There’s no query South Korea is a improbable vacation spot for households, mixing historical past, heritage and lashings of contemporary Ok-culture – however when you haven’t visited earlier than, it’s nicely price trying out the following pointers for South Korea with youngsters earlier than you go.
incorporates affiliate hyperlinks*
Even when you’ve visited different locations in South East Asia and East Asia, there are some things to know earlier than visiting South Korea with youngsters for the primary time, which you may not anticipate out of your earlier travels.
From cash to move, meals to important apps, these are my high suggestions for visiting South Korea with youngsters.
Cash
Whereas it isn’t low-cost to fly to South Korea, I discovered it price lots much less as soon as we arrived which was nice, from transport and entry tickets to meals. You received’t get away with out spending some cash, clearly, so right here’s what you do have to know.
Deliver money
We have been instructed that South Korea continues to be very a lot a money society, though we actually didn’t discover that was the case within the cities – but it surely’s undoubtedly useful to have some received with you, and particularly when you’re heading off the overwhelmed observe.
You’ll want it when you’re planning to go to any of the markets or avenue meals markets, though quite a lot of locations did have card machines, some have been firmly money solely.
You additionally want money to high up the T-Cash journey playing cards for public transport (though this has modified not too long ago to permit international playing cards to high up, it’s very restricted at the moment so don’t depend on it for now).
I transformed round £100 at dwelling earlier than we left – whereas it wasn’t the very best alternate charge, I knew I’d want some on the airport to pay for transport into Seoul and it meant I had one much less factor to fret about after a long-haul flight. Because the alternate charge within the airport isn’t the very best one both, and as I wasn’t altering an enormous quantity, I don’t assume it made a lot distinction.
As soon as we arrived, I wanted some additional money (primarily for a tip, a ship tour the place I needed to pay another person, and transport again to the airport) so I used my Clever card – this allows you to have balances in varied currencies, so I transformed it to received, then simply withdrew it from an ATM.
I didn’t have any bother both time, however when you do run into issues, search for one marked World ATM (Woori and Hana banks are each good). The shows have an choice for English, then choose international card from the choices. You’ll usually get charged round 3000-4000 received to withdraw it.
There’s at the moment round 2000 Received to the pound so that you do have to get used to dividing by that, but it surely rapidly turns into second nature to knock off just a few zeroes and halve the remaining.
Which bank cards?
More often than not, you’ll discover it’s effective to make use of your bank card – I’d learn that Visa is usually extra readily accepted than Mastercard, however each needs to be broadly accepted in cities.
I’ve a Visa bank card with no abroad fees and I used that just about all over the place. You’ll additionally want this at lodge check-in and when you’re getting pocket WiFi as I used to be.
Having a bodily card is unquestionably an excellent plan although – not all over the place will settle for digital ones in eg a Google Pay or through Apple Pay.
For those who want another choice, take a look at the Wowpass, which is a type of debit card for vacationers. There are kiosks on the airport and in subway stations the place you’ll be able to alternate 16 totally different currencies into received – and you may then use it as each a fee card and public transport card. It’s not a necessary when you’ve bought different playing cards which can work although.
Get a tax refund
For those who’re planning any buying (and my 13-year-old undoubtedly was), you will get tax refunds on what you purchase – normally so long as you spend round 15,000 received.
For those who carry your passport with you, you’ll be able to usually get the refund on the until – some locations could settle for a photograph of the passport, however most received’t. South Korea could be very protected so it’s one of many few locations I felt joyful carrying it round with me.
For those who favor to not (or neglect), you’ll be able to maintain the receipts and scan them on the airport to get your refund. There are kiosks earlier than safety, you then get your a refund after – there aren’t too many decisions as to the way you obtain it, so the simplest choice was merely getting it again in received, which we then spent on dinner.
Transport in South Korea
You received’t keep away from utilizing some public transport throughout your keep, or not less than taking a taxi, particularly in Seoul and Busan that are each massive sprawling cities. However they’re each very nicely linked, so so long as you permit sufficient time, it’s straightforward to get round.
Paying for public transport
The best choice is to purchase a T-Cash card, which prices round 3,000-5,000 received – or you will get some particular version playing cards which price extra in order for you a specific memento.
These work throughout the entire nation, together with in Seoul and Busan, on buses and the metro system.
After you have the cardboard, merely high it as much as pay on your transport – you are able to do it on the airport initially, but in addition at comfort shops that are dotted throughout, in addition to on the machines within the subway stations.
Whether or not you’re taking the subway or bus, you should faucet the cardboard in the beginning and finish of the journey – that’s whenever you get on the bus on the machine by the driving force, then whenever you get off on the center doorways, or on the gates going out and in of the metro.
For those who’ve used the tube in London, it ought to all really feel very acquainted – though fares are actually low-cost by comparability, round 1550 received (lower than a pound) relying on the gap you journey.
