Posted by DACEYN on
There are a number of strategies of touring all through the nation, nonetheless relying on the town you research in or go to, some could also be higher than others. Please remember that some choices could solely be accessible to foreigners by way of an internet site and never an app, so plan properly.
Cross-country:
- Taking a prepare (web site)
- There are a number of completely different sorts of trains in Korea that one can take, however the quickest is the KTX. An extended-distance prepare which you could take to journey between main cities, the KTX is the quickest solution to get round to completely different provinces. There are different, slower trains that journey to smaller cities the place the KTX doesn’t go, which will also be accessed on-line. There’s baggage storage accessible for check-in baggage, however it is rather restricted. There’s additionally overhead storage for smaller baggage.
- Whatever the form of prepare, they are going to arrive on the said time in your ticket, so DO NOT BE LATE. While you e-book a prepare ticket, there might be prepare automotive and seat quantity listed in your ticket – sit in your assigned seat throughout your experience even when different individuals get on and off as this might be your seat till your cease. Simply earlier than every station, the identify of the cease might be said in Korean, then in English so don’t fear an excessive amount of about not understanding what cease is coming since these bulletins mixed with the cease time listed in your ticket will let you recognize when to get off.
- Reserving a KTX ticket: merely lookup “ktx prepare” or “railninja” and it is possible for you to to e-book tickets after setting the town names and date. When you obtain no end result, then a KTX prepare doesn’t take that route and you’ll have to resort to a unique form of prepare (strive trying up “Rome2Rio korea trains”) or a bus.
- Taking a bus (web site or in-person)
- Lengthy-distance buses are a less expensive, however longer various to the trains. There’s undercarriage storage that may match check-in baggage, however you need to do that by yourself. These buses will make a singular cease at a relaxation cease for quarter-hour throughout the journey. These stops whereas have a number of meals distributors, a comfort retailer, and restrooms. Workers listed below are unlikely to talk a lot if any English so you’ll be able to examine if there’s an digital order station on the stand, use a translation app, or learn to order meals. The 15-minute break is strict – they are going to go away with out you.
- Reserving a bus ticket: there are methods to e-book tickets forward of time on-line, however it’s best to simply lookup “metropolis a to metropolis b bus tickets.” A neater, however riskier solution to e-book tickets is to go to the station and purchase tickets at one of many kiosks. An alternative choice could be having a Korean good friend purchase bus tickets by way of the app (it’s not suggested to make use of the app by yourself; it requires a Korean telephone quantity and ID, however even when you have this, foreigners often have bother with it).
Within the metropolis:
- Taxis (app)
- Getting a taxi could be very easy in Korea because the app, Kakao Taxi, is out there to foreigners and could be very straightforward to make use of. You simply arrange your pick-up and drop-off areas, decide the form of taxi you wish to take (with estimated value), and the app will seek for close by taxis. It’ll present you if/when a driver has chosen your request and the way far-off they’re. It’ll additionally show the license plate quantity and an image of the motive force so you’ll be able to simply inform if the automotive approaching is the proper one. There’s a caveat although – you need to have a KakaoTalk account and a Korean financial institution card to pay by way of the app, so that you would wish to pay the motive force immediately when you would not have these (you’ll choose how one can pay earlier than the app sends out the request).
- Relying on the town you might be in, the drivers could or could not converse English. In Seoul, they’re extra prone to, however most won’t in different cities, together with Gwangju. Often, a driver could ask for clarification of the drop-off location, so have a translation of the handle prepared in your telephone or know how one can say it in Korean.
- Buses (in-person)
- To be able to take buses within the metropolis, you have to to purchase a T-Cash card. These could be purchased at any comfort retailer and are often round 5,000 to 10,000 gained for the cardboard ONLY (value varies relying on the design). You’ll be able to cost the playing cards at any comfort retailer as properly – they’ll solely be charged with money, excluding cash.
- You could find bus stops and instances on Naver Maps – it will present you the bus quantity, cease quantity, and when it arrives right down to the minute.
- Whereas the worth of a bus experience can range somewhat based mostly on the town, rides are often 1,250 gained. You board the bus, scan your T-Cash card and discover a seat or place to face. Scan your card as you might be getting off as properly to keep away from doubtlessly paying extra.
- There are completely different sorts of seats on Korean buses: common, aged, pregnant girls, and incapacity seating. These might be indicated by the colour of the seat. Whereas it’s typically socially acceptable to sit down within the specified seating, you need to transfer if somebody boards after you that wants that seat.
- The buses transfer in a short time, so discover a place to sit down or stand quick because the bus will transfer even when you aren’t sitting/holding on. In the identical vein, put together to get off at minimal a cease earlier than by urgent the “cease” button (situated on the wall) and on the point of go away. You’ll know when your cease is coming by way of an accouncement in addition to a display screen that lists the upcoming cease in Korean and English.
- Subway (in-person)
- The subway works very equally to buses: you want a T-Cash card to make use of the subway and also you scan your card earlier than and after your experience. Naver Maps additionally exhibits instructions by way of the subway so utilizing that for the subway too might be useful. When on the subway, it’s suggested that you don’t speak, or when you do, make it quick and quiet as that is the native etiquette. It’s also not suggested to sit down within the pregnant girls seating except it’s tremendous crowded. Even then, you need to transfer if another person wants it. Stops might be introduced in Korean and English and they’re going to let you know what aspect the platform is on as properly.
