Seoul

Where to stay

Hongdae, right around Hongik University Station on Line 2 and the Airport Railroad Express, has the densest cluster of budget hostels and stays active late into the night. Sinchon, one stop east on Line 2, tends to run slightly cheaper with the same easy subway access.

Getting around

• Pick up a T-money card at any convenience store or airport kiosk the moment you land. It works on the subway, city buses, and some taxis, and each ride costs less than buying a single-use ticket at the gate.
• For cheap, filling food, head to Gwangjang Market in the Jongno area. The covered main hall has stalls serving bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and mayak gimbap that locals actually line up for, separate from the outer stretch aimed at tourists.
• The AREX all-stop train from Incheon Airport to Hongik University Station costs a modest fare and takes just over an hour. The direct express to Seoul Station costs more than twice as much and saves maybe 20 minutes. Unless you are transferring immediately, the all-stop train is the better call.

When to go

April and October fill hostels quickly and prices climb, while January and February are the cheapest months, though Seoul gets genuinely cold and occasionally icy.