Tapping out additionally allows you to switch to a different type of transport (inside half-hour in the course of the day) when you’re taking a number of buses to get to your vacation spot.
It’s free for teenagers below six, and there are presupposed to be baby and youth fares for 6-12 and 13-18-year-olds.
You want your passport to have the low cost utilized however we by no means fairly labored out easy methods to do it, even with English-speaking employees on the airport, not to mention at a comfort retailer – because the distinction was about 30p, it truthfully didn’t appear definitely worth the effort to search out out for a 12-day journey!
You can too use a Local weather Card in Seoul, though that doesn’t work exterior the capital. This acts as a limiteless move for a particular variety of days, from 5,000 received for in the future as much as 20,000 for seven days (and longer variations) – if you’re taking greater than three journeys per day, it’s an excellent choice. The cardboard prices 3,000 received and doesn’t work on the trains to the airport.
Planning your journeys
By far probably the most helpful app you’ll be able to have is Naver Maps. Don’t go to with out downloading this!
Google Maps doesn’t at the moment work nicely in South Korea, though it’s helpful for pinning locations which doesn’t are likely to work with Naver as you want an account (and it normally doesn’t create one efficiently when you’re exterior Korea/have a non-Korean telephone quantity).
That is because of change as the federal government has agreed to provide Google entry to the information is wants, however within the meantime, Naver Maps is sensible.
In addition to planning out your journey, it’ll fairly actually stroll you thru every step, telling you which of them entrances/exits to make use of on the subway stations (which are sometimes enormous and have 6-8 of them), and which course prepare you want, in addition to when it’s as a consequence of arrive.
I additionally had Kakao Maps really helpful, and Citymapper ought to work in Seoul, however I discovered Naver really easy to make use of that I simply caught with that.
Public transport etiquette
Look out for the arrows displaying you the place to line as much as get onto the subway carriages – individuals do comply with this, so that you don’t need to be standing the place everybody will get off.
As with most underground trains, you need to let individuals off earlier than you attempt to get on.
As soon as you’re within the carriage, you’ll additionally see a bit of seats for the aged/those that wrestle to face, plus just a few vibrant pink seats for pregnant ladies, and also you undoubtedly mustn’t sit in them in any other case, even when they’re empty.
You might be additionally anticipated to be quiet – when you can speak, do maintain your voice low.
BONUS TIP: As a common rule, individuals stroll on the right-hand facet on streets and on platforms (although that’s much less strictly adopted, particularly in busy subway stations when persons are dashing from A to B).
Taxis/Uber
You can too discover taxis in South Korea, together with ride-share corresponding to Uber, which can also be far cheaper than within the UK (or US/Australia) – however when you’re planning to do that, I’ve bought just a few warnings.
Though you’ll be able to flag taxis down (search for the illuminated mild), it’s not all the time straightforward to search out one except you’re at a station the place there’s a rank.
Utilizing an app additionally tends to be simpler as you don’t have the chance of miscommunicating the vacation spot, you don’t want money to pay and the pre-agreed value means there’s much less danger of overpaying. For those who don’t need to use Uber, the very best native choice is Kakao T, which works in the same method.
You don’t usually discover bigger automobiles except you’re across the airport, so when you have a number of individuals with massive baggage, chances are you’ll end up extra restricted, or have to e-book two automobiles (simpler for a household of 4 than when you’re travelling solo with a toddler…)
Drivers additionally appear reluctant to take comparatively brief fares – eg from Seoul Station to Myeongdong. I do know of not less than two circumstances the place a mum and their baby (plus baggage) have been turned down by driver after driver. Getting an Uber with out baggage throughout town appears way more simple although.
Seoul airport transport
For those who’re on the lookout for another solution to get into Seoul from Incheon Worldwide Airport, fortunately there are a few different helpful alternate options.
The Ok airport limousine buses are what we used, and make the journey a breeze. We would have liked to purchase tickets in money (there are machines or employees promoting tickets, it price us round 17,000 received every) – youngsters aged 6-12 ought to get a reduction, and coming again, we did see a bank card machine on the bus too.
Be sure to talk your vacation spot clearly to the driving force – I spent a part of our first journey feeling faintly panicked about easy methods to make the bus cease (fortuitously it was a preferred cease).
There are numerous routes with a number of stops in the primary areas you’re prone to be staying. We additionally took the airport limo again from Myeongdong to the airport (from a special cease, having swapped resorts) and it was equally simple – you need to use a T cash card going from Seoul to Incheon, or simply use money once more.
There’s numerous baggage storage, and comfortable seats with numerous leg room. It additionally meant we hardly ever needed to stroll quite a lot of minutes with suitcases, and meant we may keep away from steps to and from the subway.
