Travel to Korea. . . .

A common "Q&A" in South Korea/overseas travel-vomiting blood recommendation

I set foot on a trip to South Korea in March 29. I have done a lot of homework in advance, read a lot of predecessors' raiders, and combined with my own personal experience, I wrote the following complete raiders in the form of "question and answer" to share with you. The following statement is just a family statement, which cannot be guaranteed to be correct, but at least it won't be too wrong.

Helping others is the foundation of happiness. I just hope it will help you in your future trips to Korea or other countries.

1. Why Korea?

There are few countries with China passports that can be exempted from visas, only a few countries that generally don't want to go. It is easiest to apply for a visa from several neighboring countries. Singapore, Thailand, etc. have all been there, and it's almost Korea's turn.

during the financial crisis, the Korean won depreciated a lot, from about 1:133 a year ago (that is, 1 yuan's RMB can be exchanged for 133 won) to 1:225 in March. Of course, we should go shopping. However, at the end of March and the beginning of April, the current exchange rate is about 1: 19, which is not very cost-effective.

LP likes watching Korean dramas best. Take her out for a look, hoping to show her the reality in South Korea. The moon in South Korea is as round as that in China, so don't be so obsessed with Korean dramas in the future.

2. Do you choose to join a group, run your own products, or arrange all the trips yourself?

this question is actually very simple, suitable for everyone, and their advantages and disadvantages are also very clear.

group tour: the itinerary is not free, you have to get up early in the morning and have shopping/self-funded programs. But with an excellent tour guide, you can deepen your understanding of other countries' culture/history/origins everywhere. And if you have a bad sense of direction, the function of following the map is not strong, and the language is not fluent, it is even more recommended to choose to join the group.

free travel products: if you order holiday products directly on the website, the price may be more affordable and worry-free, because you usually provide one-stop services such as picking up the plane (of course, you have to pay extra).

But the problem also comes. First of all, the time of the plane. If it is a cheap free travel product, there are often many red-eye flights, either in the middle of the night or at three or four in the morning. I sat once, and I was scared. That makes you very tired, or makes you waste a night's accommodation;

the second is the level of accommodation. if you want to have a more affordable choice, it is very difficult. if you want a hotel with a good location and low price, it is also very difficult. Of course, if you are going to go abroad for a trip to FB, or if you are traveling with the elderly, it is good to choose a one-stop holiday product directly. The pick-up will help you arrange it, so you don't have to think about how to get to the hotel after you get off the plane.

self-arrangement: I don't know if this way should be called a donkey friend, but what is certain is that this way is very tiring, and from a certain point of view, it is also very fulfilling, and you can have a deeper understanding before you set foot in that country or city to a great extent.

In terms of transportation, you should consider how to get from your city to the nearest airport. How to get to the hotel after coming down from another country's airport (it is not a business trip, so it is naturally impossible to take a taxi everywhere); Then how to arrange from the hotel to different scenic spots every day? Because you are moving, the route you take to the scenic spot in the morning is different from the route you come back from another scenic spot in the afternoon or evening.

from the hotel's point of view, you should roughly arrange your daily itinerary in advance, and then find a hotel with a suitable location/price according to your itinerary. Hotel prices must not be high, but the location is definitely better, which will save you a lot of transportation expenses. As for how to find and balance, it will be nerve-racking.

As far as scenic spots are concerned, there is no travel agency to help you arrange them, so you have to look at many other people's strategies in advance and choose scenic spots according to your own interests. Then, according to the situation in Korea, some scenic spots are closed on Monday, while others are closed on Tuesday, so you should stagger the rest time. Otherwise, when you walk along a pile of road signs that you can't read in Korean, ask several Koreans who can't understand English and Chinese, and finally find the scenic spot you want to visit, it's really miserable to find that it's just the time to repair the museum.

3. What else should the tourism budget include?

Of course, the round-trip transportation and accommodation will be counted by everyone.

the visa fee must be counted, and it is several hundred for two people, and thousands for some countries.

the cost from the residence in the city to the airport. For example, if I leave from Suzhou, I will take the airport bus from Suzhou to Shanghai Pudong Airport, which is 84 per person one way, or 168 if there are two people. You have to sit when you come back, so you have to calculate the round-trip price.

the cost from Incheon airport to the hotel. Usually you have to take the airport bus and then transfer to the subway. This is also a round-trip price.

Transportation expenses in Seoul: mainly by subway and bus. The cost is relatively high if you take a taxi. If you go to Jeju, you can only charter a car, and the cost is not small.

the cost of three meals a day in Seoul.

the cost of tourist attractions. Lotte World is more expensive, but other palaces and the like are ok.

the cost of shopping, which is definitely a big part of the big head.

