How much budget do I need to travel S.Korea(including flight and hotel)?

Question

I am travelling on my own for the first time,so i don't really know how much i need.Any suggestion for newbie~_~ traveller?

Answer 1

The cost of the flight will depend on where you are departing from.  If you're on a budget then I would recommend a hostel over a hotel.  They're a lot cheaper and they give you the opportunity to chat, and possibly make friends, with other guests.  If you book your reservation directly with the hostel it will probably be cheaper than booking it through a website.  The hostel I stayed at in May didn't even require a deposit to reserve the room.  I find hostels are more fun because the guests tend to be more seasoned travellers and have a lot of interesting stories to tell.  My roommate and I were invited out for drinks with the hostel staff and some of the guests when I went in May on our first night in Seoul.  Two nights later we had another party for the Japanese guests because they were going home.  It made the trip so much more fun to have that welcoming feeling from among the staff and other guests.

Answer 2

The exhange rate is usually about 1000won to 1.00US dollar so if you calculate it like it's 1.00 with an extra digit after the dollar amount it makes it easier.  Example, McDonald's value meal, 5.00 or 5,000won. If that makes sense to you, then the prices are about the same as you might expect in the US or Canada based on how well the economy is for the day.  In your case this is a good thing since Canadian money is worth just a little bit more than American- just in the past few years the Korean economy has grown considerably so people that were there a few years ago might tell you that things are really cheap- while somethings still are, most are roughly the same.  Depending on how nice a flight you want (as in seat) you can expect to pay at least $1,000 for your ticket, I saw them up to several thousand when I went there. Hotels also vary greatly, I'd anticipate at least $60-100 a night depending on size, quality and area.  They speak English in most modern areas and with all of the Americans their with the military it's not uncommon to find areas that cater to this lifestyle and things seem to run a little more expensive, though some items are dirt cheap, like purses and blankets since American military living there buy so many all the time.  To be on the safe side, I'd look for tickets and just guessing say easily $1,500-2,000 for plane, $100 per night and anywhere from $5.00 to $20 per meal unless you plan on living on fast food the whole time you are there.  The subway is usually only a few dollars depending on how far you travel ($2-5).  There is also a train that travels from the Seoul area down to the bottom of the country and I think it was about $40 for seats (you can stand for less).  That is the bullet train that only has a few pick up and drop of spots which makes the trip a lot faster. Taxis can get expensive, usually picking up some Korean greetings will help since it seems like a lot of the taxi drivers don't speak English unless near an American military base-the rates are comparable to western prices.  I don't know how long your trip is or where you are going or I'd try to give you more info, I hope this helps.  If you can afford it I'd plan on at least $3-4,000 for standard traveling and tourist type activity.  You should have a lot of fun, it's a great country to just walk around, either in Seoul or other big cities or hiking in the mountains or just outside cities at many really old structures, walls and monuments.

Just a tip, the flight is long so if you can upgrade to bigger seats or sit in the front row of your section you'll get more leg room.  I get ansty sitting for a long time so I liked the ailse so I could get up and walk around a lot but if you don't want to get up for people a lot you might want to consider a window seat or the middle of the aisle.  You will likely have to close your window for the majority of the flight as most people sleep and with the time change it helps your body get ready to be on the complete opposite schedule.  Have fun and don't be afraid to get on a subway and check things out. I never had any crime issues but you always want to make sure you are not an easy target, as a tourist in any country criminals like to target tourists (again, never had any problems with this).  Have fun and make sure to take a good camera with a lot of memory, you'll want to take a lot of pictures.