Questions about traveling in South Korea

13 days, about 8000-10000. I'm talking about RMB! For example, cold noodles are 40 yuan a piece, Coke is 8 yuan, orange juice is 15 yuan, which is very small, the subway is 9 yuan (these are Korean money minus two zeros, and they are usually calculated this way), the bus is about 6 yuan, and the Nanshan cable car is 50 yuan, the cheapest Clothes are about 50 yuan, ice cream is 25 yuan, and a piece of pineapple is 10 yuan. The most important thing is that shopping bags in Korea are charged. Supermarket bags are 5 cents each, and others are 1 yuan each. Buy them in Korea. You cannot try clothes from small stores or low-end brands. Only in large shopping malls can you feel at home. Of course, the price is expensive. Small shops don’t bargain. In China, something worth 10 yuan a piece costs 50-100 yuan. Such as earrings.

Seven things to note when traveling to South Korea

Nowadays, traveling to South Korea is becoming more and more popular. Although South Korea is not far from China and has a similar climate, it has its own national conditions. I plan to go to South Korea. Friends who travel must read the following seven things as a "memo" for themselves to make your trip to South Korea more enjoyable.

1. Respect Korean customs and habits

If you are a guest at a Korean friend’s home, you must understand Korean habits. For example: when pouring wine, hold the bottle in one hand and the other hand. Hold your arms; give in to the host's toasts for the first or second time, and only accept them after the third time; it is impolite to refuse to drink other people's toasts. If you can't drink, just leave a little wine in the cup. Koreans forgive drunk people; they cannot eat the dishes on the plate cleanly, otherwise it will be disrespectful to the host; they cannot smoke or wear sunglasses when elders are present. Use both hands when accepting items and do not open gifts in person. Koreans like odd numbers but don't like even numbers. The gift money should be given in a white gift bag, not a red one, etc. As the saying goes, "It's no surprise to be polite to many people." It's always right to know more.

2. Don’t have too high expectations for the scenery

South Korea’s land area is not as large as Zhejiang Province, and it is close to China, so the landscape and scenery are not very distinctive. Korean tour guides often compare Seoul to Beijing, say Busan is equivalent to Shanghai, and Jeju is equivalent to Hainan. But you have to be mentally prepared, because in terms of imperial city style, Seoul is not as good as Beijing. The Lee feudal dynasty ruled South Korea for 500 years at the end of the 14th century. Therefore, the style of the palace is somewhat similar to that of China, but the size is a few sizes smaller. Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul is extremely The miniature landscape in Shenzhen's "Splendid China" is really incomparable to the Forbidden City. Busan is a famous seaport, but the night view on the beach is dimmer than on the Bund. The scenery in Jeju is good, especially Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, but because the seaside is covered with volcanic rocks, the water looks black, so it is much inferior to the thousands of miles of golden sand and clear water in Sanya, Hainan. Moreover, you don’t need to go through immigration to go to Jeju. You can go directly from Qingdao Just go by boat. So if you have already visited the West Lake in Huangshan and Guilin in Hainan, you must adjust your mentality before going to South Korea. When traveling abroad, you must expect to enjoy the beautiful scenery, otherwise you will feel very disappointed.

3. Don’t forget to bring some snacks, toothbrush, and toothpaste

Korean people like kimchi, which tastes spicy, requires more barbecue, and less oil and water. Koreans don't like to add MSG, so they find the rice too bland to eat. Disposable toothbrushes and toothpaste are free in domestic hotels. Some higher-end hotels will also prepare shampoo and shower gel for you. For environmental reasons, hotels in South Korea do not provide free toothbrushes and toothpaste, but they will put these things and razors on the desk in the room with a price list. You must read it clearly. If you are not careful, You will have to pay a hefty bill the next day. The two small bottles placed next to the sink are often toner and body lotion, unlike in China where they are shampoo and shower gel, which you may find inconvenient.

There is also a green button on the TV remote control in the room. You have to think carefully before pressing it, because it is a "material program" that specializes in playing adult discs. There is a fee, although it is only a hundred yuan. However, the next morning in the car in front of everyone, the tour guide asked someone to pay for the program fee for the room, which was embarrassing.

