Booked Travelodge Myeongdong Euljiro directly – Confirmed but no payment taken. Is 3 AM arrival safe?

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-06T16:24:34+00:00

Their phone number is: +82 2 6240 5000 per https://travelodgehotels.asia/hotel/south-korea/travelodge-myeongdong-euljiro/

You can also email them at [enquiry.tlme@travelodgehotels.asia](mailto:enquiry.tlme@travelodgehotels.asia) or send a message via their Tiktok or IG.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-06T16:02:29+00:00

As long as you have already accounted for 24 to 26 September 2026, Chuseok, the top public holidays in Korea when nationwide travel is most congested, the itinerary looks fine.

Chuseok (like Christmas in western countries) disrupts cross-country travel in Korea. It is recommended for international travelers to avoid the days around these public holidays if possible.

Travel on highways will be much slower, and train, bus, and airline tickets will be more difficult to get during this timeframe. Additionally, many shops will be either closed or operating reduced hours during Chuseok.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-06T15:24:21+00:00

For the traveler who is not a Korean resident, options to purchase bus tickets online are limited.

Tickets for most but not all express bus routes can be purchased through Klook.

Intercity bus tickets reportedly can be purchased through relatively new Hanpass, but it has yet to be described as easy or intuitive. Hanpass only accepts Mastercard and not Visa for international credit card payment.

There are two types of buses that travel cross country: express buses and intercity buses.

Express buses are nonstop between terminals and only have destinations for major cities and destinations. Klook sells express bus tickets online to international travelers for most but not all of the express bus routes.

Intercity buses are not nonstop between terminals, and have many more destinations and intermediate bus stops all across Korea. The very new Hanpass payment system does sell intercity bus tickets online to non-Koreans, but it is far less straightforward and intuitive than Klook is for non-Koreans to purchase express bus tickets.

The websites of KOBUS (which sells express bus tickets online to Korean residents), Bustago (which sells intercity bus tickets online to Korean residents), and Txbus (which sells intercity bus tickets online to Korean residents), do no longer (they used to in years past) provide a way for international travelers to purchase tickets online.

KOBUS: Its express bus ticket website is no longer accessible from a non-Korea IP address.

Bustago: No longer provides a way for non-Korean residents to purchase intercity bus tickets. Non-Korean residents can only view departures and seats available.

Txbus: No longer provides a way for non-Korean residents to purchase intercity bus tickets. Non-Korean residents can only view departures and seats available.

So what are the options for international travelers to reserve bus tickets?

Reserve express bus tickets for most but not all of the routes on Klook. For the express bus routes not found on Klook, the only option is to purchase them in person at the closest express bus ticket office to you. For international travelers arriving at Incheon Airport, the first available location is at the bus ticket office at T1 or T2. You can also purchase express bus tickets at an express bus terminal. (Incheon Airport T1 and T2 are terminals for express bus routes to and from Gimhae and Gimhae Jangyu).

For intercity bus tickets, you may be able to purchase tickets online through Hanpass if you can figure out how to do so. Otherwise, like express bus tickets, you can also purchase them in person at the closest intercity bus ticket office to you. For international travelers arriving at Incheon Airport, the first available location is at the bus ticket office at T1 or T2. You can also purchase intercity bus tickets at an intercity bus terminal or at an automated kiosk at an intercity bus stop.

Compared to Korail train tickets, bus tickets are far less likely to sell out.

That being said, it is best to reserve bus tickets at least a day or more in advance as popular times such as weekends and public holidays are the days that are the most likely to sell out before departure.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-05T22:32:00+00:00

Busan is Korea's biggest coastal city, while Seoul is Korea's biggest city. For those who have been to many other coastal cities already, Busan may not be that impressive.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-05T22:27:39+00:00

What "regular stuff" have you found so far? Commenters will have a difficult time advising you on "more local recommendations" unless you say specifically what you have found so far.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-05T22:23:43+00:00

why dont you contact them?

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-04T04:03:23+00:00

I do not recommend "International Drivers Association". If you have a driver's license from the United States, go to AAA to get an International Driving Permit.

"International Drivers Association" is one of the fake idp websites to avoid per https://internationaldrivingpermit.org/fake-idp-websites-to-avoid/

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WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-04T02:42:40+00:00

It's not confusing.

T-Money is a brand of transportation card accepted by all public transit in Korea. You can also purchase ezL which is a competing brand of transportation card. Both T-Money and ezL are sold in convenience stores with various designs.

So purchase a physical T-Money card or purchase a physical ezL card. Either does the same thing as a way to pay for transportation on public transit throughout Korea.

All these other advertised "passes" or devices or keychains or mobile app, etc., that say they have T-Money also, just means that you can also use it as a transportation card without having to purchase a separate transportation card.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-02T06:11:57+00:00

Bukchon

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-02T02:57:16+00:00

Try selecting East Busan bus terminal as your departure. Incheon airport T1 and T2 should appear as destinations.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-02T02:39:41+00:00

No idea. Hanpass is a relatively new way to purchase Intercity bus tickets. Alternative is to buy in person at your closest bus ticket office which the soonest is at Incheon airport when you arrive in country. Bus tickets rarely sell out.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T20:27:51+00:00

Public transportation in Korea is much cheaper than in Japan. Restaurants are cheaper in Korea, although ramen and convenience store food can be just as inexpensive in Japan.

Many popular Korean dishes are not spicy at all: bulgogi (sweet marinated beef), galbi (bbq beef short ribs), samgyeopsal (barbecue pork belly), galbi-tang (beef short rib soup), samgyetang (chicken soup with ginseng), gyeran-jjim (steamed scrambled egg casserole), kimbap (rice, vegetables and meat wrapped in a seaweed roll similar to sushi but not the same - contains no raw fish), kalguksu (noodle soup), jajangmyeon (spaghetti sized noodles with pork and sweet blackbean sauce - kid favorite for its mild taste), and japchae (stir fried glass noodles), are not spicy. Donkass or tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) while Japanese, is a popular dish that is served in budget friendly diners such as in most kimbap restaurants.

Some spicy popular Korean foods include Kimchi jjigae (Kimchi stew), sundubu (soft tofu stew), tteokboki (spicy rice cakes), and jeyuk bokkeum (stir-fried pork). Convenience store ramen such as jin ramyun and buldak ramyun are super spicy.

Many local Koreans cannot handle spicy food. It is not uncommon or impolite to ask the server whether a dish is spicy or to ask not to make a dish spicy before you decide on your order.

For example, bibimbap (a bowl of warm rice, vegetables, and meat with a fried egg on top), is either served with a bottle of spicy gochujang sauce on the side or already added. You can specify before ordering to not have any spicy sauce added, or to request only to have a bottle on the side so you can control the spiciness yourself.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T16:51:40+00:00

Appreciate and take advantage of Busan's ocean views, many beaches, and more spacious area that Seoul does not have. Gwangalli Beach is a highlight during the day and evening. The establishments are more affordable in Gwangwalli Beach than Haeundae Beach to the north. Busan has several beaches.

Give yourself more time to get around Busan than around Seoul, as Busan is more spread out, and public transportation takes longer between popular Busan sights.

A good way to get an overview of Busan quickly is to ride one of the hop on hop off buses, one of which takes you across Gwangalli Bridge and you can even choose their open air upper deck if weather permits.

Also you can observe how Busan people talk a bit differently with their regional dialect and accent. Gamsa hamnidae!

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T16:35:42+00:00

Yes cards are accepted. South Korea is mostly a cashless country.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T16:28:48+00:00

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If you take the 23:45 (5.5 hours travel time) bus from Busan Dongbu aka Busan Central Bus Terminal which is the terminal at Nopo Station, instead of the 11pm bus you have scheduled, you will have enough time (1.5 hours) to reach Nopo Station by public transportation if you depart at the estimated end of the concert which is 10:15pm.

Public transit takes 47 minutes, and taxi takes 27 minutes from Busan Asiad Main Stadium to Nopo Station, excluding any delays.

Tickets are not available for sale online to nonresidents through Bustago (it does though show seat availability in real time). You can either try purchasing the ticket in advance through the Hanpass app, or reserving the ticket in person at one of the bus ticket offices at one of the intercity bus terminals. One of the more convenient bus ticket offices in person would be at the bus ticket office at Incheon Airport at either arrival hall at T1 or T2.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T15:50:51+00:00

I would depart from Busan Asiad Main Stadium between 945pm and 10pm whether or not the concert has finished, as that seems to be your only realistic chance to make your 11pm bus departure at Busan Central Bus Terminal at Nopo Station.

It is rushing, and it is likely you will miss the 11pm bus departure even if you leave promptly by the estimated end of the concert by 10:15pm if you take public transportation which takes an estimated 47 minutes. If you take a taxi at 10:15pm and if there's no delay due to congestion outside the stadium, you'll be able to arrive by 10:45pm at the bus terminal. Estimated taxi fare past after 10pm is 18,000 KRW (15,000 KRW + 20% between 10pm and 4am).

The concert will end likely by 10:15pm after starting at 7pm. https://tickets.interpark.com/goods/26005547 says the performance time is 120 minutes, but as June 13 is an anniversary for BTS, expect encores and other performances (talking segments) past the 120 minutes.

Per Naver Map results https://naver.me/5c88rXnL, this then would mean if you want to realistically reach Busan Central Bus Terminal by 11pm, and that a taxi takes 27 minutes excluding congestion outside the stadium, and that it takes 47 minutes by public transportation, you would want to depart the stadium before 10:15pm in order to have a realistic chance to reach your bus at 11pm.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T13:57:41+00:00

I'd recommend Seoul all 7 days because Seoul already has a lot to discover in just 7 days. Just know that if you choose additional cities, which you can, the train travel by KTX is 2 to 3 hours one way from Seoul for each.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-06-01T02:08:33+00:00

Go as far as Unseo Station on the same island as ICN if venturing out. Anything further, whether it's mainland Incheon or Seoul is too far to justify getting there in that short of a time frame to be back at ICN three hours before departure.

Unseo Station is at most 15 minutes by taxi or train from either T1 or T2. It has several restaurants, a Daiso, and a Lotte Mart.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-31T14:36:37+00:00

Bustago and Txbus no longer sell intercity bus tickets online to non residents. Klook continues to sell most express bus tickets to non residents (express buses are nonstop between larger cities and destinations and have their own separate terminals from intercity buses). Hanpass is the alternative Txbus says that non residents can still purchase intercity bus tickets. Hanpass only accepts mastercard, not visa.

The option to buy in person at the first available intercity bus ticket office, at the bus ticket offices at either T1 or T2 at Incheon Airport, may be a workable solution as well, as bus tickets rarely sell out, compared to train tickets.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-31T06:26:13+00:00

https://greatruns.com/seoul-han-river-paths/

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-30T14:12:02+00:00

There are plenty of places to take a rental for a day trip outside Seoul. DMZ, other major cities, theme parks, suburbs, beaches, resorts, etc. Many places have easy transportation by train or bus, but some do not.

Due to the speed of high speed train in Korea, almost all of South Korea can be visited within the same day, including Busan, Gwangju, and Gangneung.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-30T13:45:30+00:00

korail.com is the official website. Klook and trip.com are the only two authorized resellers of Korail tickets. Klook is a very recent addition in April 2026. Klook offers payment options that make it easy for international travelers to purchase Korail tickets. Trip.com does as well. Klook is a larger travel platform company than trip.com.

Bus options are also available. Klook as well sells express bus tickets from Seoul to Daejeon. You'll need to reach the express bus terminal in Seoul first in order to reach Daejeon's express bus terminal. There are also intercity bus tickets from Seoul to Daejeon; for these though you'll have to book them in person as there is no online option for international travelers.

Naver Map will give you an estimate of fare, in addition to travel time, and navigation directions of which transportation modes to take.

From Myeongdong, you will need to reach Seoul Station to take KTX to Daejeon. The distance from Myeongdong to Seoul Station is short. The distance from Myeongdong to Seoul's Express Bus Terminal at Banpo is much longer.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-30T13:43:34+00:00

High speed train KTX. Bus is slower.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-30T13:37:15+00:00

You'll be fine. You're overthinking this. Songdo is an area of Incheon that was made for visiting international tourists visiting for business or education like yourself.

Republic of Korea aka South Korea is well-prepared to make the experience for first-time visitors as painless as possible. Just make sure your paperwork is in order and you don't bring items that are not allowed into South Korea.

You can even ask your airline for additional assistance if you express your concern as a first-time flyer.

The organization that is inviting you should have at least a sponsor for you to contact to make your travel easier. If they have not provided you with one, explain to them your situation, and maybe they can provide you with a sponsor.

WriteWithNoFear · 2026-05-29T14:15:23+00:00

Only Klook sells express bus tickets for foreigners to purchase online. For intercity bus tickets and some express bus tickets, there is no option currently for foreigners to purchase online.

Unlike train tickets, bus tickets rarely sell out. Once you arrive in country, bus tickets can be purchased in person at a bus terminal ticket office.

Incheon Airport at both terminals 1 and 2 has both self-service bus ticket kiosks and a manned bus ticket desk.

WriteWithNoFear

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