Seoul info and brief travel guide

[hobbit]

I just spent a long weekend in Seoul - so here is some basic info for any of you who are planning a trip to se the Peace Cup games.

Arrive Incheon Airport.
There are many limosine buses into the centre of Seoul which takes about 90 minutes. Cost is less than 10,000 won (less than 5 quid)
Ask at any of the information desks - they are very helpful and will write down directions for you in Korean so that the driver can understand where you are headed.

Note - I found that there are not as many people who speak/undertsand english as I had expected so make good use of the airport info.

Accommodation
I went for the cheap options here. There are lots of them - but they can seem a bit sleazy compared to European places - and they are known locally as love motels.
I would guess I was almost the only guest who stayed overnight at a couple of places as most room can be booked by the hour - but do not be put off by this - as I said - they are nothing like European places.

1st night I stayed at the Tomgi Hotel, 134-2 Nagwon Dong
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/south-korea/seoul?poi=163006
It was an upmarket hotel compared to the other hotels/motels in the area but was very nicely placed for transport and sightseeing.
Free Internet access, mood lighting, wide-screen TV and a steam shower and a two-person whirlpool plus a state of the art bog with built in seat warmer.
This one cost me 70,000 won for the night = 38 quid.
They supply all the bathroom liquids/creams including condoms !!

Next night I moved into the next block and stayed 2 nights at jongno won.
http://www.jongnowon.com/
This was more of a back-packer style place and was squeezed in between the Soeul backpackers hostel and Guest House Korea (http://www.guesthouseinkorea.com).
This cost me 28000 won per night (15 quid) and was fine for my needs. Be aware that when they quote double rooms they may actually mean twin rooms with 2 single beds.

On my last night I went for another of the love motels - the Ritz
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/accommodation/destination/seoul?name=ritz
They charged me 50,000 won for the night = 30 quid
It was very comfortable and funny to stay in and located just behind the tomgi hotel i stayed in the 1st night. All silk sheets etc and wide screen TV etc etc - good quality and very clean. In all I would guess there are 20 motels/hotels/hostels in this small area and it is close to a tourist street/area called insadong and they are all very cheap.

Almost all of these motels have drive in entrances at the back (normally down alleyways). The drive-in section has bead curtains so that no-one can see who has stepped out of the car and with who !!

Travelling Around
The underground system is simple to use and has all places signposted in english. I think it cost me about 1000 won to travel from one side of the city to the other = 50p

Suwon
I never made it down to Suwon where Reading play their 1st match but it is only about 1 hour south from Seoul and I can imagine there are very regular rail connections down that way. It is a very old city - we would call it medieval style - with a large walled outside with guard houses and flags along the battlements. It sounds a great place to stay for a night and take a look around.

People
The people are very friendly. Obviously they know you are foreign and even thought they cannot speak english they will try and help you with whatever you want.

If I think of any other info I will post it later, otherwise I am sure there are a few Korean Seol fans who can add to this info.

PS - i was disappointed that I could not find a decent sports shop which sold Koren national team shirts. Found a few Liverpool/Chelsea/Man Utd ones but no Reading shirts.

[higher]

Great top tips thread for any hoops who are getting out to Seoul.I`ll have to make do with any streaming vids on tinternet(er indoors would never trust me near them lurve hotels)!

[Row Z Royal]

Derrr, it's Seol.

[Tinrib]

Derrr, it's Seol.

No, its Seoul.

But great info Hobbit , thanks.

[Huntley & Palmer]

So you pitched up in brothels for a few nights and didn't give us a price for the services available. Shocking

[Ooo Trevor Morley]

서울 is spelt Seo-ul. The romanisation of hangul under went a revamp a few years ago, in 2000. Certain spellings changed i.e. Pusan to Busan and Taegu to Daegu, along with the introduction of the "eo" as a replacement to the diacritical breved 'o' and 'u' that was being used, for instance in the word SÅ

[rotherwick_royal]

I just spent a long weekend in Seol

No wonder he wants to leave - fed up being shafted by the fans!

[gn1982]

I just spent a long weekend in Seol

No wonder he wants to leave - fed up being shafted by the fans!

[Row Z Royal]

Derrr, it's Seol.

No, its Seoul.

But great info Hobbit , thanks.

Whoosh

[hiro]

There is a direct coach from Inchon Airport to World Cup stadium in Seoul. I arrive Seoul on 11th, and I have a choice of Bolton game there, or Japanese style Motor Boat race http://www.motorboat-race.or.kr/english/index.html at east side of Seoul.

[Flyingkiwi]

So you pitched up in brothels for a few nights and didn't give us a price for the services available. Shocking

They're not brothels. They're hotels you go to, with a partner, for a quicky. You find the partner elsewhere.

That said, most hotels in Seoul seem to have nightclubs as part of them. I assume this is where one finds the potential partner. Last time I was there, some of the women coming out of the attached nightclub made the eyes buldge (and other bits).