Discussion · VoyageForum

VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-05-01

Insadong is a good idea. It's very well connected and close to the entire historic area. But it’s pretty touristy.

Seoul Station is mainly used for long-distance trains like the KTX. It’s more of a transit hub.

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Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-05-02

Insadong is a good idea. It's very well connected and close to the entire historic area.

Thanks! I’ll stick with this neighborhood then.

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

Erjome Globetrotter ·2026-05-02

Hi Marie,

Insadong is well located for sightseeing, and I really like this neighborhood. Myeongdong is lively with lots of shops, and I split my time between these two areas.

"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit" "Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"

Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-05-03

Insadong is well located and I really like this neighborhood. Myeongdong is lively and I split my time between these two neighborhoods.

Hi there,

Indeed, after searching online, these two neighborhoods keep coming up. I might stay in one at the beginning of my trip and the other at the end.

Does Hongdae come up often too?

Otherwise, is it easy to get around Seoul by subway (payment, signage, use of English, etc.)? I imagine the subway is more convenient than urban buses?

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

Erjome Globetrotter ·2026-05-03

Hello,

You pay with the T-money card—it’s super convenient. Hongdae is popular with young Seoulites, with lots of shops and a great nightlife if you're a night owl. Street food, cool bars, and clubs are what this neighborhood is known for.

"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit" "Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"

Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-05-03

Hongdae if you're a night owl. Street food, cool bars, and clubs make this neighborhood famous.

Thanks, I’ll stick with the two neighborhoods I mentioned earlier....

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-05-03

Watch out for Myeongdong.....it's a neighborhood where locals rarely go—it's mostly for tourists, and the street food costs double what it does elsewhere.

Right now, the neighborhoods Seoulites love for food are Euljiro, HBC (especially around Sinheung Market), and Mangwon.

Hongdae and Myeongdong are neighborhoods often recommended for tourists. Koreans rarely set foot there unless they have errands to run. Instead, they head to Sangsu (don’t confuse it with Seongsu, which has become the kingdom of pop-up stores), Hapjeong, HBC (around Sinheung Market), Yeonnam-dong along the Gyeongui Forest Line, or Mullae.

If your goal is to explore Seoul and especially its monuments, stay in Insadong. You’ll even be close to hidden-gem neighborhoods like Seochon, Seongbuk, and Hyewha... There’s Bukchon too, of course, but you’ve got to love being swept up in crowds and following guides with colorful umbrellas—there’s even a 5 PM curfew in Bukchon now because it’s become so unbearable.

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VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-05-03

Buses are also really handy in Seoul, and at least you get to see the city. I recommend downloading KakaoMap and Naver Map. They give you real-time best routes (bus, subway, etc.), guide you along the way... in short, they're the best. You can also check out restaurants and cafés with user ratings. Koreans don’t use Google, so it won’t be updated. You’ll need to use their apps—Naver Map and KakaoMap, specifically.

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Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-05-03

Watch out for Myeongdong..... it's mostly for tourists and the street food there costs double what you'd pay elsewhere.

Right now, the neighborhoods popular with Seoulites for food are Euljiro, HBC (especially around Sinheung Market), and Mangwon.

If your goal is to explore Seoul and especially the monuments, you should stay in Insadong.

Thanks so much for all these details, especially about restaurant prices—something we don’t know about when we first arrive as tourists.

Since I need to stay in Seoul at the beginning and end of my trip, I might choose a touristy and convenient neighborhood for sightseeing and then a less tourist-heavy area later.

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-05-03

Koreans don’t use Google, so it won’t be updated. You’ll need to use their apps—Naver Map and Kakao Map specifically.

Thanks so much for all this info!

I’d read conflicting reports about Google Maps—some saying you couldn’t use it in South Korea, others saying the opposite.

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

Erjome Globetrotter ·2026-05-03

Google Maps is only working partially right now, but that should change soon 🤷‍♂️ Only public transport routes are showing up.

