Currency Exchange
Do not exchange your money at the airport currency exchange. If you want some KRW to go to your hotel, just clear the immigration, come to the arrival hall and look for a McDonald's. Yes, McDonald's.
You will be probably hungry or need to have some food till you reach your hotel. The McDonald's at the airport offer better exchange rates than the bank counters at the airport. I exchanged 20,000 Japanese Yen at the airport bank counter at 980 KRW/100 JPY. But the McDonald's provided 999 KRW/100 JPY.
You would have heard that Itaewon has good exchange rates. But it would be hard to find a good reliable one or you do not want to travel there if you exchange your money as and when needed.
Try the Industrial Bank of Korea(IBK) exchange counter at the Seoul station. It is available from 7:00 - 22:00 all day and it is located near the KTX gates. They offer good rates even better than the other IBK branches. I got 1007 KRW/100 JPY on the same day.
T-Card
T-Card is the convenient way to travel around the city trains, buses and taxis and for quick shopping in convenience stores. You can buy a simple T-Card for 3500 KRW and charge as and when you need it. You will not get the 3500 KRW back.
You can buy a AREX T-Card at the airport for 8900 KRW, which includes 8000 KRW Express ticket to Seoul station. There are other versions of T-Cards like Seoul City Pass, M-Pass which are not worth for freelance travellers.
T-Card can be charged at all stations in Seoul and Convenience stores. T-Card can be used in trains of Busan but cannot be charged in Busan stations. In Busan, you can charge T-Money in convenience stores like 7-11.
Airport to Seoul
Take the all-stop train to Seoul from the Airport. It costs 3000 KRW less than the Express and just takes 10 mins more. If you have huge luggage then, you can consider taking the Express. In my experience, the Express runs almost empty. We were the only two in our car. There are cheaper options if you choose bus.
KTX KR Pass
If you have purchased KR Pass, do not forget to take a print out. If you have forgotten, you can print at the Premium Travel center at B2 of the Seoul Station for 500 KRW.
The date on which you exchange the pass can be different from the date you want to start using it. The staff will ask for it.
If you have plans to travel by KTX on Weekends or in any case, book your seats as early as possible. Because the trains might get booked and you will have only standing in the train of your desired timing. Otherwise, You have to move your schedule and it might affect all your plans.
Busan Day Pass
If you travelling to Busan and if you think you are going to use the Busan Metro more than 4 times, buy a Busan Metro 1 Day Pass. It is worth 4500 KRW and can be used for unlimited metro rides. There are also other variants like 3-day and 5-day passes.
The minimum fare for a metro ride is 1200 KRW and it increases with distance. So calculate and buy.
KR Pass - Seoul To Airport - NO.
The KR Pass cannot be used to book KTX trains that travel from Seoul to Airport. I am not sure of the one that goes from Airport to Seoul.
Turnstile Gates? Why?
The ticket gates at most of the old train stations are Turnstiles. If you have luggage, have a good time passing through them.
Priority Seating
Try not to sit in the Priority Seat in the trains even when no one else is in the car who can use that seat. When I sat on the priority seat, an old guy sitting next to me told that this is only for Old and weak. But there were none standing in the car who could use that seat. May be that is how they use it. I did not know. In Japan, we offer those seats when someone old or handicapped boards the train.
Midway Train
Some Korean trains do not run until the end of the route. They might stop the service in the middle. A signal to understand this is when everybody in the train goes out and the lights on the train are switched off. Get out of the train or you will be heading to a train shed.
Walk, Walk, Walk
Korean subway station, though small, are built in a complex way. Getting out of the station at a particular exit will involve lot of walking and staircases. Lifts are available but not always conveniently located.
Koreans and Distances
Do not trust Korean people about distances. If they it is very near, expect to walk a Kilometre. If they say it is 5 or 10 mins walk, expect to walk a for 20 mins. They are apparently good walkers, which we are not.
Lots of Food
Korean people apparently eat a lot. So order wisely. Do not be in a hurry to order. If there are 3 in your group, order for two. See and then order more.
Indian Food? Caution.
Indian restaurants in Korea are not always good. In Japan every Indian restaurant has a reasonable to Good taste. In Korea, particularly in Busan, do not expect even a decent Indian food.
Budget Accommodation = Dirty?
Do not expect the hotels booked on budget to be clean. Do not expect them to have all basic toiletries.
Chocolate Cake
If you like Chocolate cakes and if you see a big lump of cake in brown, do not think it is a chocolate cake. Ask the store staff what is it and make sure it is Chocolate before buying.
Shopping at Express Bus Terminal Station
There is an underground shopping arcade in the station which is huge and great deal for budget shoppers. It has Ladies' fashion and accessories. No bargain. Decent rate. Good collection. Great crowd.
T-Card Balance
If you have bought a new T-Card for 3500 KRW, you cannot get the 3500 KRW back. If you have some amount left inside the card, you can get a refund at the automated machines at all stations for a fee of 500 KRW. Or if you do not want to waste the 500 KRW fees, use T-money at the airport before you leave to buy things at various stores that accept T-Money card for payments. You can use multiple T-Cards towards one payment.
