marzomarz
Mar 22, 12, 11:52 pm
flying to CEB with my wife. Routing involves an 8hr layover in either Beijing or Seoul. I've been to Beijing but never Seoul. Wife has been to neither. What would you recommend? I presume I need visas for Beijing.
Asia - Beijing or Seoul for an 8HR layover
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JayhawkCO
Mar 22, 12, 11:58 pm
You likely don't need a visa for China. Many nationalities (including US) get a 24 hour visa waiver at PEK. That said, I'd do ICN. You can probably do a DMZ tour (bookable from the airport). Also a rather nice airport. Was there earlier today.
Chris
Chris
HawaiiO
Mar 23, 12, 1:08 am
Seoul is probably better.
The main attractions in PEK dont fare really well for just 8 hours.
Airport is far away and there is no real "downtown".
The main attractions in PEK dont fare really well for just 8 hours.
Airport is far away and there is no real "downtown".
moondog
Mar 23, 12, 10:11 am
flying to CEB with my wife. Routing involves an 8hr layover in either Beijing or Seoul. I've been to Beijing but never Seoul. Wife has been to neither. What would you recommend? I presume I need visas for Beijing.
TMK, there aren't any nonstop flights between PEK and CEB. If so, I would cross PEK off the list on these grounds.
You can do ICN (KE or OZ), HKG (CX), or PVG (Zest Air).
TMK, there aren't any nonstop flights between PEK and CEB. If so, I would cross PEK off the list on these grounds.
You can do ICN (KE or OZ), HKG (CX), or PVG (Zest Air).
SirJman
Mar 23, 12, 10:13 pm
The ICN experience is all round better than flying through PEK anyway. I also show FT'ers around during Seoul stops. Feel free to PM me if you lile
marzomarz
Mar 23, 12, 10:14 pm
TMK, there aren't any nonstop flights between PEK and CEB. If so, I would cross PEK off the list on these grounds.
You can do ICN (KE or OZ), HKG (CX), or PVG (Zest Air).
correct. I'm flying CEB -ICN-PEK-IAD on an aeroplan award ticket. Could also fly on a United award ticket and didn't really find anything hence the less than stellar routing (if any have suggestions, please let me know). On the current routing I can either layover in ICN for 8Hr and 1HR in PEK or 1hr in PEK and 8hr in ICN. I want to leave the airport.
In PEK, I'd take my wife to see the forbidden city probably. I've never been to ICN so I don't know what I would do.
Shawn
You can do ICN (KE or OZ), HKG (CX), or PVG (Zest Air).
correct. I'm flying CEB -ICN-PEK-IAD on an aeroplan award ticket. Could also fly on a United award ticket and didn't really find anything hence the less than stellar routing (if any have suggestions, please let me know). On the current routing I can either layover in ICN for 8Hr and 1HR in PEK or 1hr in PEK and 8hr in ICN. I want to leave the airport.
In PEK, I'd take my wife to see the forbidden city probably. I've never been to ICN so I don't know what I would do.
Shawn
jaesun
Mar 26, 12, 12:15 pm
correct. I'm flying CEB -ICN-PEK-IAD on an aeroplan award ticket. Could also fly on a United award ticket and didn't really find anything hence the less than stellar routing (if any have suggestions, please let me know). On the current routing I can either layover in ICN for 8Hr and 1HR in PEK or 1hr in PEK and 8hr in ICN. I want to leave the airport.
In PEK, I'd take my wife to see the forbidden city probably. I've never been to ICN so I don't know what I would do.
Shawn
I would do ICN. And even if you don't know what you are doing, ICN has tours as mentioned above that will take you out of the airport and into the city.
In PEK, I'd take my wife to see the forbidden city probably. I've never been to ICN so I don't know what I would do.
Shawn
I would do ICN. And even if you don't know what you are doing, ICN has tours as mentioned above that will take you out of the airport and into the city.
