the main Feeder Which country is cheaper to fly to Korea from? Self-drive travel to Seoul

Which country is cheaper to fly to Korea from? Self-drive travel to Seoul

It has long become a popular tourist area. This country is characterized by an interesting historical heritage and amazing natural beauty. Tours to South Korea are also very popular among Russians. For tourists from Russia, there is a visa-free regime in 2020.

Beautiful night panorama of the capital of South Korea - Seoul

Holidays in South Korea are popular among both young people and families with children, the elderly.

Russian citizens do not need a visa to South Korea. The corresponding decree was adopted on January 1, 2014, after which the Russians were able to visit the Republic of Korea without a visa. This applies to travel or visits to relatives for up to 2 months, you can read about this on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The maximum period of stay on the territory of the Republic for Russians is 90 days in one half-year (180 days). However, you can stay in the country continuously during this time for no more than 60 days.

If you plan to stay in the country for a long time in order to acquire education or employment, you will need to obtain a long-term visa of the appropriate category.

See a detailed analysis of how to go through the customs declaration and fill in the Arrival Card upon arrival in the country.

What it takes to cross the border

In order to travel to South Korea or visit relatives in 2020, you will need the following papers and documents:

Overseas passport, passport validity period to enter Korea must be at least 6 months.
Tickets back or to a third country.
Confirmation of solvency for the duration of the visit to the country. That is, you need to have with you either a printout confirming your hotel reservation, or a tour operator's voucher. The Migration Service of the Republic of Korea does not find fault with tourists, and therefore does not require certificates from their place of work and bank statements from them.
Migration card.
Completed customs declaration.

Customs Declaration to be Filled Upon Entry into South Korea

These documents are quite enough to have a rest in South Korea or go through it to a third country in transit, since there is a visa-free regime between Russia and South Korea. If the visitor has other goals that take more time to be realized, then a visa is a mandatory procedure.

Long term visa to South Korea

Long-term visas can be of several types. They generally fall into two broad categories:

Long-term visa (D, E, H).

Let's consider each of these types of visas in more detail. And also we will determine what papers are needed to receive them, the procedure for processing, how long it will be valid, the time and cost of the procedure.

Long-term visa (D, E, H)

Such visas are issued for a period of 3 months to 2 years with the possibility of extension (does not apply to E visas). In order to extend the validity of a visa, it is enough to contact the Immigration Service of the Republic of Korea.

To whom such visas are issued:

Students wishing to get education in one of the educational institutions of the Republic of Korea.
Masters and graduate students wishing to obtain the necessary scientific degree under the program of one of the universities in Korea or undergo a professional internship in the country.
Those on a long business trip.
Officially employed. This includes both the search for work by unskilled personnel and highly qualified specialists, leaders, top managers, scientists.

Such a visa is required for everyone who wants to stay in the country legally and get an official job. In order to, it is necessary to contact the embassy with a corresponding request, providing a certain package of documents. This will be discussed a little later.

Entry visa for foreign compatriots (F-4)

Visa (F-4) is not available to all ethnic Koreans. It can be issued only by the following foreign compatriots:

Qualified specialists who have carried out their professional activities in the Republic of Korea for 6 months or more.
Masters, graduate students (and above) who received their academic degree (not lower than the master's) in one of the educational universities in South Korea.
Highly qualified workforce who previously stayed for some time on the territory of the Republic of Korea, without violating the laws and visa regime of the country.

Consulate of South Korea in Moscow at Krasnopresnenskaya embankment, 12

In order to obtain any type of visa, you must contact the South Korean embassy and submit an application and other papers for consideration.

Step-by-step instructions for applying for a visa by invitation

For more than 60 days it is easy. The first thing that is necessary for this is that the side from Korea, which will act as your guarantor for the period of stay in the territory of the state, filed an application with the Immigration Service of the Republic of Korea.

The guarantor can be a legal entity, for example, an employer, or an individual - a relative or friend who is a citizen of the Republic of Korea or has permanent resident status.

After the guarantor submits the application, the applicant must submit to the visa department of the embassy a package consisting of the following documents:

It should be noted that in some cases it is possible to obtain an e-visa without having to contact the embassy for this purpose. This applies to the registration of visas E-1, E-3, E-5. Visas of these categories are issued online via the Internet.