4. Visa

The visa-free treatment of China passport is basically not available, and you have to apply for a visa before going to most countries in the world. Everyone knows this.

Sometimes, you will encounter a situation, which is a special ticket, but you need to issue the ticket early, and your visa has not been signed yet. At this time, I suggest you never issue the ticket first. No matter what you order, it is safest until the visa is done. My family had a special ticket, but it was refused by the embassy. Oh, my gosh. The refusal rate of some tourist countries in Southeast Asia is very low, but even so, it's best to wait until the visa is ready before booking the itinerary.

I booked a Korean visa for ctrip, 38 for one person, plus express fee. Compared with other travel agencies and travel networks, if I don't know anyone, the price is still acceptable.

Generally, the earlier you book a plane ticket, the better you can get a discount, so you should get a visa earlier.

Speaking of visas, by the way, in order to attract tourists, China passports are exempt from visa fees to Thailand from April to June, but visas are unavoidable. Those who want to go to Thailand can consider it. The visa is valid for three months. You can get it in April-June and then go there within three months. I have been to Phuket, Thailand, and it felt good and cheap at that time, which is worth recommending. At that time, Thailand rioted on the third day after returning, and Phuket International Airport was completely closed. I'm glad

5. which websites can generally book holiday products or air tickets?

recommendation 1: Ctrip. com, overall, the cost performance is good.

recommendation 2: travel search engine, two big majors, is also famous. One is "Cool News", www.kuxun.cn; One is "Where to", www.qunar.com. One of the characteristics of these two companies is that they can help you compare prices and then provide you with links. Finally, you will connect to the corresponding websites according to the price you choose, such as Ctrip, eLong, Taobao, Air China and so on.

everyone should make more comparisons before making a choice.

6. How do I know the round-trip airfare in 5 yuan?

There are many travel websites/travel agencies in travel search engine now. I believe you also know that if the price of their air tickets is 5 yuan, it is not the total cost of round-trip air tickets, because there is no tax included. The cheapest round-trip price including tax from Shanghai to Incheon is less than 2.

the cheapest price is not necessarily the most suitable. For example, before I saw that the round-trip ticket from Shanghai Pudong to Incheon at 8: in the morning was only 46 and I didn't know 6, but I finally chose the OZ Asiana flight to Incheon at 12 noon, and the price was 9. Why? Generally, it's best to check in two hours in advance for international flights. If I buy the cheapest ticket, it means that I have to arrive at Pudong Airport at 6 o'clock, and I live in Suzhou. Then I don't have to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning and charter a car to Pudong, which will cost me a lot.

By the way, let's get to know low-cost airlines, such as Air Asia/ Tiger Airlines (these two are from Asia, and some famous low-cost airlines in the world can check online). Sometimes, air tickets from yuan /1 yuan will appear, and even at a normal level, there will be a round-trip price of 25 from Hangzhou to Kuala Lumpur. In fact, Spring Airlines in China is also a low-cost airline, but it is not yet mature and clean. These airlines are generally not available on travel search engine. Of course, there is a price to pay for being cheap:

First of all, boarding airports generally do not choose first-tier cities or first-tier airports. For example, Air Asia does not have boarding gates at the two major airports in Shanghai, but Hangzhou Airport does, because it saves you the first-tier airport construction tax. So if you stay in Shanghai or Suzhou, you have to fly to Hangzhou airport, and you have to pay your own fare.

actually, the instructions of the boarding gate are not particularly clear, because boarding gates of other airlines are usually borrowed. Don't complain, it will also help you save money.

also, the weight of luggage checked for free is very low, or some luggage can't be checked for free at all. If you need to entrust it, you have to pay extra.

At the same time, the aircraft model is generally older, the seats are crowded, and the dining restrictions are more.

7. what else should I pay attention to when booking air tickets?

as we all know, the earlier you book a plane ticket, the better you can get a discount. The premise is that your itinerary should be confirmed and you should look at the latest ticket issue date. If you see a good discount price, you can make a reservation first, but no ticket will be issued. Before the latest ticket issue date, you still have time to search other websites to see if there will be lower prices.

Be sure to issue the ticket after the visa is confirmed.

