BYoung4u2

We will have about a 30 hour layover in Seoul in mid-Feb 09 and are looking at the Hotel Ibis Myeong Dong as a centrally located place to stay for one evening...have also heard about a city bus tour that we might take...any comments concerning either as well as suggestions for restaurants/sights to see in the area would be greatly apprecited. Also interested in best way to get into town from the airport...to include approx. cost for taxi.
Thanks so much, Bob and Ruth

W9London

Yikes, mid-February!!! One thing for sure, the weather would be freezing cold. Think -10C (could FEEL colder esp with wind chill), might have snow/ice.

My boss sends me to Korea usually in Jan/Feb, because that's the time of the year he doesn't want to go.

Anyway, any particular reasons why you want to stick to Myeong Dong? The city has extensive subway networks, so it really doesn't matter too much where you stay. Also Myeong Dong has shops and cafes (mainly seem to cater to people in early 20s) but not much in terms of tourist attractions (like Insadong, palaces and museums).

As for airport transportation, limousine would probably the best option, travel time is not much different from taxi, announcement in English (though drivers don't speak/understand English) and the seats are very comfortable. Taxi fare from the airport to central Seoul is quite expensive, about 80-90k (about $70-80) plus tolls.

Nywoman

This is the reply I received from my hotel re transportation from the airport. My plane lands at 2.30 am

The airport limousine bus running start first from 05:30 AM at the Airport and start first from 04:30AM at the Hotel.

I am terrbly sorry for we could'nt help it to use our transportation service for you

so early arriving at the airport and also one of the important thing is there are nobody working in Hotel car operation work from 08:00 AM.

I would like to have suggest you that you could be use taxi that the cost will be two types one is normal taxi approximately KRW45,000 and a big one(black color) is KRW75,000.

Please ask for Hotel information desk on airport lobby which taxi you will use.

someotherguy

I stayed at the Myeongdon Ibis last week. It is excellent value for money and a good location. It's a ten minute walk to Deoksugung Palace, and another ten to Gyeongbokgung Palace, which I found the most attractive as it has mountains as a backdrop, changing of the guards in traditional costume, and the national museum and the folk museum. The Changdeokgung palace (with the secret garden) is another ten minutes. You have to be part of a tour (sign up at the door) so check the times (English is 11:30, 13:30, and 15:30). Many museums etc. close on Mondays.

I didn't take it, but there's a circular hop-on-hop-off tourist bus that visits all the main sights. I think it's 10,000 won for all day. There are plenty of brochures in the Ibis lobby. The Euljiro 1 subway is on the corner.

I arrived by train from Gyeongju and took a taxi to the Ibis, but there's lots of information on Tripadvisor on the correct route and stop to take for the KAL bus from ICN to the Myeongdon Ibis. I did use the bus on my return: the Ibis will give you a free ride to the KAL office, and you catch the airport bus from there: 14,000 won and takes about an hour.

The Lotte department store is directly across the street and has a large food court in the basement: about 20 restaurant stalls with their wares on display (everything from "Paella Donquixote" to "pigs intestines" you note the number of the dish you want (it'll be like 6-03, meaning restaurant 6, meal 3) pay the central clerk and get a ticket with that number to present to the stall. The meals are all under $10. This is a food court with chaos and kids, not fine dining, but the food is good and it's very convenient.

NoFlyZone

Take one of the several day tours available to the DMZ. Even though it's with a group, it is nonetheless eye opening and quite interesting.

someotherguy

There are "DMZ" tours that visit the 3rd tunnel and a few other places, and the vastly more interesting "Panmunjon" tours that visit the actual Joint Security Area (where the negotiations are held). If you only do one, make sure it's the Panmunjon version. You can do a combination of both in one day. Strict dress and behavior code, and passports required for Panmunjon. You'll be told when you can take photos and when not: pay attention, the soldiers made me delete some of mine.

jyoung

I agree with doing the DMZ tour. The USO runs the tour and you have to reserve a spot in advance. If the USO doesn't have a tour scheduled for the day you are in Korea, I recommend wandering around Myongdong, Insandong, and Namdaemoon if you want to do shopping. Otherwise, the Korean War Memorial is pretty interesting, Seoul Tower has great views of the city, or catching some of the traditional performances.

To get into MyongDong from the airport, take the bus (outside the terminal). It should cost you abt. 10 bucks and 1hr and 10 mins to get to Myongdong. Don't take the black taxis. They charge way more than the typically gray taxis.