FLLDL
Mar 26, 12, 4:00 pm
correct. I'm flying CEB -ICN-PEK-IAD on an aeroplan award ticket. Could also fly on a United award ticket and didn't really find anything hence the less than stellar routing (if any have suggestions, please let me know). On the current routing I can either layover in ICN for 8Hr and 1HR in PEK or 1hr in PEK and 8hr in ICN. I want to leave the airport.
In PEK, I'd take my wife to see the forbidden city probably. I've never been to ICN so I don't know what I would do.
Shawn
If I understand correctly, you are going to have both an 8hr and 1hr layover, and due to the schedules you will have one in ICN and one in PEK, just a matter of choosing which one gets the long layover?
If this is the situation, I would take the 8 hour layover in PEK, as it is much more delay prone than ICN, and I would not risk such a tight connection in PEK, particularly intl to intl and on an award ticket.
In PEK, I'd take my wife to see the forbidden city probably. I've never been to ICN so I don't know what I would do.
Shawn
If I understand correctly, you are going to have both an 8hr and 1hr layover, and due to the schedules you will have one in ICN and one in PEK, just a matter of choosing which one gets the long layover?
If this is the situation, I would take the 8 hour layover in PEK, as it is much more delay prone than ICN, and I would not risk such a tight connection in PEK, particularly intl to intl and on an award ticket.
Santander
Mar 27, 12, 10:49 pm
If this is the situation, I would take the 8 hour layover in PEK, as it is much more delay prone than ICN, and I would not risk such a tight connection in PEK, particularly intl to intl and on an award ticket.
You raise a good point. Depending on if the OP meant literally 1 hour or just rounded down from 1.5 hours or something, it could make for a nervous transit at PEK. 60 minutes for an international-international transit in PEK can become a nervous experience quite easily. Frequency between PEK and ICN is pretty good and you could even go to GMP if necessary, but there's no need to take the risk. PEK's really not an ideal place to miss a connection on a visa-free transit.
You raise a good point. Depending on if the OP meant literally 1 hour or just rounded down from 1.5 hours or something, it could make for a nervous transit at PEK. 60 minutes for an international-international transit in PEK can become a nervous experience quite easily. Frequency between PEK and ICN is pretty good and you could even go to GMP if necessary, but there's no need to take the risk. PEK's really not an ideal place to miss a connection on a visa-free transit.
SirJman
Mar 28, 12, 2:19 am
You raise a good point. Depending on if the OP meant literally 1 hour or just rounded down from 1.5 hours or something, it could make for a nervous transit at PEK. 60 minutes for an international-international transit in PEK can become a nervous experience quite easily. Frequency between PEK and ICN is pretty good and you could even go to GMP if necessary, but there's no need to take the risk. PEK's really not an ideal place to miss a connection on a visa-free transit.
Right, and the ICN-PEK flights are constantly held on the tarmac at ICN for 15-60 minutes due to congestion (or smog) at PEK cutting into an already tight 60 hour connection.
Remember also, T3 at PEK is big and always pretty busy so things take time. Taxiing to your arrival gate (5-15 minutes), getting off the plane, queuing at the transit passport check (has taken me anywhere from 5-20 minutes), queuing again at security (again, another 5-15 minutes), then getting to your departure gate (3-15 minutes). I wouldn't want anything less than 90 minutes.
The one saving grace is that if you are connecting to CA, you can expect them to have a 15-30 minute delay pretty consistently. Sadly, my CA flight to SIN last week was 5 hours delayed:td:
Right, and the ICN-PEK flights are constantly held on the tarmac at ICN for 15-60 minutes due to congestion (or smog) at PEK cutting into an already tight 60 hour connection.
Remember also, T3 at PEK is big and always pretty busy so things take time. Taxiing to your arrival gate (5-15 minutes), getting off the plane, queuing at the transit passport check (has taken me anywhere from 5-20 minutes), queuing again at security (again, another 5-15 minutes), then getting to your departure gate (3-15 minutes). I wouldn't want anything less than 90 minutes.
The one saving grace is that if you are connecting to CA, you can expect them to have a 15-30 minute delay pretty consistently. Sadly, my CA flight to SIN last week was 5 hours delayed:td: