Arriving Early to Seoul: Where and How to Stay, and Why?

Arriving early to Korea seems like a scary situation but it is actually a very great idea. It will help you to get assimilated and help you meet new friends. Most students who go to Hanyang tend to arrive right before the semester begins, however; you can arrive early and explore different parts of Seoul that you may not get the chance to see otherwise. Some people are afraid of not making friends or having no one to spend time with but if you choose certain places to stay you will not have to worry about any of these things.

Housing Options

Hanyang University will not allow you to move into the dorm too early but Korea has lots of guest houses/hostels that offer affordable and safe housing. If you search Airbnb.com, hostelworld.com, agoda.com. booking.com, you will find many of these options. When searching keep in mind that you don’t need to pay for it right away. Many of the guesthouse owners allow you to pay once you are done with your stay. So make sure to choose one of these guest houses/hostels because they will be more trustworthy than others.

One place that is suggested is The Social House in Itaewon (이태원). This guesthouse is one of the cleanest places to stay and offers free breakfast/Wi-Fi. The owner is very nice and helpful for anything you want to do. It is also very affordable as well. One night in the guesthouse is $14 dollars but if you stay for one week it averages about $12 a night. It is also in a great place to get accustomed to Seoul. Itaewon is known for having all sorts of different cultures and the guesthouse hosts people from all over. Most of the time everyone who stays there can speak English. The Guesthouse is also very close to the main subway system in Seoul. You can travel to any of the main tourist’s spots on this subway in a short amount of time.

One other place that is suggested is Hongdae Guesthouse. This guesthouse is placed in one of the most popular places in Seoul. Hongdae (홍대) is known for being a big party spot for college students so if you’re looking for some fun night time activities definitely check it out. The guesthouse is only $18 dollars (about 20,000 Won) a night and is very comfy. It hosts foreigners and lots of Koreans too. It is only about a 5 minute walk to the main subway station so transportation is very convenient. This is a great spot place to get accustomed to the night life in Seoul.

Sometimes people underestimate how hard it can be to overcome moving to another country. The problems you may face will be new and unpredictable. That’s why getting to Seoul early will benefit you greatly and allow you to have an easier transition into Korean culture. It will help you to understand how everything works in the city and to gain sense of security that you may not get if you arrive right when school starts.

Article by Vincent from the USA