Korea - Seoul and Paris - what to do? Where to stay?

Hi everyone.

I have a "vacation" coming up (January/February 2013) that takes me to a couple of places I've never been/spent time. I have to be in Riga, Latvia for business but have 2 weeks off either side so I'm making the most out of my stopovers. I usually fly via Malaysia or the Middle East and then through Amsterdam but I'm trying to shake things up a bit :)

My itinerary is this. BNE->ICN->CDG->RIX->TLL->CDG->ICN->BNE.
I have 5 days in Seoul, 5 days in Paris and 3 days in Tallinn.

I have never been to Seoul before, nor have I spent much time in Paris and the friend I am traveling with has only ever been to Canada.

The budget of the trip is technically quite high, but I think I'd like to "backpack it" in France since that's just what young people seem to do there. In Seoul I could happily stay in a Motel 6 but I'd pay for a Sofitel if the location is better. Accommodation doesn't phase me either way - I'll just be using the room to sleep, if that.

What are the best areas to stay in Seoul/Paris? In terms of central to everything a tourist might want to see, good food and nightlife etc. We are both young guys so we'll probably hit up a few bars.

Best "local" places?
I don't really like areas that are aimed at tourists and I suspect this will be a bit of a problem for me in Paris, and probably less so around Seoul, so where are some good places to go and get away from it all and just meet some local people and try their food and not get ripped off at every corner?

Anything you particularly enjoy doing in these cities?

Korean Air Any good?
As far as I'm aware I've never flown Korean and wouldn't mind some opinions. BNE<->ICN is Economy class. ICN<->CDG is Prestige.


Thank you very much

Seoul will be cold and would not have been my first choice for that time of the year, but since you are going there you will make the most of it. I enjoyed the Ibis Ambassador Myeong-dong Hotel in Seoul - central, clean and good value. Make sure you do a tour to the DMZ, which can be booked when you are in Seoul. The bar district is pretty lively in Seoul due to the American military presence, so you won't have to much trouble finding a good time there.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Make sure you do a tour to the DMZ, which can be booked when you are in Seoul

Didn't even think about it. How far out of Seoul is it? Easy day trip?

Thanks for the suggestions!



Didn't even think about it. How far out of Seoul is it? Easy day trip?

Few hours outside of Seoul.

And best to pre-book tbh. I'd recommend the USO tour. Best one there.

In Seoul I could happily stay in a Motel 6 but I'd pay for a Sofitel if the location is better. Accommodation doesn't phase me either way - I'll just be using the room to sleep, if that.

What are the best areas to stay in Seoul/Paris? In terms of central to everything a tourist might want to see, good food and nightlife etc. We are both young guys so we'll probably hit up a few bars.

Best "local" places?
I don't really like areas that are aimed at tourists and I suspect this will be a bit of a problem for me in Paris, and probably less so around Seoul, so where are some good places to go and get away from it all and just meet some local people and try their food and not get ripped off at every corner?

Anything you particularly enjoy doing in these cities?


FWIW I did a Seoul stay a while back and nabbed a decent rate at the Courtyard Seoul which is near a large shopping complex called Times Square and was a short walk to one of the main metro lines, line #5, than runs right to the heart of the downtown such as Seoul Station where everything is pretty walkable. There's a decent subway map here. (http://www.nsubway.co.kr/korea/seoul/seoulsubwaymapen.htm)

I considered the Ibis that Crocodile mentioned as it comes up as a central value accommodation but opted for the Courtyard as I was able to get a good rate and it was more well appointed than Courtyards are here in N. America, more like a Marriott in terms of ammenities and services.

As for different things to try in winter I'd recommend seeking out a bath house to warm you up and I mentioned one I especially liked in this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/1126009-seoul-korea-december.html) as it was very enjoyable and the welcome was as warm as the hot tubs.

One other recommendation is to try the street vendors for a meal as I very much enjoyed walking and trying the spicy meat skewers and other treats from the street chefs ending with a nice dessert, a moveable feast that costs very little and you get to meet the people and see more of the city while dining.

Enjoy Seoul! :)

Hi, thank you for your recommendations.

Ibis worked for me since I can usually get free/cheap accommodation at Accor properties and the Novotels seemed too far out.

The Courtyard does look superb though, and Times Square certainly looks interesting. The spa sounds like a good idea, not usually my thing but I'm not overally prepared for the cold :P

I am looking forward to trying Korean food and the street vendors will definitely be on the to do list.

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Please follow this in the Korea forum.

l'etoile
sr. moderator

If you want a better quality hotel and like Starpoints, choose the Westin Chosun. Right in the center of things.

As for Paris, it would be best to ask that separately in the France forum. Or better yet just search around there for thousands of posts on Parisien hotels.