South Korea resigns itself to revealing itself on Google Maps

I have to admit, I can’t figure out how to use Kakao Map. But Naver Map is great 👍

To plan your trip, you can also use:

Rome2Rio: discover how to get anywhere in the world

"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit" "Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"

VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-05-03

Kakao Map tends to prefer destinations written in Korean. It can be a fun little exercise.

Quick tip for buses: stop names are often given in Korean... which is why it's useful to follow your route on apps with geolocation to know when to press the stop button.

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Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-06-10

Hi there,

Outside of Seoul, is it easy to exchange euros? Otherwise, I’ll exchange everything in Seoul.

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-06-10

Hi there,

Personally, I’ve never exchanged euros for won because Koreans mostly pay by card, and I use Revolut to minimize fees. The only time I need to withdraw won is to top up the T-Money transport card. By the way, Seoul just released a city pass, but I’ll admit I’m not sure if it’s worth it or not.

Local travel agencies used to recommend exchanging money directly at the airport. I think that’s still good advice since I’ve never seen a currency exchange office outside of Seoul.

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Erjome Globetrotter ·2026-06-10

Hi Marie,

Leaving soon?

Since I don’t have any bank fees with my card, I pay for almost everything that way. Except for some parking lots where foreign cards sometimes don’t work. For cash, you can make withdrawals or, of course, exchange money in Seoul. I don’t remember seeing many exchange offices. Some hotels do it, but the rates are rarely good.

You can also check with this exchange office in Paris—they send it in a discreet envelope very quickly.

Travel is Change

"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit" "Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"

Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-06-10

Hi there,

Yes, the departure is coming up (July 4th), and for now I’ve booked eight full days in Seoul—I’ll see how it goes after that...

Since I’m traveling for nearly two months, I’m bringing euros to exchange, just in case I run into any issues with my bank card.

I wasn’t aware of that exchange bureau in Paris—thanks! !

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-06-10

Seoul just released a city pass, but I’ll admit I’m not sure if it’s worth it or not.

Local travel agencies advised exchanging money directly at the airport. I think that’s a tip worth following

Hello,

Yes, I was planning to exchange quite a bit of money at the airport, especially since—contrary to popular belief—in some airports the exchange rate is better than in the city (I noticed this in February in Tunis), or there’s little difference. At least that way, I’ll be set.

For passes, I’ve read that there’s also the Wowpass, which works both as a T-Money card and as a rechargeable payment card. It lets you pay at stores that don’t accept foreign cards.

There’s also the ClimateCard, which is an unlimited transport card valid only in Seoul and allows you to use the subway and city buses.

I’ll need to compare the prices and benefits of all these cards.

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-06-10

Yes, be careful with the Climate Card—it doesn’t cover some metro lines that are operated by special companies.

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Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-06-11

Watch out for the Climate Card, which doesn’t cover some subway lines

Thanks for this info—it wasn’t mentioned on the site where they present this card as being more budget-friendly than the T-Money.

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·2026-06-11

Yes, since all the subway lines have names instead of numbers, the climate card doesn’t cover them. For example: the Shinbundang Line you’ll find in the Gangnam district.

The T-Money card works everywhere in the country too, so you can use it to take the bus in the provinces, for example.

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Sinforosa Veteran ·2026-06-14

Hi there,

I downloaded the Naver Maps and Kakao apps, but they’re not easy to decipher since almost everything is written in Korean. Too bad, because they list tons of restaurants, cafés, sites, etc... KakaoMetro is handy—it gives you the Seoul subway map.

Hopefully, it’ll make more sense once I’m there....

" Celui qui voyage sans rencontrer l'autre ne voyage pas , il se déplace " ( Alexandra David-Néel )

" Ahora todos quieren ser latinos , no , ey , pero les falta sazon , bateria y reggaeton " ( Bad Bunny )

Erjome Globetrotter ·2026-06-14

Hello Marie,

With Kakao, I couldn’t get it to work. Naver Map works fine, though. You can also download maps.me.

"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit" "Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"

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