4. There are some places where filming or photography is not allowed, so be sure to abide by this

There are many places in South Korea where filming or photography is not allowed due to political or cultural relic protection reasons. At scenic spots, tour guides will usually remind you that you must listen clearly and strictly abide by them. Photography is prohibited at scenic spots such as the Presidential Palace, Blue House, and Cheonma Residence. There was a tourist in our car who was lucky enough to take a photo of the exterior of the Presidential Palace in the car. He was immediately discovered by the security guard in civilian clothes. He got on the car and asked you to destroy the image and withdrew the tour guide's ID. After a long time, the car The atmosphere was ruined.

5. You generally don’t bargain when buying things in Korea

Dongdaemun and Namdaemun in Seoul are large clothing markets, but they generally don’t bargain. Maybe you can give it a try. But the scope of the counteroffer was small. For example, the prices of some small souvenirs with ethnic characteristics are similar at stalls, small shops and duty-free shops, so just buy what suits you. There is no need to compare. But for tobacco and alcohol, airport duty-free shops have the cheapest prices. For example, the "THIS" brand cigarettes that Koreans love to smoke sell for 11,000 won on the street, but only 8,800 won in duty-free shops.

Because of our different habits of bargaining, we also had a very unhappy time with the Korean tour guide. In Jeju, the tour guide persuaded us to pay 15,000 Korean won (approximately 120 yuan) per person to add some "finance" to the driver. Because the tour guide's tone sounded like "begging for food," everyone agreed reluctantly. I smiled and asked the tour guide, "Can it be cheaper?" Unexpectedly, the tour guide was very angry. Of course, this was also related to the quality of the tour guide. So if you don’t want to add extra points, don’t bargain, just say no, and don’t be wordy with the tour guide.

6. You should be careful when buying from the "public sales bureau" brought by the tour guide

Compared with China, prices in South Korea are 5-10 times more expensive, so unless they are very unique, use them with caution $2,000 in your pocket. Especially the "public sales bureaus" brought by tour guides, you need to be even more cautious.

On our first day in South Korea, the local tour guide talked non-stop, from the history of South Korea to his own life experience, from South Korea's economy to China's development, making jokes and full of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. The next morning, the tour guide took us to the "Ginseng Public Sale Bureau". The narrow public sales office was crowded with Beijingers, Shanghainese, and Cantonese from China. The sales promotion girl introduced Gaoli in fluent Chinese. The medicinal value of ginseng, and repeatedly emphasized that a certain course of treatment is required to replenish the body. We strongly recommend a 600g box of Korean Tai Chi ginseng. When we saw the price tag of 225 US dollars, we thought about China’s vast land and rich resources, rich in Changbai Mountain ginseng, wild ginseng, red ginseng, etc. Ginseng, why spend your limited dollars on ginseng, so there are not many buyers. Unexpectedly, the situation suddenly changed. After getting on the bus, the tour guide picked up the microphone and said: "We are here to make money, not to drink from the northwest wind." After saying this, he sat in front and left us in the "ice kiln".

In addition, the amethyst processing factory in Seoul, the honey shop and pearl museum in Jeju that the tour guide took us to are all rich in China, and the prices there are at least ten times higher than in China.

7. Beware of "candid photographers"

In addition to the tour guide, there is always a "tour guide assistant" following you in the car. He is very attentive in carrying luggage and replenishing food along the way, but he always likes to be there. When you were posing for photos, he took out his camera and secretly took pictures. In the end, he held a large stack of developed photos and gave them to you one by one. If you said you were satisfied, please pay 40 yuan for each photo. If you are not satisfied, it doesn't matter. It's not good to have your "fine photos" wandering in a foreign land, so the group members had to pay obediently. An old lady in the group, out of sympathy, gritted her teeth and "subscribed" for ten photos, which cost 400 yuan.

Application methods and procedures for traveling to South Korea

Application method:

First apply to a travel agency qualified to handle travel to South Korea.

