10 Tips You Should Know Before Your First Seoul Trip

Some practical advice.
by Andy Flores | September 10, 2018

Widely used in South Korea’s metropolitan areas is the T-Money card, which is basically a rechargeable transportation card that can be used on subways, buses, and even taxis. However, if you want to check out a handful of Seoul’s top attractions during your visit, you might want to consider getting the Discover Seoul Pass.

Aside from functioning as your fare card, it also grants you exclusive perks like discounts and free entry to over 50 attractions, activities, and services in the city. Click here for more information on the Discover Seoul Pass.

Top up your fare card in small amounts. On average, a single subway ride costs 1,250KRW, so reloading your card with 5,000-10,000KRW should go a long way.

If your T-Money card is still loaded with over 500KRW up to 50,000KRW by the end of your trip, you can get a refund at T-Money affiliated convenience stores.

You can personalize your T-Money card at Hongik University Exit 3 for 6,000KRW. Simply look for the OppaCard machine, and design your own fare card with your choice of photo. Feel free to choose from your travel selfies, collection of aesthetic pics, or even that album dedicated to your favorite Korean celebrities!

 

Look out for the Duty Free and tax refund signs.

What’s a trip without some shopping? To make the most of your Korean Won, do your shopping runs at “tax-free” shops. Some popular Duty Free department stores in Seoul are Lotte, Shilla, and Shinsegae. You may also check out stores with the tax refund signs. If you spend 30,000-5,000,000KRW, you are entitled to have a portion of the money you spent refunded before you leave the country. Just make sure to keep your receipts, which you are required to present at the airport’s tax refund booths.

 

You can ditch the roaming plan or Wi-Fi egg rental.