The visa fee is paid in the same way. At the time of travel, you must print your e-visa. This will ensure unhindered entry into the Republic of Korea and a hassle-free stay in the country.

Traveling abroad on your own is doubly exciting. There will be no guide or tour organizer nearby, wherever you go, you can only rely on yourself and your travel companion. What is it like to go to South Korea on your own? Do you want to know about tickets, accommodation, attractions and features of this country? Then our material is for you.

Now the whole world is watching the events that are unfolding on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK continues to test its nuclear weapons, trying to prove to the whole world, in particular the United States, that it is better not to touch them. In turn, the United States is already threatening the "northerners" not only with sanctions, but also with war. South Korea has always found itself between two fires. What is happening in such a tense period in this country and how is the population living?

The VK Press correspondent threw away all fears and doubts and went to rest in Seoul. How it was? Read on.

Preparing for an independent travel to Korea

I wanted to visit South Korea for a long time. The country of morning freshness, as it is called, attracted not only with its culture and traditions, but also with its level of development. Just think, in half a century it was able to turn from an agrarian land destroyed by the Japanese occupation and civil war into a prosperous high-tech state. The republic's economic breakthrough even got its own name, "Miracle on the Hangang River."

We began to prepare for a trip to this extraordinary country from the most important step - buying plane tickets. It is better to do this two to three months before the trip to make it cheaper. We flew with a transfer in Moscow. Four flights (Krasnodar - Moscow, Moscow - Seoul and back) cost one person 40 thousand rubles. Find the right tickets on Skyscanner.

A treasured ticket to Seoul.

After buying tickets, you can safely proceed to booking accommodation, in our case it was a hostel. There are many booking sites, I usually choose Booking, Roomguru and Trivago are also quite popular. A double room in a Seoul hostel for two weeks cost almost 24 thousand rubles. It is better to print out air tickets and reservations in advance, so that they can be provided later on the spot.

The next step for a tourist is usually a visa, but in this case it is not needed. Our countries have concluded an agreement according to which Russians can stay in South Korea without a visa for three months.

What to take with you on your trip to Korea

For many, collecting a suitcase becomes a real headache. To understand what things are needed and how much, we carefully studied the weather forecast, thought about what would be comfortable for walking the streets and visiting attractions. Be sure to take a comfortable pair of sneakers with you or go in it right away to save space. If we talk about the climate of South Korea, it reminded me of the Kuban. At the end of September it was hot, in October it got a little colder and I had to pull on a sweatshirt over a T-shirt.

Don't forget your first aid kit. It is not easy to buy the necessary medicines in Korea, usually even the simplest cold medicine requires a prescription. Also, take care of insurance, because medicine in Korea is very expensive.

The question of how much and in what form to take money, we decided so - a little cash in dollars and on the card. Dollars can be exchanged for local currency upon arrival at Seoul Airport.

The rest of the luggage depends on individual preferences, the only thing that needs to be packed is deodorant. In Korea, there is a very small selection of these funds, since the locals do not use them due to the characteristics of their body.

Road to Seoul

The path to the Land of Morning Freshness began at the Pashkovsky airport of Krasnodar. After two hours in the sky, a six-hour transfer was waiting for us in Moscow.

The flight to Seoul took 8.5 hours. The flight was operated by the Korean airline Korean Air, which impressed with the high level of service and the careful attitude of the staff towards passengers.

And so we arrived at Incheon International Airport, which is located in the city of the same name, 70 km from the capital of South Korea. For several years in a row, it has been recognized as one of the best in the world. The airport building is beautiful and modern. Inside you will find a convenient location of the zones of passport and customs control, baggage claim. There are signs in English everywhere.

At passport control, passengers are divided into two streams - Korean citizens and foreigners. The retina and fingerprints of each guest from abroad are scanned using a special device to be entered into the database. The automated system will tell you what to do on its own. And don't worry about the language - the device speaks Russian too.

After receiving the luggage, the most interesting part begins - the quest "Find your hostel in an unfamiliar city". To begin with, we exchanged some currency. The course at the airport was good, although the best was found in the Myeongdong area. Local money is called won. According to the exchange rate, 1,000 won is equal to approximately 50 rubles.

