your Korean.
Don't be shy! When learning a language, you need to speak up! I ordered some of my food in Korean and when I was near Ewha Womans University, the Uncle selling Gyeranbang (Egg bread) gave me a thumbs up for my effort!
- If you don't want to burn a hole in your pocket to learn Korean, you might want to check out TTMIK.com. Talk to Me In Korean (TTMIK) is a korean learning website that offers free korean lessons with free podcast and pdfs (Level 1-9 currently under the Grammar section) available for download so you can learn korean on the go. Click here: TTMIK
# 6 Discount Vouchers/ Flight promotion period.
- Airlines usually offer promotions during major public holidays. For example Flyscoot offer great deals during Christmas and Valentine's Day. Do not fall for the Tuesday Morning Glory shiz, you probably will not get anything out of it. Plan your trip early and you might get a good deal.
- You can also buy Flyscoot travel vouchers on forums where people cancelled their flight and get a voucher in return. I bought my voucher online and saved S$100 after much negotiation. However, be really careful when doing any form of online transactions. Only buy vouchers when you are ready to book your flight, don't keep it for use a month later. There are reported cases whereby the scammers sold used voucher code.
#7 Save some money with family mart.
Convenience store are everywhere. You can just get a Samgak Kimbap and a drink under 2000won. Check out my GS25 adventure here.
#8 Stay in a Guesthouse to save some money.
There are a lot of guesthouses in Korea and some guesthouses offer cheaper room rates if you stay for 8 days or more. If you don't mind sharing a room with other travellers, you can save a lot of money. I stayed in Ultari House for a week and met a lot of fellow Singaporeans there! K and Allen were really great hosts. Kudos to them.
You can book your hostel via different travel websites. I booked mine through Hostelworld.com It is a pretty long running and trustworthy site and the plus point is that no transaction fees will be charged.
I hope my long post will be useful in helping you in planning your trip. If you have any tips to share with other fellow travellers, do leave a comment in the comment box below! Enjoy your stay in Korea!
*Do note that I am not paid to advertise any of websites or airline being mentioned. It was solely based on my personal experience.
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