There are three major aviation alliances in the world: Star Alliance, SkyTeam and OneWorld. I am a member of Starry Sky and Universal respectively. Mileage accumulation can be exchanged for air tickets. If I use a Star card and generally choose a flight, I will give priority to the member airlines of Star Alliance. This time I booked Asiana Airlines (a member of Star Alliance). One person from Shanghai to Incheon Airport is about 2,2 (including tax).

when to choose the plane. Take my last time as an example, everyone thinks differently, for reference only: I leave from Shanghai to Incheon at OZ362 at 12: 5 noon and arrive in Incheon at 3: pm (3: is Korean time, one hour earlier than us), so that I have enough time to get to the airport in the morning, and after arriving in Incheon in the afternoon, I have enough time to go from Incheon to Myeong-dong in downtown Seoul (about 1 to 1.5 hours), and I still have enough time to go shopping at night. From Incheon to Shanghai is OZ365, leaving at 14: 1 pm (local time) and arriving in Shanghai at 15: 1 pm (Beijing time). In this way, you can play in Korea for half a day, return to Shanghai in the afternoon, get your luggage, and immediately catch the airport bus back to Suzhou half an hour later. It's not too late to go back to Suzhou for dinner, and it won't affect the next day.

8. Is it worthwhile to rent a mobile phone?

after going out several times, I found that if I just travel abroad for a few days (whether in Europe, Southeast Asia or South Korea), there is no need to rent it, so I can just use a public phone. Save worry and money. Pay as much as you want.

long-term residence is another matter.

9. what should I pay attention to when booking a hotel?

Hotel reservation depends on the convenience of transportation from the airport, shopping area and scenic spots you have arranged.

Accommodation in Seoul has always been very expensive, and I don't want to spend money on hotels. So I booked Myeong Dong Guest House, one of the three most popular affordable accommodations in Seoul. Double suite with private bathroom. The biggest feature is that it is really, really close to the subway station, and it's only a minute's walk from Exit 1 of Myeongdong subway station. I like to go shopping in Myeongdong, eat mainstream Korean food restaurants, buy brand-name products in duty-free shops, and visit the surrounding attractions … this kind of tourists with the main purpose is most suitable.

3,-4, won per day for a double, or 15-2 won per night when converted into RMB. Such a price is rare in such a good location as Myeongdong.

1. how to choose the travel itinerary? What websites are available for reference? /

Of course, the scenic spots located near each other should be arranged to play together. Make up a day's trip.

For the travel itinerary, please refer to the recommended itinerary in the destination guide of Ctrip. com or the website of Korea Tourism Board, which has featured travel itineraries and various theme tours (wonderful nightlife tour, Korean drama location tour, cultural experience tour, ski resort tour, etc.).

Grand recommendation: The website of Korea Tourism Board is recommended in this way, and I think it is correct.

You can download video teaching in Korean online. There are also common sentences for different contexts on the website of Korea Tourism Board. Http://Chinese. visitkorea.or.kr/CHS/cu/cu _ chg _ 3 _ 2 _ 1.jsp

12. Currency exchange

You must choose the most favorable one. It is recommended to travel after the domestic banks exchange it. It is much more cost-effective than in Korean airports, Korean domestic banks and exchange booths. Remember, remember.

the first point is the general principle, and I have encountered an exception myself. Because the exchange rate had been rising at that time. I changed the time at home at 1:2(1 yuan RMB changed to 2 won), and when I arrived in South Korea, I found it changed to 1:26 on the first day, and then it was better to change it to 1:227. But it seems to be around 1:19 in early April.

if you are only traveling for a few days, it is recommended that you don't exchange too much money, and 1-15RMB is definitely enough (excluding accommodation). Because you can swipe your card when you shop in duty-free shops in Korea, there is a discount on swiping your card. If you exchange too much in advance and don't use it, it won't be worthwhile to exchange it back in China.

I thought it was ok to exchange money with the four major banks. After asking everyone, it was discovered that basically only the Bank of China has a relatively unpopular currency against the Korean won. Other banks only exchange euros, dollars, pounds and other most commonly used ones. So don't go wrong. And it's only open from Monday to Friday.

at the same time, if you only exchange one or two thousand RMB, you don't need to make an appointment. If you want to change large amounts, you have to make an appointment in advance. Just take your ID card with you when you go, and you don't need to bring your passport.

Tourism in South Korea is hot recently, so it may be difficult to exchange money at home.

13. what are the local brands of cosmetics in Korea? Where can I get it?

the face shop/skinfood/donna xian. More cost-effective.

the face shop has the most chain stores, which are found in Nandamen Market, Myeongdong and many other places.

it is more concentrated in myeongdong shopping area and lotte duty-free shop.

I wonder if it's won.