Travel Information
Do not exchange your money at the airport currency exchange. If you want some KRW to go to your hotel, just clear the immigration, come to the arrival hall and look for a McDonald's. Yes, McDonald's.
You will be probably hungry or need to have some food till you reach your hotel. The McDonald's at the airport offer better exchange rates than the bank counters at the airport. I exchanged 20,000 Japanese Yen at the airport bank counter at 980 KRW/100 JPY. But the McDonald's provided 999 KRW/100 JPY.
You would have heard that Itaewon has good exchange rates. But it would be hard to find a good reliable one or you do not want to travel there if you exchange your money as and when needed.
Try the Industrial Bank of Korea(IBK) exchange counter at the Seoul station. It is available from 7:00 - 22:00 all day and it is located near the KTX gates. They offer good rates even better than the other IBK branches. I got 1007 KRW/100 JPY on the same day.
T-Card
T-Card is the convenient way to travel around the city trains, buses and taxis and for quick shopping in convenience stores. You can buy a simple T-Card for 3500 KRW and charge as and when you need it. You will not get the 3500 KRW back.
You can buy a AREX T-Card at the airport for 8900 KRW, which includes 8000 KRW Express ticket to Seoul station. There are other versions of T-Cards like Seoul City Pass, M-Pass which are not worth for freelance travellers.
T-Card can be charged at all stations in Seoul and Convenience stores. T-Card can be used in trains of Busan but cannot be charged in Busan stations. In Busan, you can charge T-Money in convenience stores like 7-11.
Airport to Seoul
Take the all-stop train to Seoul from the Airport. It costs 3000 KRW less than the Express and just takes 10 mins more. If you have huge luggage then, you can consider taking the Express. In my experience, the Express runs almost empty. We were the only two in our car. There are cheaper options if you choose bus.
KTX KR Pass
If you have purchased KR Pass, do not forget to take a print out. If you have forgotten, you can print at the Premium Travel center at B2 of the Seoul Station for 500 KRW.
The date on which you exchange the pass can be different from the date you want to start using it. The staff will ask for it.
If you have plans to travel by KTX on Weekends or in any case, book your seats as early as possible. Because the trains might get booked and you will have only standing in the train of your desired timing. Otherwise, You have to move your schedule and it might affect all your plans.
Busan Day Pass
If you travelling to Busan and if you think you are going to use the Busan Metro more than 4 times, buy a Busan Metro 1 Day Pass. It is worth 4500 KRW and can be used for unlimited metro rides. There are also other variants like 3-day and 5-day passes.
The minimum fare for a metro ride is 1200 KRW and it increases with distance. So calculate and buy.
KR Pass - Seoul To Airport - NO.
The KR Pass cannot be used to book KTX trains that travel from Seoul to Airport. I am not sure of the one that goes from Airport to Seoul.
Turnstile Gates? Why?
The ticket gates at most of the old train stations are Turnstiles. If you have luggage, have a good time passing through them.
Priority Seating
Try not to sit in the Priority Seat in the trains even when no one else is in the car who can use that seat. When I sat on the priority seat, an old guy sitting next to me told that this is only for Old and weak. But there were none standing in the car who could use that seat. May be that is how they use it. I did not know. In Japan, we offer those seats when someone old or handicapped boards the train.
Midway Train
Some Korean trains do not run until the end of the route. They might stop the service in the middle. A signal to understand this is when everybody in the train goes out and the lights on the train are switched off. Get out of the train or you will be heading to a train shed.
Walk, Walk, Walk
Korean subway station, though small, are built in a complex way. Getting out of the station at a particular exit will involve lot of walking and staircases. Lifts are available but not always conveniently located.
Koreans and Distances
Do not trust Korean people about distances. If they it is very near, expect to walk a Kilometre. If they say it is 5 or 10 mins walk, expect to walk a for 20 mins. They are apparently good walkers, which we are not.
Lots of Food
Korean people apparently eat a lot. So order wisely. Do not be in a hurry to order. If there are 3 in your group, order for two. See and then order more.
Indian Food? Caution.
Indian restaurants in Korea are not always good. In Japan every Indian restaurant has a reasonable to Good taste. In Korea, particularly in Busan, do not expect even a decent Indian food.
Budget Accommodation = Dirty?
Do not expect the hotels booked on budget to be clean. Do not expect them to have all basic toiletries.
Chocolate Cake
If you like Chocolate cakes and if you see a big lump of cake in brown, do not think it is a chocolate cake. Ask the store staff what is it and make sure it is Chocolate before buying.
Shopping at Express Bus Terminal Station
There is an underground shopping arcade in the station which is huge and great deal for budget shoppers. It has Ladies' fashion and accessories. No bargain. Decent rate. Good collection. Great crowd.
T-Card Balance
If you have bought a new T-Card for 3500 KRW, you cannot get the 3500 KRW back. If you have some amount left inside the card, you can get a refund at the automated machines at all stations for a fee of 500 KRW. Or if you do not want to waste the 500 KRW fees, use T-money at the airport before you leave to buy things at various stores that accept T-Money card for payments. You can use multiple T-Cards towards one payment.
Travel Information
- Travelled as a Couple.
- August 11-18 2014.
- Tokyo - Seoul - Busan - Seoul - Tokyo.