You can get to Seoul from Incheon in different ways: by taxi, bus, subway and express. The cheapest and most convenient option is the metro. In order not to look for small change for tickets every time, buy a T-money transport card, which is sold in special machines, and top it up in the terminal by selecting the “Reloading the transit card” function. For a trip to Seoul by subway, you will have to pay an average of five thousand won.

By the way about the metro. At first, it is confusing because of its confusion, many transitions, turns, escalators, steps and exits. But over time you get used to it. The main thing is to carefully look at the colors of the branches, and in the direction of which station you need to go.

Subway stops are announced in four languages: Korean, Chinese, Japanese and English. Information is also broadcast on special screens. It helps a lot when you can't hear the name of the station.

Sights and simply beautiful places in Seoul

Having reached the hostel, I want to quickly arrange things, relax a bit and go to see the city. What must be seen in the capital of South Korea?

Lovers of history and Korean architecture will love Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Traditional Village.

Also worth visiting is Gwanghwamun Square, where monuments to the country's most revered and famous historical figures are erected - King Sejong, thanks to whom the Korean alphabet appeared, and General Lee Sung Sin, a national hero.

Be sure to rent hanbok, a traditional Korean costume. Five hours of rent cost 10 thousand won per person, that is, only 500 rubles. On the plus side, the entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace for visitors in hanboks is free, the rest will have to pay three thousand won.

If you are attracted to something more modern and high-tech, visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It is a complex of exhibition buildings similar to spaceships with an adjoining park. It was designed by the talented British architect of Iraqi origin, Zaha Hadid, whose work is known throughout the world for the boldness of its forms.

With the onset of darkness, it is especially beautiful there, since the illumination of buildings and installations in the form of a meadow of flowers is turned on.

In early 2017, another ultra-modern building opened in Seoul - Lotte World Tower. Its height is 555 meters (123 floors). Today it is the tallest building in South Korea.

The Seoul Sky works in the tower - observation floors, with transparent sections of the floor. It is especially breathtaking on the site, where the floor becomes dramatically transparent after you stand on it. A ticket to Seoul Sky isn't cheap - 26,000 won, but it's worth it. The capital of South Korea is mesmerizing from a bird's eye view.

For a relaxing holiday on earth, we chose parks. During the warmer months, Oido is ideal next to the Hangang River, which divides Seoul into northern and southern honor. Right there you can buy bedding and have a picnic, admiring the river, sailing ships and flying kites. This kind of vacation is very popular among Koreans.

Also worth visiting is another urban novelty - Seullo Park 7017. It is an overpass, which was blocked by the decision of the authorities and made a green zone there. This is such a serious decision for the improvement of the city. In Seoul, they try to use every free area for landscaping, plants appear even on the roofs of buildings.

If we talk about atypical attractions, then you should pay attention to Korean universities. The buildings of universities are very beautiful, made in a European style, sometimes it even seems that you are somewhere in Germany or England. During our trip, we managed to visit four universities in Seoul: Ewha, Yense, Hankuk and Kenhee. Each of them amazes with its vast territory, beautiful buildings and unusual landscape.

Ewha is one of the largest and most famous universities in the city, and it is also the world's largest women's university. Yensee is one of the three most prestigious higher education institutions in Korea. Hankuk University of Foreign Languages is known all over the world, as it is the third university in the world in terms of the number of languages studied at the university - there are 45 of them. And Kenhee is famous for its beautiful campus, on the territory of which there are buildings in the Gothic style.

Food and drink in South Korea

Koreans love to eat well. We can say that in the Land of Morning Freshness there is a "cult of food", that is, wherever you go, it will be everywhere.

In Seoul, you can find street food at every turn. It is quite high in calories and not very healthy, but it is very cheap.

A separate topic is spicy food. It is better to ask when ordering so that the dish is not too spicy. And if a Korean tells you that it will be spicy, you better not even try it. Believe me, the feeling that your stomach is literally eaten away by spice is not the most pleasant.

What do you really need to try on the streets of Seoul? First, tokbokki is something like rice flour dumplings in a hot sauce. In Korea, like other Asian countries, rice is the head of everything. Therefore, it is eaten not only in its usual form, but also ground into flour, from which noodles and dough for confectionery are prepared.

We also really liked the omuk - fishmeal cakes. They are sold on skewers. You can take a paper cup and pour yourself the broth in which the omuk was cooked for free, it is also very tasty and will warm you perfectly if it is cool outside.

