My tips - Seoul
Suggested by Alessandra
- Best time to visit Korea: autumn (foliage - check Korea foliage calendar) and spring (cherry blossom season is end of March /beginning of April in Seoul). Summer is extremely hot and humid, also in the mountains. Monsoons season is especially in July.
- Don't forget to get a T-money card at the AREX train booth. The card is valid on each public transportation and taxi in Seoul and can be recharged in every convenient store and at the machines in the subway stations. Important: only cash
- Download the app Naver maps. In Korea Google maps shows the starting point and destination, but does not show the path. Naver works exactly like google and shows paths and public transportations. Also the Korail app is useful if you intend to move out of Seoul by train. Remark that if you input Seoul as the name of the station, it will show just the train leaving from Seoul Station, but in Seoul there are many more stations - like Yongsan. You need to input the name of the specific station.
- Wi-fi is available almost everywhere, but always better to get a sim for data at the airport. Booths are in the arrival hall.
- Don't forget to carry with you your destination written in Korean in case you want to take a taxi.
- Ask at one of the tourist kiosks not only for the map but for the little guidebook. It includes all the information district by district and makes your visit easier. Remember that Seoul is a city to experience more than to visit. Choose carefully where to go during the day and during the evening. For instance, don't go to districts like Itaewon or Gangnam during day time. They are night areas.
- Korea is credit card friendly everywhere. Cash is mainly used at the market and to re-charge the T-money. International ATMs allow the withdrawal by foreign credit cards.
- At the restaurants Koreans consider impolite to clean the table if you are still sitting there. They will clean just once you leave. Payments at the counter only.
- Visit of the royal palaces: in some seasons palaces are also open during the evening. They are more suggestive with night lights because, differently from the western palaces, these ones are empty and what is more interesting are the gardens. Check through the visitKorea website the schedules. Don't miss the evening tour of the Secret Garden to be booked in advanced online