Simply consider some additional time for any site visitors and the varied stops within the metropolis, though 90 minutes needs to be lots. I additionally factored in additional time in case the primary bus again to the airport was full, but it surely turned up virtually empty (higher protected than sorry although).
In any other case, the AREX trains run from Incheon and Gimpo airports to Seoul Station – there are categorical variations which run much less often, or stopping variations which often, however each will take lower than an hour.
You do have to have a timed ticket, so it may be simpler to purchase one on the airport slightly than making an attempt to guess how lengthy immigration will take. For those who’re not staying close to Seoul Station, additionally, you will then must navigate public transport or discover a taxi that may take you onwards.
The important apps for visiting South Korea
There are a few apps which can make life MUCH simpler when you’re exploring South Korea with youngsters.
Naver Maps
I discussed this above, however I can’t stress it an excessive amount of – Naver Maps is improbable for serving to you navigate, together with strolling instructions and public transport routes.
It additionally reveals opening instances (helpful for cafes which frequently opened later than we wanted for breakfast), and even allows you to e-book tables and order meals, though I didn’t find yourself utilizing that operate.
For those who usually use Google Maps, that’s nonetheless very useful to pin totally different areas and it’s effective for serving to information you on shorter walks when you’re in South Korea. Or Kakao Maps is one other various when you have any points with Naver, whereas Citymapper additionally works in Seoul.
Google Translate
Except your Korean is considerably higher than mine, you’ll need a translation app sooner or later. We have been really helpful Papago over Google Translate, however didn’t really discover that notably user-friendly.
Ultimately, Google Translate’s digicam operate was useful for figuring out components in meals at comfort shops, and on the one event I wanted to say one thing extra sophisticated (in a put up workplace in Korea), I additionally introduced up the sentence to indicate.
TOP TIP: Be sure to’re linked! Though there was quite a lot of free WiFi in Seoul notably, we discovered it a bit erratic – networks usually had no web, or mysteriously didn’t join.
If your own home community fees lots (as mine did for South Korea), the choices are an esim or hiring pocket WiFi – the latter is a good suggestion in case your telephone doesn’t assist an esim otherwise you need a couple of individual utilizing the WiFi.
You do want to hold it round, though it isn’t enormous, and also you’ll nearly definitely want an influence financial institution when you’re out all day – I booked ours by means of Trazy and picked up on the airport, and whereas it did include a conveyable energy financial institution however that by no means appeared to work so I simply used my very own.
Language & communication
Except you’ve bought quite a lot of time and are very devoted, you’re unlikely to be fluent by the point you arrive in South Korea however I’d strongly advocate studying some primary Korean.
Even just a few primary phrases – hiya (annyeonghaseyo), please (juseyo), thanks (gamsahabnida), sure (ne), no (aniyo) – went down very well. I did do my finest to be taught some extra however a few months wasn’t actually lengthy sufficient to work out quite a lot of very primary sentences.
Learing the hangul alphabet can also be very simple and logical (it was particularly created within the mid fifteenth century to be straightforward to be taught), which suggests you’ll be able to rapidly work out easy methods to sound out indicators. This ‘be taught hangul’ web site was actually useful to begin off.
We did discover that lots of people spoke some English within the cities, so between that and signal language, we all the time managed to make ourselves understood, plus there’s all the time translation apps for something extra sophisticated.
Exterior the cities and vacationer areas, you would possibly nicely have extra points, however I’ve discovered that persons are all the time extra tolerant when you’re making an effort.
You’ll additionally discover English translations of indicators within the metro and bulletins in a number of languages on all public transport. And when you’re in cafes, most have touchscreens with English translation, so you’ll be able to order simply that method.
TOP TIP: The Korea Journey Hotline is on 1330 – they converse English and will help when you want it, whether or not that’s in an emergency or making an attempt to speak with a taxi driver when you’re struggling to grasp one another.
Korean meals
Korean meals is improbable – and evidently, there’s much more to it than kimchi, together with lots that children will eat very fortunately.
A few of our high picks have been bibimbap (this mixture of rice and greens is topped with a fried egg and will have meat in – simply combine all of it up collectively), numerous hen, bulgogi (beef), mandu (dumplings with varied fillings), and many rice and noodle dishes.
There are many cafes and comfort shops when you’re simply grabbing a snack – Twosome Place has some good salads and sandwiches (plus phenomenal cake) in order for you a straightforward choice for extra Western-style meals.
In case you are vegetarian or don’t eat meat, it may be tougher as these can pop up in even apparently harmless dishes – gimbap (usually referred to as Korean sushi, because it makes use of rice wrapped in seaweed however with cooked components) will usually comprise spam or crabsticks, even when in any other case vegetarian, whereas shrimp and anchovy is commonly used to make kimchi.
A variety of meals could be very spicy too, so even dishes marked as low spice could also be hotter than you’d anticipate – though conversely in additional touristy areas, you’ll usually discover the spice is dialled down greater than you’d like. There’s all the time kimchi to counteract that although.