Desserts included fish-shaped punoppan patties with a sweet red bean filling. Speaking of red beans ... They are the traditional filling for most Korean desserts, so don't be surprised. The taste is unusual, but it is worth trying and not to come off.

Hottook are flat cakes that are fried in oil. We tried stuffed with sugar and sunflower seeds. Very hot and sweet.

In summer, be sure to order binsu - crushed ice or frozen milk with berries, fruits, chocolate, cream, and various syrups. We managed to try it with mango, apple and cream cheese. It is a little expensive (from 1.3 thousand rubles), but one portion is enough for two, three, or even four people.

You can't go to Korea and not try traditional dishes like gimbap and bipimbap. Everyone knows Japanese rolls, gimbap is also a roll, but only Korean. Usually a leaf of nori seaweed is taken, on top is a layer of rice and a variety of fillings - ham, omelet, pickled radish, cucumber, carrot, tuna. Then all this is rolled up and cut into small pieces. Gimpab can be bought not only in street food stalls, but also in shops like 7-Eleven, GS25, CU. Price from 1.8 to 3.5 thousand won (100-170 rubles).

The traditional version of bipimbap consists of rice topped with chopped vegetables, chunks of meat, mushrooms, spicy pasta and scrambled eggs. The ingredients are mixed right before eating. Not far from our hostel, we found a cafe that specialized in the preparation of bipimbabs. Most liked with chicken and teriyaki sauce. The price was also pleasing - five thousand won (about 250 rubles). By the way, in Korea, several snacks are always served in the main course. Usually it is kimchi - spicy pickled cabbage and radish, seaweed, bean sprouts.

Another feature of Koreans attracted attention - they drink cold drinks at any time of the year, even in winter. The cafe serves just ice water, and the most popular coffee in Korea is ice Americano. It even happened that in one cafe we asked for a normal hot cappuccino, but we were told: "Sorry, we only have ice americano."

Shopping in Seoul: where to go shopping

It is difficult to imagine a trip to any country without shopping. Where is the best place to go for shopping in Seoul?

Several areas are suitable for this - Myeongdong tourist paradise, Insadong traditional souvenir market and student Hongdae, where young people from all over Seoul gather. It should be said right away that of these three, Myeongdong is the most expensive. This area is very popular with foreigners, so prices are often overpriced there. But it is still worth a visit to Myeongdong, if only for the eight-story Daiso store, where you can buy everything from ballpoint pens and spoons to goods for dogs and garden.

For cosmetics and clothes, you need to go to Hongdae. Prices are lower here as the area is considered a student area. You can find both branded items and mass market. By the way, Hongdae is loved not only for shopping, but also for its special creative atmosphere. In the evenings, young people perform here at different venues. They play musical instruments, sing and dance, gathering a crowd of passers-by around them.

But traditional souvenirs and gifts can be bought at Insadong. I noticed that all souvenirs, without exception, are made in Korea, which is confirmed by the words Made in Korea (instead of the usual Made in China). Here you will find incredibly beautiful postcards, bookmarks for books, key rings, magnets, figurines, fans, dishes, writing supplies, hanboks and much more.

Koreans' attitude towards foreigners

Any person likes it when his country is respected and interested in his culture. Koreans have become more open to others in recent years. They are very friendly towards foreigners, at least towards Europeans (Russians are also residents of Europe for them). Passers-by often greeted us, asked where we were from, made compliments, showed us "class." In general, a girl with light eyes and light brown hair will definitely not be ignored.

While we were walking around the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in hanboks, a man approached us. When he found out that we were from Russia, he started talking about Putin. In general terms, we realized that our president is very good, because he does not let the Japanese get off the ground (apparently he meant our steadfastness in the Kuril issue).

We received no aggression, harsh words or sidelong glances in Korea. Russians are really well treated. By the way, Koreans believe that the most beautiful women live in Ukraine and Russia.

Despite the fact that Korea is a country where people are under a lot of stress due to fierce competition in school and at work (hence the high suicide rate), you will not see a gloomy expression on the faces of its residents. Everywhere you are greeted with warm smiles and friendliness. Believe me, if you open your soul to Korea, she will happily do the same for you.

