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Seoul / Incheon trip advice



HastingsSeagull

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2010
9,236
BGC Manila
Usually some good tips on here for worldwide destinations. I can take a 15hr layover here (overnight though so limited options for siteseeing and maybe travel) and know the airport is reccomended for these, plus hear about free hotels and half day siteseeing trips? However if I can work out a way to do a 3 day or so stopover without the price rocketing (flights much more expensive on Aseana Airlines direct site than places like Lastminute and Expedia which don't seem to offer these) then I'd love to!

What should I be looking out for then fellas? 3 weeks over Xmas diving and island hopping in Philippines is the planned main holiday btw. Single bloke aged 31, low-middling budget, fairly experienced and adventurous traveler.

Thanks for all serious and not so serious responses :angel:
 


ofco8

Well-known member
May 18, 2007
2,386
Brighton
Usually some good tips on here for worldwide destinations. I can take a 15hr layover here (overnight though so limited options for siteseeing and maybe travel) and know the airport is reccomended for these, plus hear about free hotels and half day siteseeing trips? However if I can work out a way to do a 3 day or so stopover without the price rocketing (flights much more expensive on Aseana Airlines direct site than places like Lastminute and Expedia which don't seem to offer these) then I'd love to!

What should I be looking out for then fellas? 3 weeks over Xmas diving and island hopping in Philippines is the planned main holiday btw. Single bloke aged 31, low-middling budget, fairly experienced and adventurous traveler.

Thanks for all serious and not so serious responses :angel:

My sister and brother in-laws are in Seoul at the moment so to early to get any feed back from them, unless they email or facebook some info..
 


Stumpy Tim

Well-known member
Interesting place, but hard work assuming you speak no Korean... Very little English spoke there, and no sign posts I'm English. Much like Tokyo in that respect. Can't say I know it well, but I do know it is culturally a hard part of the world for an Englishman

Having said that, that could be part of the attraction
 


Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,104
The democratic and free EU
Interesting place, but hard work assuming you speak no Korean... Very little English spoke there, and no sign posts I'm English. Much like Tokyo in that respect. Can't say I know it well, but I do know it is culturally a hard part of the world for an Englishman

Having said that, that could be part of the attraction

Unlike Japanese though, Koreans use an alphabet, not thousands of different characters. I think there's only 24 basic letters, and once you realise they're in (usually) consonant-vowel-consonant [/Rachelriley] syllable clusters, it becomes easy. I learned to read the letters before I went there - only took a couple of hours.

Still couldn't speak or understand much of what was said or written, but it did prove invaluable in deciphering simple stuff like restaurant menus.
 


Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,104
The democratic and free EU
3 weeks over Xmas diving and island hopping in Philippines is the planned main holiday btw. Single bloke aged 31, low-middling budget

If you do much travelling around the Philippines on buses as a single bloke, be prepared to be interviewed by every single middle-aged woman on board as a potential marriage candidate for their daughter(s)...
 




Snoop Dogg

Member
Jun 19, 2009
173
If you get a chance to spend a few days there then I'd definitely recommend it. I left a month ago after spending a year living there and it's a pretty easy place to be to be honest. Not everyone speaks a huge amount of English although the level in Seoul isn't bad, especially in the touristy areas. Koreans start learning English at school from about the age of 7 so most people know at least some English, but they are a very reserved society and a lot of them are quite shy about actually using it. People are really polite and respectful there though, and if you can just learn a handful of basic words before going (hello, thank you, etc) then that'll help.

Most coffee shops have both English and Korean menus and a lot of restaurants do too. There are plenty of road signs in English and all the stations have signs in Korean, English and Japanese so getting around the city is easy. Announcements on trains and buses are in both Korean and English too. Public transport is cheap, and eating out and drinking isn't expensive either. Seoul is a big city but considering it's size, it's very safe.

There's plenty to keep you occupied for a few days as well - palaces, temples, markets, museums, etc. If you want to get out of Seoul then Suwon is quite a nice place to visit for a day but I wouldn't bother with Incheon to be honest. Alternatively you could head up to the DMZ on the border with the North! Anyway let me know if you want any more info mate.
 


Snoop Dogg

Member
Jun 19, 2009
173
It'll be cold, possibly snowy and icy, around Christmas time though so you'll need to pack some warm stuff!!
 


Seagull1989

Well-known member
Oct 31, 2011
1,196
Ive been to incheon a few times and to be honest there is not much there to see. Its basically a purpose built town that was made pretty recently. Think even their slogan was "build it and they will come".

If you get the chance to do 1 thing in S korea I would say do the DMZ tour. Think its 2 hours from incheon
 






Steve in Japan

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
May 9, 2013
4,417
East of Eastbourne
Just came back via Seoul yesterday. Have flown with Korean Air for the last couple of years, and Seoul is not a bad airport to spend a few hours. Theres even a hotel which you can use a room, min charge I think is 6 hours. Eat Korean bbq, drink Korean beer etc etc. To make it worth going into Seoul you need at least 24 hours I think, it can take a couple of hours worst case to get to Seoul from the airport.
 


red star portslade

New member
Jul 8, 2012
1,882
Hove innit
Usually some good tips on here for worldwide destinations. I can take a 15hr layover here (overnight though so limited options for siteseeing and maybe travel) and know the airport is reccomended for these, plus hear about free hotels and half day siteseeing trips? However if I can work out a way to do a 3 day or so stopover without the price rocketing (flights much more expensive on Aseana Airlines direct site than places like Lastminute and Expedia which don't seem to offer these) then I'd love to!

What should I be looking out for then fellas? 3 weeks over Xmas diving and island hopping in Philippines is the planned main holiday btw. Single bloke aged 31, low-middling budget, fairly experienced and adventurous traveler.

Thanks for all serious and not so serious responses :angel:

South Korea has more prostitutes than Thailand. You were in Thailand last year if I'm not mistaken?

I see a pattern emerging???
 




Seagull kimchi

New member
Oct 8, 2010
4,007
Korea and India
Express subway to Seoul takes 1 hour. You can stay in a 'love motel' for around £30. Go to Itaewon or Hongdae..lots of GI's and hookers in Itaewon...some nice clubs and bars and beautiful K girls in Hongdae. If you've got any game at all you'll do well. Gangnam and Apgu jong are the posh nightlife areas if you fancy hi rolling..be prepared to be shunned if your attire or manners don't fit.

The local beer is awful..drink bottled imports..the local food is unrefined but if you like meat/stews (jiggae) then it's cheap and hearty.

Anyong hasseyo (hello) Kamsa hamnida (thank you) Miyan amnida (sorry) Juseyo (please give me) should be enough to get what you need - most Koreans in Seoul know basic English nouns.

To impress a girl just say you love Kimchi/Kim Yun A/Park Ji Song/Japan is evil/Dokdo is Korean and Gangnam style. Bon Chance! (It is stinking hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter)
 


edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228
HastingsSeagull; said:
3 weeks over Xmas diving and island hopping in Philippines is the planned main holiday btw. Single bloke aged 31, low-middling budget, fairly experienced and adventurous traveler.

Oooh, the Philippines is supposed to be amazing for diving. Jealous. Can I come? :wink:
 



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