Things you must know when traveling to Korea on your own

Pay

If you don’t want to carry too much cash, prepare a visa or master card. All supermarkets, department stores, and even taxis in Korea can pay by card. However, the Won exchange rate for card payments may be higher than when you exchange cash in Vietnam.

Another way to avoid carrying too much cash on a long trip is to withdraw money from ATMs, which are often located inside department stores. Of course, the Won exchange rate is also higher here.

Travel

The public transportation system in Korea is quite complicated. You can use Google Maps to find your way like in Vietnam. This application will give you detailed instructions on which bus or subway to take, and how to get to where you want to go.

However, for more convenience, you should use Naver Map – a popular route finding application in Korea. With this application, you will also get detailed directions for each option: Bus, subway, taxi or walking. The big plus of the application is that it reports the estimated price for each means of transport you intend to take at the time of searching.

Taxi fares in Korea are calculated based on travel time, not distance. In my personal experience, taxi drivers in Korea drive quite fast, without wasting time or trying to take detours. The estimated taxi fare on Naver Map is usually accurate or slightly higher than the actual fare.

The starting price for a taxi in Seoul is 4,800 Won (88,000 VND) and the price is usually 3-5 times higher than a taxi in Vietnam. If you want to save on travel costs, you should only call a taxi for short distances and in groups.

Train and bus fares are much cheaper, usually only about 1,200-1,500 Won (22,000 - 27,000 VND) for one trip. Children's fares are only half the adult fare. However, if you take the train or taxi, you have to walk quite a bit to get to the train/bus station and when changing trains/buses.

Bus rides are also often twice as long as taxi rides. To hail a taxi, you should install Kakao Taxi – a popular app in Korea.

Passengers who choose to take the bus should note that some routes in Seoul do not accept cash. Therefore, you need to download the T-money application, then add money (with a visa/master card) to pay. This application can pay for bus, subway and taxi fares. Some convenience stores even accept T-money payments.

When you get on the bus, you open the app, press the payment button and then put the back of your phone against the payment sensor on the column next to the driver's seat. Before getting off the bus, you do the same at the exit sensor column so that when you transfer to the next bus, you will not be charged a second time.

If you take the subway, you open the app, swipe the back of your phone against the sensor at the entrance and exit to automatically deduct money and open the door. In taxis, the T-money machine is usually located on the armrest between the two front seats.

You can also use this app by purchasing a physical card to swipe. The card usually costs 400 - 500 Won, and is sold at convenience stores at stations, airports and in the city.

If your trip does not require too much consideration of cost or there are elderly people or children, the best means of transport to choose is a taxi. Because the attractions in Korea require a lot of walking. You should save your energy so that the members of the group do not get too tired.

Eat and drink

Food costs in Korea are quite high. Street food stalls usually serve rice, mixed noodles, and grilled meat for 10,000 - 15,000 Won/person. More luxurious eateries with more meaty dishes will cost 20,000 - 30,000 Won/person.

Korean dishes do not have many fresh or raw vegetables. Mostly, vegetables will be pickled and served as side dishes. No matter what dish you eat, there will be 3-5 small side dishes brought out, included in the price of the main dish. You can eat these side dishes as much as you want, without any limits.

Hotel

Hotels in the city center usually cost around 1-2 million VND/night. Motels, guest houses or private homes will be cheaper. You can book a room through booking apps.

It is important to note that hotel check-in time in Korea is usually 3pm. Check-out time is 11am - 12pm.

Hotels usually allow guests to leave their luggage in the lobby until check-in time. Some hotels charge a fee for this. You should ask about this before leaving your luggage to avoid any disputes.

Language

Korea is a country with an aging population, so you will see many elderly people on the streets and elderly people working in stores, driving taxis, etc. However, elderly Koreans often cannot speak English.

Not all young and middle-aged people in Korean tourist spots speak English well. Prepare a language translation app in case of complicated situations.