Are You Planning to Travel to South Korea? Then Read This First
South Korea is becoming to be one of the favorite places of Pinoy tourists. In fact, it would not be a surprise to encounter groups of Pinoys in major tourist areas, specially during long holidays in the Philippines. Even some shop owners in places like Myeongdong and Namdaemun can already speak Tagalog!
If you haven’t been to South Korea and plan to explore that land of Oppas and Eunnies (mga kuya and ate), then you should read these some simple tips that can improve or save your precious travel.
VISA
You most probably already know that South Korea requires visas from Filipino passport holders. And it would take sometime to get hold of one. But what would probably surprise you is that you may need one to two months for the visa processing. Yup, don’t buy your ticket yet. Call up the Korean embassy-accredited travel agencies where you submit your visa application and ask how long it would take them to have your visa released. Many Pinoys have been forced to cancel or reschedule their travel to South Korea when they received that bad news. Here’s an article on that Korean visa conundrum.
If you fail getting your visa on time, you might miss seasonal events like the cherry blossom season that you really want to witness.
At the Airport
Most Pinoy tourists land in Incheon Airport, which is the gateway to Seoul. The other option is Busan which is in the southern part of the country.
First off, Incheon Airport is about one hour away from Seoul (think of Clark Airport in the Philippines).
When you get off the plane, just go with the flow. There will be a lot of walking, riding the walkalator, escalators and then a train. It may seem daunting because Incheon Airport is a huge facility, but you will not get lost as signs in English and barriers to no-entry zones are everywhere.
You may want to exchange a few dollars to Korean Won, rent an Egg or wifi device near the exit doors, or buy a 5-day SIM card (would probably cost you Php1k to Php1.5k)
Getting Out of the Airport
There are various ways to get out of Incheon Airport to Seoul City. Fast train (AREX), regular train, bus, and taxi. Let’s leave out booked vehicles to those who are more online-savvy and they just have to meet their driver.
If you’re taking the late afternoon flight of Air Asia or Cebu Pacific, you will land at Incheon Airport very late at night. That would mean that the trains are out of the equation as the last train would have departed before you got your luggage from the conveyor belt. There might still be an airport bus for your destination, but that’s a big MIGHT. Of course, the chance goes down to zero if your flight is delayed. Another option is the late night bus with very few stops and headed straight towards Seoul Station or Gangnam. From there, you can grab a taxi to your hotel. Check the link here. But unless you’re trying to save every peso you can, I would not recommend this option, specially if you have between 4-6 people in your group. The cost between this option and getting a taxi/jumbo taxi will not burn your pocket and give you a more relaxed travel (unless your hotel is located so near the station and you can practically walk from there).
So one of the few choices to reach Seoul from the airport and straight to your hotel at an unholy hour is by taxi. You might be a little surprised and blurt out, “just like in the Philippines!” when some folks would approach you inside the airport, offering taxi service. Don’t. Just go to the taxi lane outside and wait for your ride. Here’s a trick if you have a large group or number of luggage: If you don’t exceed 6 persons in your group, look for the jumbo taxi. It’s more of a starex van with raised roof and have a good space for lots of luggage. There’s also a waiting area for the jumbo. You will save lots of money by not getting two taxis.
If you get out of the airport before 10:00 P.M., you have all the travel options to Seoul. The fastest is AREX train, the seats are comfortable and travel time is only about 30 minutes to its destination, Seoul Station. The cheapest is the regular train that stops at various points and ends in Seoul Station. Travel time is about one hour. From Seoul Station, you may have to line up for a taxi to reach your hotel. The train stations are located at the building just across the airport terminal. For some sightseeing on the side, I suggest you go up one level, and take the bridge across the street. Hint: there’s a glass floor somewhere near the exit door where you can stop for some photos. Not epic, but good enough travel photo souvenir.
Another comfortable option, which I prefer, is the airport bus that services various routes to Seoul City. You have to do some research and find out if your hotel would be near an airport bus waiting area. This is a bit different from the late night bus that travels almost straight to the end terminals in either Seoul Station or Gangnam. If you get one that is only 2-5 minutes walk between the drop-off and your hotel, it will save you lots of heartaches - the ones that force you to walk up and down many stairs, lug your bag over long distances, and blame your travel companion for booking you to the wrong hotel. There are tour and travel agency buses that also service various routes and you can purchase your tickets online. Look at this klook example. I haven’t tried it, but I guess it would also be very comfortable.
How much do they cost?
These are rough estimates as I never bothered to take note (because, I never thought I would be writing this blog).
Booked Vehicle - Between Php4-5 thousand pesos. Usually on the cheaper side, specially if they offer discounts.
Taxi - Between Php4-5 thousand (80k-100k Won), depending on your location in Seoul. They usually add a few thousand Won on the meter for the highway toll fee. Almost the same if you took a jumbo taxi.
Airport Bus - Some would recommend that you buy a bus ticket inside the airport. I did that a couple of times, until I realized it’s not necessary and it actually cost more by 1k Won (that’s php50). So just find out what bus number services your route, look for its stop anywhere just outside the airport doors, wait in line, then pay in cash. In my route, the fare is 15k Won or Php750.
Regular Train - That would be 4k Won or Php200
Fast Train - I think 9k Won or Php450. Here’s a cheaper way!
Oh, I have to keep moving. Later, I will write another blog on getting around in Seoul, dining, places to visit, etc. Watch out for it! Kindly let me know in the comments if I’m doing a good or a meehh job. Inputs to improve are very much welcome!
