Nik


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Monday, November 10, 2014 @ 12:34 AM PERMALINK

안녕하세요! It's been close to two months since I've returned from my 10 day romp in Seoul.
I've just started sorting through the photos and it feels like we managed to pack so much into 10 days yet barely scratch the surface of what Seoul has to offer.

To start with, here are a couple tips on planning your trip to Seoul.

Accommodation 

I've always been an advocate of Air BnB. Not only do I love the idea behind it, I also love how simple and clean the interface is.

To be completely honest though, this trip was the first time I had arranged for accommodation via Air BnB. My only other contact with it (apart from losing track of time looking at listings for trips I have yet to book tickets for) was when I helped a friend book accommodation for his World Cup trip. Yes, I do sometimes irresponsibly give advice based on gut feelings and research BUT now I can, like many other travelers, personally vouch for it.

Based on the itinerary we drew up, we knew that we'd be traveling quite a bit a lot around Seoul so our main prerequisite for the base of our 10 day trip was that it should be somewhere near a train station. The more well connected the station was, the better.

This is the apartment we eventually chose:



Check out those great windows. Perfect for letting sunlight in to remind you that holiday hours are too precious to waste sleeping in.  I kid, there are blinds for when you want the sun to leave you alone. It's just that when I travel, I'm one of those morning people you've heard about and are sure you'll hate. I contain it pretty well though, I swear.

We were only on the 6th floor but the view was great. I loved being able to see a hint of the nature that surrounds Seoul while still being able to watch the bustle of the city.



Right smack in the centre of Seoul, the apartment is just a short walk from Seoul Station, giving you direct access to 4 subway lines. To make things even better, the apartment is close to a large Lotte Mart (all the Korean groceries you could DREAM of), a number of restaurants and a 24 hour Family Stop.



The restaurant close to the apartment building served amazing Gamjatang (Pork Bone and Potato Stew).  If you do end up staying at the apartment, have one of your meals here, you won't regret it.

The area isn't exactly hopping at night - unless you'd like to have some drinks with the old men drinking soju outside of the Family Stop, so if that's the kind of neighbourhood you'd prefer to be in, you'd probably be better off looking for a place in Hongdae, Myeongdong or Gangnam.

Uni, the host is also great. Although we didn't get the chance to meet her,  she emailed us a very comprehensive kit before we landed in Seoul on how to operate the things in her apartment and how to get into the apartment. The wifi egg she provides (inclusive in the room rate) is also a great add-on.

The apartment is also fully equipped with anything you may need during your stay there. There is cable tv (Uni also provides a selection of DVDs), a washing machine, microwave, kettle and a FULL SIZED fridge. No annoying mini fridges that you can only keep cans of beers in.

It cost us about $45 per person/night (including a late check-out of 8pm).
You'll find Uni's listing here if you are thinking of checking it out.

Getting to and from Incheon Airport 

The Airport Railway (AREX line)



There are a bunch of ways to into downtown Seoul from the airport. There are the airport buses, the train and a taxi. We landed quite late at night and since our apartment was so close to Seoul Station, we chose to take the AREX line.

The metro is really fuss-free. It was easy to find the platform and to buy tickets from the ticketing machine. We weren't in time to catch the express train so we hopped on the usual train and it took us about an hour to Seoul Station.

Taking the train is cheaper than the buses but if you have a large bag or you aren't staying near Seoul Station, you may want to consider the airport buses instead. It isn't easy lugging bags in and out of the train stations. The last AREX also departs at 11.50pm so we were quite lucky to be able to catch a train

When we were due to return to Singapore, we had almost 65kg of luggage between the 3 of us so we took the easy way out and arranged for an airport pick-up.

As all airport pick-ups are, it was definitely a spurge. We used International Taxi and it set us back 65,000 KRW (the flat fee is based on pick-up location). Getting everything arranged was so convenient and I did everything by email just 2 days before our departure.

Money Issues

I was told that changing Singapore dollar to Korean Won in Seoul would be difficult so I changed all my money before I left.

Money changers are definitely scarce as compared to cities like Bangkok, however I did see a couple around. I didn't stop in to check the rates or to see if they changed SGD so I won't be able to help with that.

I did however use my debit card a number of times and I did not notice any additional charges. The exchange rate used for the conversion was also not much different from the rate I had changed my physical money for. In fact there was one occasion when the rate was actually better. Nonetheless though, I think it'll be a bit of luck and also, check with your bank about charges before you go.

If you can only download one app to make your life easier in Seoul...

Let it be MX's Seoul Subway Map app.

Not only does this give you the entire network map at your fingertips, the app works offline, so you'll
never have to worry about getting lost or missing your stop if your Wi-fi egg runs out of battery or your mobile data stops working.

The app also has a routing function that lets you know the best way to get from your starting to destination station. I made use of this function often and it never let me down.

You can download the app at the Apps store. Here's their website for more information but honestly, just download it because not only is it going to be so useful, it is also FREE

Labels: seoul, travel, travel tips

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