In case your youngsters don’t love something too sizzling, the phrase ‘maebji anhda‘ means not spicy, and there’s usually a model utilizing soy sauce (ganjang).
Avenue markets and evening markets are good for grabbing less complicated, child-friendly meals too – assume teriyaki hen on a stick, corn canine and many dumplings. Alternatively Seoul (and Busan) are very cosmopolitan when you do want a substitute for Korean meals throughout your journey.
TOP TIP: For those who’re consuming in a restaurant, you’ll additionally get a string of facet dishes included together with your meals; all the time kimchi however varied different vegetable dishes too – these received’t price additional, and nor will water (mul). Chopsticks are metallic and also you’ll usually solely have a alternative of those and spoons, typically tucked away in a drawer within the desk.
Whereas some locations could have forks when you ask, it’s nicely price studying easy methods to use chopsticks if potential however chances are you’ll need to deliver some disposable forks or wood/coaching chopsticks for youthful youngsters too, because the metallic ones do take a little bit of follow. There’s no tipping both, so leaving any additional is prone to trigger confusion.
Korean BBQ
One other nice choice for households, Korean BBQ isn’t all the time the most cost effective choice, however with freshly cooked meat, a string of facet dishes and the choice of plain rice on the facet, it’s good for teenagers.
It’s price realizing that you just typically want two individuals consuming BBQ to order this (even when you have extra individuals within the group who’re selecting one thing else off the menu) but it surely does rely a bit on the circumstances.
For instance, we discovered ourselves in a very empty restaurant one night (which did then refill fairly rapidly) asking for one bibimbap and one order of BBQ and didn’t have any points. I’m certain if we’d tried to go at a busy time it might need been extra of an issue. The choice is simply to order two parts anyway.
GOOD TO KNOW: A variety of eating places shut between 3pm and 5pm, so when you’re planning a late lunch, you’ll must be inside by 2pm.
The climate
Korea’s climate ranges from freezing in January (when it barely makes it above zero in Seoul) to 30C or larger in midsummer, with excessive humidity.
The summer season monsoon additionally arrives in late June, with most rainfall in July, however moist climate persevering with till early September.
Unsurprisingly, most individuals plan their journeys for spring and autumn when the local weather is finest, though it’s additionally busiest then. Spring does additionally see yellow mud and dangerous air high quality at instances, though we didn’t discover it notably dangerous throughout our April go to – you will get face masks at pharmacies whether it is.
Planning a visit in spring additionally means you’ll be able to see the cherry blossom – the dates change every year, however early to mid April is an efficient wager to see the bushes in bloom.
In any other case, the temperatures weren’t that totally different from the UK, with some rain and a few cloudy days and different clear sunny, heat ones – undoubtedly an excellent plan to take layers! You’ll discover loads of very cute umbrellas when you’ve forgotten to take one (and even when you haven’t).
Issues to pack
A variety of your packing necessities are going to be the identical as for many metropolis breaks, except you’re having to consider winter or summer season climate. However there are some things to bear in mind.
You’ll want a plug adapter when you’re coming from the UK – this is similar as a European plug with the 2 spherical prongs.
Positively take a conveyable energy financial institution on your telephone too – one thing like this slimline Anker energy financial institution is nice – as you’ll be taking numerous photographs, utilizing it for instructions, translation apps and extra. If in case you have moveable WiFi like us, you’ll want it for that too.
For those who’re hoping to save lots of room by not bringing numerous toiletries, we have been instructed that it’s nonetheless price taking your ordinary deodorant and toothpaste as Korean formulations are typically very totally different.
In any other case, there’s a department of Olive Younger round nearly each nook, and whereas it’s largely centered on make-up and skincare, you’ll normally discover all the opposite necessities too. These little silicon journey pots have been actually helpful for saving area too.
Don’t journey with out comfy sneakers – even with public transport, you’ll stroll for miles. This isn’t the time to attempt to break in one thing new!
Don’t deliver plenty of socks although – socks in Korea are tremendous low-cost (lower than £1 per pair), very cute and nice high quality, though when you’ve bought notably small or massive toes, you’ll discover much less alternative. Most are round UK dimension 4-7, so good for common teen women and girls not less than!
Final however not least… go away numerous room in your baggage – you may be shopping for souvenirs. We managed to return dwelling with 15kg greater than we began with (though my share of that was a mug, some jewelry, a little bit of skincare and some pairs of socks. Simply saying)
Disclosure: This put up incorporates affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I’ll obtain a small fee. All opinions are my very own, together with concerning the socks.
Pictures: cash/bank cards/passport/metro gates/highway signal/subway station/taxi/airport/telephone/suitcase courtesy of Depositphotos, all others copyright MummyTravels
LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER