What is the best way to prepare for a first trip to Korea?
I am planning my first trip to Korea and I want to prepare well before I go. What are the most important things to arrange in advance for transportation, payments, and communication?
Note: This is an editorial persona question created from common experiences of foreign residents in Korea.
1 Answer
The essentials to arrange in advance are transit, payment, and connectivity. Transit is simplest with a T-money card that you top up with cash and use on virtually all public transport nationwide, and pairing it with Naver Map or Kakao Map covers navigation since Google Maps is limited here. For payment, tap-and-go with an international card works in most stores and restaurants, though cash is still handy for markets and small vendors, and a WOWPASS is a convenient all-in-one for exchange plus transit. For connectivity, an eSIM activated on arrival is the least hassle, and KakaoTalk is a must-have because it's how people message, share locations, and even pay in some cases. If you have time, keep Papago open for translation, and getting help along the way becomes very easy.