My bf %26amp; I intend to travel to Seoul on free %26amp; easy trip during Early Autumn. We are unable to converse in Korean. Hence, if we were to travel to Seoul, will it be convenient for us? Heard it may be diffcult for us as many Koreans are unable to converse in English. Can any kind native Koreans advise? Thank you in advance...
1st time to Seoul - is it convenient to travel free %26amp; easy?I am in Seoul now. At the hotels here are English speaking staff. Outside of the hotel somewhat but very limited. We took a cab today and even though we had a card in Korean with a map that stated ';please take me back to the Ramada'; we had to go through 3 cabs before we found someone who understood what we wanted.
1st time to Seoul - is it convenient to travel free %26amp; easy?I went around free %26amp; easy for 5 days all over S.Korea without the ability to read or write Koreans.
Only problem I had was to order at moderately/cheaply priced restaurant as English menu is not available at most places. So, pointing what other is eating or some cases pointing to a plastic window display dish similar to Japanese restaurant helped. There are many street vendors or fast food places that you just point. Otherwise, I had no problem finding my way around by KIX trains allover %26amp; hired taxi to remote mountain tops %26amp; having the traditional Korean mountain feast.
Have fun.
Medic_5,
You are a saviour! Thank you so much for replying to my post.
Plse excuse me for my long winded questions below...
Is it your 1st time to Seoul?
Are you on free %26amp; easy as well?
Can you recommand hotels which are convenient if the main places I intend to visit are Dongdaemun, Namdaemun Market %26amp; Myeong Dong Shopping?
Are there any other plcs you are visiting in Korea?
Plse continue to share your experiences in Seoul... Eagerly anticipating yr reply =)
amazinga
I am glad you had a good trip. Perhaps you can share your experience on going about in Seoul, which may help Medic_5 who is now in Seoul. I heard there are Silver %26amp; black cabs in Seoul. Perhaps one cab company%26#39;s driver maybe better than the other?
In fact, my concern is finding the way around Seoul to those shopping areas. Can you recommand any places that sells nice clothes, cosmetics %26amp; skincares products as well as good food / snacks?
Appreciate your kind suggestions...
does free and easy mean not on an organised tour?
if so, you%26#39;ll be ok if you learn a few phrases in Korean and remember to watch for taxis with ';free interpretation'; on them (most of them have this in Seoul).
Phrases I%26#39;d learn are
';_____ -e kajuice eh oh'; (please take me to ______)
';Hwa chang shil oddy eh oh'; (where is the bathroom)
'; kam sa ham knee da'; (thank you';
';mek joo chew say oh'; (please bring me a beer)
Works find for me!
(and if you spot where you want to get out of the cab: ';yoggi so se wo joo say oh';- (please stop here)
on cabs: mobun taxis are big and usually black. Dearer than normal taxis, usually silver. Not different companies.
Stay in Ibis Myeongdond.
Take the subway; the ticket guy will have enough English and its very easy.
Namdaemun is close to Ibis- easy walk, or go to Hohyeon subway stop)
Delux taxi are black and they can speak english a bit better than the Silver taxi which is cheaper. Just carry the hotel card with you but be prepare if they just zoom off once they realize that you are not local. Nothing to it, just find another taxi...
For shopping around, you can just take the taxi as most places you want to go shopping are reachable by taxi, its just the sightseeing places that is a bit far but still reachable.
Myeondong Station (line 4... exit 7 )
Myeondong (clothing, eats, makeup, coffee shop)there is one Migilore shopping center and if you walk further you will see YOung Plaza Lotte for cloths ( a bit more expensive but quality is there). This is where you will want to go to... some of the sales staff can speak mandarin and japanese.
Dongdaemun Stadium Stn ( line 2/4/5 exit 1)
Doota shopping center.. here you can shop the whole night away.
Ehwa woman Univ Stn line 2 exit 1,2,3,4) many individual shops there and i think you can spend the whole there there if you like to walk from one end to the other. Many clothings for young people, coffee shops, a couple of bar and Clubs at night. and if you like to eat along the street, you will find many there.
If you are on budget then you can consider guesthouse along Myeondong about USD40per night with bathroom and reachable by the Airport bus.
Hotels would be
Prince Hotel
Sejong Hotel
Savoy Hotel
Seoul Royal
HAN SUITES Serviced Residence
I mean most places are reachable by Subway... its cheaper about 2,000 won to 3,000 won. But if you have like 4 people, then a cab would be cheaper if distance is not too far.
Medic_5,
I hope you can have a good trip in Seoul after viewing information by kind souls like amazing, ethelman2 %26amp; blossomblossom.
ethelman2 ,
Yes, you are rite free %26amp; easy = planning our own itinerary, no tour guide. Im certain those few phrases in Korean will be very useful when I am in Seoul. Any idea if bargaining is allowed in Seoul just like Bangkok where people bargain with shop owners to reduce their price? Can be kind enough to teach me a few phrases if its practice in Seoul =)
blossomblossom.,
I think I will shop till I drop.
Btw, I heard that Namdaemun is more of ';household'; and accessories type market. Majority of the sellers will close shop starting around 9pm in Namdaemun and won%26#39;t open until past midnight or 1. It%26#39;s known mainly for selling foodstuffs, dishware, eyeware...and has a large wholesale costume jewelry section (but will usually only sell to retailers). Will you agree?
Are the shops in Dongdaemun operating the same hours as at Namdaemun? What are the operating hours like for the shops?
In your opinion is Myeondong a better place for shopping %26amp; eating? Any places you will recommend for spa / massages in Seoul? I may consider sightseeing if time permits (or if my legs still allow me to continue walking after all the shopping)鈥?which places are good?
I am so grateful to your for sharing the knowledge =)
You are kind of right about Namdaemun, but still a lot of tourist will go there.
In Dongdaemun, you can find shops like Doota closing at 5am. they are open from 11am onward. Lots of eatery too on the side but you have to walk. SHould keep you busy. Don%26#39;t forget to walk along 觳硠觳?(cheongyecheon)...http://cheonggye.seoul.go.kr/ click english, romantic and nice at night and if you like walking, just walk along the banks....
myeondong is good but they close at about 11pm so after that you can move on to dongdaemun by taxi if you are lazy... just say DOOTA at dongdaemun.
this two should keep you buys, there are others outside the city but it would be too far for you.
keep a day for Ehwa... just walk, boots or runners are good. after a hard day walk, just go to coffee shop and rest and refresh... i think local coffee shop are better, some offer you coffee and cake at 9,000won. The reason being they have nice big sofa you can plop yourself instead of those wooden chairs. Ehwa is really hip and university students like to go there and you will find some pieces that are not available elsewhere. There is also one miglore shopping center there.
Why not try 彀滌氚?( Jimjjilbang ), the one in myeondong with Starbuck outside have a spa inside with Jimjjilbang facility. Another one is next to Sejong Hotel.
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