Koreans love to shop, eat, and drink. For "local" places the area around Hongdae/Hong Ik University area is quite good both daytime and for nightlife with a large creative student population. Itaewon is the foreigner's area and has lots of bars, but becoming a bit gentrified on the fringes and attracting more locals. Gangnam is more upscale so you'll probably want to stay North of the Han river. Also interesting to visit the huge Dongdaemun fashion market open all night, go inside the huge malls to heat up and then go out to see the street vendors selling their wares in -20 weather. There is also lots of street food and souvenirs at Namdaemun market. You'll definitely want to bundle up because it will be cold but sunny in winter.

Unfortunately your dates may not be flexible, but honestly, I wouldn't want to vacation in Seoul in January/February. I'll echo the other poster that pointed out that it may get quite cold. I was in Seoul in Jan of last year, and ended up with a cracked lip after about ~30 minutes walking outside. If you have to go in January/February, make sure you bring a nice warm jacket, gloves and something to protect your head just in case Seoul gets hit with an arctic blast.

Few hours outside of Seoul.

And best to pre-book tbh. I'd recommend the USO tour. Best one there.

Also be careful which DMZ tour u take. There is one that actually goes to the 38th parellel at Camp Bonifas, and there is another that takes you to tours of tunnels and an observatory. Just clarify which one you want when you book it.

As far as Korean air is concerned, I think it is one of the best airlines in the world. I recently just flew Thai and Singapore airlines in business and while I believe the hard product in business is very similar, there is just a slight difference in the soft product. In both Thai and Singapore, there seems to be more of the staff coming around with drinks instead of you needing to ask for it in between meals. Other than that, even if you are on the old style business class seats, it is still very comfortable. I have also experienced economy seats, and I believe the new economy seats with the huge personal screen is the best long haul economy seats. I never tried Qatar or any of the high ranking middle eastern planes, but in my opinion, Korean air is better than Singapore, Thai or asiana. Singapore has more selection of shows to watch, however, the seats on the A 330 were a but hard for me.

I do agree with everyone else that January/February is about the worst time of the year to visit Seoul. Sometimes, The air is so cold it feels like its cutting your skin. Good luck with your trip

Sorry, missed all these new posts.

wouldn't want to vacation in Seoul in January/February. I'll echo the other poster that pointed out that it may get quite cold.

Considering my next destinations are Paris, Riga and Tallinn, Seoul will be the warmest part of my trip :P

As far as Korean air is concerned, I think it is one of the best airlines in the world. I recently just flew Thai and Singapore airlines in business and while I believe the hard product in business is very similar, there is just a slight difference in the soft product. In both Thai and Singapore, there seems to be more of the staff coming around with drinks instead of you needing to ask for it in between meals. Other than that, even if you are on the old style business class seats, it is still very comfortable. I have also experienced economy seats, and I believe the new economy seats with the huge personal screen is the best long haul economy seats. I never tried Qatar or any of the high ranking middle eastern planes, but in my opinion, Korean air is better than Singapore, Thai or asiana. Singapore has more selection of shows to watch, however, the seats on the A 330 were a but hard for me.

Thank you very much, sounds like it should be a decent flights.

Koreans love to shop, eat, and drink. For "local" places the area around Hongdae/Hong Ik University area is quite good both daytime and for nightlife with a large creative student population. Itaewon is the foreigner's area and has lots of bars, but becoming a bit gentrified on the fringes and attracting more locals. Gangnam is more upscale so you'll probably want to stay North of the Han river. Also interesting to visit the huge Dongdaemun fashion market open all night, go inside the huge malls to heat up and then go out to see the street vendors selling their wares in -20 weather. There is also lots of street food and souvenirs at Namdaemun market.

All great advice, thank you.

Considering my next destinations are Paris, Riga and Tallinn, Seoul will be the warmest part of my trip :P


Personally, I rather have the cold weather being based in DFW and all.
All my summer trips this year were to escape the heat basically.

And I think the worst time to visit Korea is in the summer like mid-August.
The best times are spring and fall. Simply marvelous.

As far as Korean air is concerned, I think it is one of the best airlines in the world. I recently just flew Thai and Singapore airlines in business and while I believe the hard product in business is very similar, there is just a slight difference in the soft product. In both Thai and Singapore, there seems to be more of the staff coming around with drinks instead of you needing to ask for it in between meals. Other than that, even if you are on the old style business class seats, it is still very comfortable. I have also experienced economy seats, and I believe the new economy seats with the huge personal screen is the best long haul economy seats. I never tried Qatar or any of the high ranking middle eastern planes, but in my opinion, Korean air is better than Singapore, Thai or asiana. Singapore has more selection of shows to watch, however, the seats on the A 330 were a but hard for me.


Purely for reference, Skytrax ranking of airlines

2012:
1. Qatar
2. Asiana
3. Singapore
9. Thai
16. Korean Air


2011:
1. Qatar
2. Singapore
3. Asiana
5. Thai
24. Korean Air

Personally, I rather have the cold weather being based in DFW and all.
All my summer trips this year were to escape the heat basically.

I'm Australian, so I hear ya :P