I am travelling alone to S.Korea for the first time...?

Question

This is my first time travelling alone and i am travelling to South Korea...any suggestions on booking hotels (should i book from online or once i get there?) , finding travel mate, how long should i stay there...etc.

Answer 1

If you had to stay in a hotel, I would suggest you to book online; however, I strongly recommend you to stay in Korean style guest houses. They are much cheaper than hotels and you can easily find other travel mates there.

http://www.seoul110.com/

http://www.seoulbackpackers.com/

Lone Wolf's answer is not correct. South Korea is generally very safe so if you have a common sense, you won't get any trouble.

A week in Seoul(and the suburbs) and a week in smaller towns/countrysides would be good. If you are not on a tight budget travel, visit Jeju Island 'cause it's gorgeous.

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html

Answer 2

I wouldn't stay in a hotel. Try to find a host family instead. Even though they might be a little bit more expensive, chances are you'll get better meals and it'll be cleaner. Also, try to avoid riding 개인 taxis because those aren't as safe as ones from companies. I would say that the subway or the bus are the safest bets. The bus routes can be a lot more complicated and it's not as comfortable as the subway and the subway is a lot cheaper but you're not always guaranteed a seat. Just make sure you keep your wallet in your front pocket, because just like America, there is an occasional pick pocketer. They usually go for subways because there's tons of people on them and nobody notices if you bump into them a little.

Answer 3

Hotels can be so impersonal.  Go with a hostel instead.  They're much cheaper and you can sometimes book directly through e-mail with the hostel without putting down a credit card deposit.  I find it's much easier to meet people and make new friends when I stay at hostels over hotels.

I've stayed a week in Seoul each time I've gone to South Korea (3 times).  How long you stay will depend on what you want to do and how much money you will have to do it with.  Try lookng at http://www.tour2korea.co.kr/.  There are a lot of suggestions for what you can do in Korea there.  If you are only going to Seoul, go to City Hall your first day.  The tourist information center (TIC) is there and has lots of brochures, pamphlets, maps, and such.  You can also use the internet for free for two hours.  

BTW, Seoul was the first city I traveled to alone and I had no problems other than finding an ATM that would take my Chinese issued visa card.  Their ATM machines only use four digit pin numbers and my card was six digits.  If you have that problem with your card look for a Standard Chartered Bank.  They can do four and six digit cards on their machines.  The Kyobo Building on the Gwanghwamun subway stop has a Standard Chartered on the first floor.

Answer 4

Book it online you should stay for like a week and bring me back something:)