South Korea has become the seventh country on our long journey through Asia. I must say that initially we did not plan a trip to Korea, but shortly before the travel preparations, news appeared about the abolition of tourist visas for citizens of the Russian Federation. After this good news, we began to consider South Korea in the list of possible countries to visit. The trip itself was organized quite spontaneously, being in Malaysia, without clear plans for the further route, we decided that why not dilute Southeast Asia with another Asia, and bought tickets to Seoul.

First impression of Seoul

We arrived in Korea completely unprepared. We didn't have any plans or routes, to be honest, we didn't even know much about the country. Sometimes it is pleasant and useful to dilute carefully planned trips with spontaneous ones.

Seoul

Seoul greeted us with a gloomy sky and light coolness (about 20 degrees Celsius), from which we have already gotten used to in the hot SEA. In my mind, Korea was supposed to be like Hong Kong, but it turned out to be more like Japan.

Seoul by night

Seoul has a lot of faceless utilitarian concrete buildings and monotonous residential areas, but in some places they are diluted with colorful neighborhoods with low houses and shining skyscrapers of business districts.

Accommodation in Seoul

Seoul is not the cheapest city for the budget traveler. The cheapest accommodation we could find was Hostel Korea Original. A night in a private room cost more than $ 30. For the first few nights we managed to get a room with our own bathroom at a special rate, but then had to move to a room with a shared bathroom as the price of ours increased.

Hostel Korea Original

Although we don't like hostels, we really liked Hostel Korea Original. The inside of the hostel was clean, quiet and comfortable. There is everything a tourist needs: a kitchen, a washing machine and even free coffee. The rooms are quite small and austere but clean. In the morning, if you get up early, you could have time for a symbolic breakfast in the form of toast with jam, but they were quickly eaten, as they are simply put on the table in the kitchen.

One of the streets of the area where the hostel is located

The hostel was located in a nice area with narrow streets and low brick houses; you can get to the center by metro or walk a few kilometers.

Search for hotels in Seoul:

Food

We arrived at the hostel before check-in (check-in) hour, so we decided to go eat. Usually we rely on our strength, but then we decided to ask the administrator where it is better for us to eat, so that the food is vegetarian. The administrator guy turned out to be very helpful, and decided to take us to the cafe himself. We already thought that now they would take us to another tourist point with huge prices, but the guy took us to a democratic in appearance and prices diner with Korean food, and also explained to the workers in Korean that we need food without meat. No one spoke English in the cafe, the whole menu was in Korean.

Bibimbap and kimchi

They brought us two hot pots of rice and vegetables, to which they served broth and kimchi - Korean pickles that are served with almost every meal. Strictly speaking, kimchi is spicy pickled Chinese cabbage, but kimchi snacks are not limited to it. Rice pots are called bibimbap and it is one of the most famous traditional Korean dishes. We liked the food very much, we returned to this place several more times.

Kimbap

In Korea, rolls similar to Japanese are popular, but they use rice without vinegar and do not put raw fish. The rolls are wrapped in nori sheets, and the filling is filled with vegetables, omelet, ham and seafood. Such rolls are called gimbap, they appeared during the Japanese occupation of Korea (from 1910 to 1945).

Korean cuisine is quite spicy, but by personal feelings it is much less spicy than Thai or Indian.

Street food is popular in Korea, as well as throughout Asia. Tents with food are piled up in certain walk-through places, they look very decent in terms of hygiene.

Street food in Seoul

Korea could not do without food that is a little crazy for a European look, for example:

Toast with whipped cream and caramel sauce

Ice cream poured into edible long spiral tubes

Canned Silkworm Pupae

Food prices in Korea far from Southeast Asia, and here a budget tourist cannot roam. In the most democratic places without waiters, you can hardly find dishes for $ 5-8, in the bulk of cafes a meal will cost at least $ 10-15 per person. For at least a couple of weeks, we have not been able to come up with anything cheaper than buying food in the supermarket.

Beautiful night panorama of the capital of South Korea - Seoul

Holidays in South Korea are popular among both young people and families with children, the elderly.

The maximum period of stay on the territory of the Republic for Russians is 90 days in one half-year (180 days). However, you can stay in the country continuously during this time for no more than 60 days.

If you plan to stay in the country for a long time in order to acquire education or employment, you will need to obtain a long-term visa of the appropriate category.

See a detailed analysis of how to go through the customs declaration and fill in the Arrival Card upon arrival in the country.