Registration procedures:

Complete and stamp the "Approval Form" and return it to the travel agency. At the same time, submit 8 small 2-inch passport photos; according to the travel route selected by the applicant Pay the full tour fee.

The applicant and the agency sign the "Overseas Travel Agreement" in duplicate, with each party holding one copy.

Get the "Audit Certificate for Chinese Citizens to Travel Abroad at Their Own Expense" from the National Tourism Administration from the agency.

Applicants must go to the public security bureau where their household registration is located to apply for a passport in person with relevant certification materials (please consult the relevant travel agency for specific materials).

Visa and other procedures for going abroad will be handled by the travel agency and the person will be notified. Since regulations vary from place to place, it is best to consult the relevant travel agency for specific application procedures for traveling to South Korea.

Apply to the relevant travel agency to receive the "Approval Form for Exit and Entry Application for Chinese Citizens".

Designated travel agencies for travel to South Korea

The following travel agencies we have listed have branches in major cities across the country, and their quality is absolutely guaranteed.

China International Travel Service Tel: 66053819; 66012032 Fax: 66012027

China International Travel Service Tel: 65129933-2519 Fax: 65129522

China Youth Travel Service Tel: 65253585 Fax: 65138691

China Kanghui Travel Service Head Office Tel: 65940875/57 Fax: 65940891/0

You can consult the travel agency

[Common Currency ]

South Korea’s official currency is the won (Won), which is divided into banknotes and coins. There are three types of banknotes: 1,000 won, 5,000 won, and 10,000 won. There are five types of coins: 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 won.

[Exchange rate]

Currently, approximately 126 Korean won is equivalent to 1 yuan, and approximately 1,200 Korean won is equivalent to 1 U.S. dollar, which constantly changes with the international exchange rate. (2003 to present) What currency do tourists use? Tourists can use cash (Korean won or US dollars), travelers checks, and credit cards in South Korea. Cash (Cash) exchange rates are constantly changing, so it is best to exchange foreign currency for cash at a bank, exchange service center or other licensed exchange office.

You can exchange money at the airport and exchange offices. The working hours are as follows:

- Bank: Saturday, Sunday or other bank holidays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

- Exchange service center: daily from 8:30 am to 10 pm

- Licensed exchange offices: hotels (24 hours), others from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is best to ask for an invoice when exchanging money

- Traveler's Checks are more favorable when exchanged according to the exchange rate. The risk of being stolen and lost is small, but it is more troublesome to exchange for cash locally. Traveler's checks include credit card (Visa), American Express (AMEX), Tomas Cook, etc. Banks in Korea that offer this check service may exchange the affected area for cash.

- Credit Card (Credit Card) American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Master Card and other cards can be used in hotels, restaurants, department stores and most stores.

[Things to note when redeeming]

1. Accurately plan and calculate in advance to avoid having to redeem again due to remaining or insufficient funds.

2. After exchange, be sure to use a calculator to confirm the exchange rate and amount.

3. Sign in front of the staff when redeeming traveler's checks and may not transfer them to others.

Korean hotels use flowers as the standard for grade evaluation. The flower is the infinity flower, which is the symbol of South Korea's national flower. Four-star hotels are four-star hotels, and five-star hotels are five-star hotels. The hotel facilities in South Korea are basically lower than those of international hotels. For example, Four Flowers Hotel can be regarded as an international three-star hotel. Five-star hotels are divided into ordinary five-star hotels and special five-star hotels. The ordinary five-star hotels are equivalent to international hotels. Four-star hotel, Tewuhua is equivalent to international five-star hotel. There are no officially announced star standards for hotels in Southeast Asia, and there is no star system; generally, the star standards indicated are the local industry reference standards in Thailand, which are generally slightly worse than domestic hotels of the same level. Flowers and Stars are internationally accepted hotel grades, and Taiwan Due to geographical restrictions, the size and decoration of the hotel are a little worse than those in China.

All hotels in Taiwan are unlisted. The so-called Jihua Hotel is also in name only and is absolutely inconsistent with mainland standards.