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  • If you are coming to South Korea, I am so glad you found this video.

  • This is your ultimate South Korea travel guide for 2024.

  • I am answering as many questions as I can, but if I don't answer one of your questions, feel free to book an online consultation with me so I can help you plan your trip accordingly.

  • Also, the 2023 guide is also very accurate.

  • Many things in there that are still true, good answers.

  • I will delete anything that is not true from that video, so check that one out as well, but let's get right into it.

  • First off, K-ETA.

  • If you are coming from any of the countries here on the screen, you do not even have to worry about the K-ETA.

  • All you have to do is arrive in South Korea, and when you're on the plane or after you land, you'll get a little arrival card.

  • You just fill that out.

  • That's it.

  • If you are not from one of the countries on the screen, you do have to apply still for the K-ETA, and then down below, I listed some links just in case you get denied or something goes wrong.

  • There's some more helpful links listed down below.

  • The most popular question I get over on Instagram is always, "How do I make friends?"

  • "I'm coming as a solo traveler. How do I meet people?"

  • I'm kind of terrified, but I'm also super excited.

  • I love to meet you guys and hang out with you guys over on my Friends Meeting event.

  • It's one of the best ways for me to be able to help you connect to other travelers, but there's an old video I posted actually about apps to have on your phone, and in that, I talk about how to make friends before you come to Korea, when you're here, so I really recommend you check that video out.

  • And hopefully, I can meet you and see you at my Friends Meeting event.

  • It's online and in-person meetups, by the way, but you have to come to the online one to go to the in-person.

  • Anyways, check out my website. More information there.

  • SIM cards, specifically eSIM cards.

  • eSIM cards are very convenient because instead of having to physically take out a SIM and physically put in another SIM, it all happens just like within your phone.

  • The eSIM card that I am the most familiar with, that I and my friends have experienced and used, is called Airlo, and I will link it down below.

  • You actually get three dollars off if you use that link.

  • Hey-o, free money.

  • In Airlo, there is a South Korea category, and they have a few plans, but those are way more expensive than if you're looking to go super cheap.

  • They have a global SIM card, and South Korea is included in the global SIM card.

  • You can purchase their SIM card.

  • You get like a data pack, so you won't have a phone number, but if for some reason you run out, you can just add and like top up on that SIM card that you have if you would like to.

  • Very cheap and reasonable option.

  • I'll link all of that down below, but please watch my SIM card video because there's a lot of things that you have to make sure that you do before you come here if you are trying to get a physical SIM card, making sure your phone is unlocked.

  • I go into all the details on my SIM card video.

  • It's still up-to-date, so I'll definitely check that out.

  • By the way, and I'm really shy to insert this portion of the video, but if you're finding this video helpful or any of my videos helpful in the top comment down below, I'm going to pin a comment that just is simple ways that you can support me and support my channel since content creation is my full-time job.

  • Really, thank you so much in advance for all of your support and love, and let's keep going with the video.

  • Okay, a lot of people ask me, "Where do I stay when I come to Seoul."

  • I have an older video where I talk about the different areas I would recommend that you stay, but let me just update the portion about Myeongdong.

  • In that video, I say that Myeongdong is quite dead in comparison to before.

  • I just went to Myeongdong not that long ago.

  • It was freezing and it was packed.

  • Myeongdong is now hopping.

  • It is alive.

  • I will say though, it is the busiest area currently in Seoul, and so be careful if you're not super into like the heavy tourist vibe.

  • I probably wouldn't recommend that you stay in Myeongdong, but maybe around Myeongdong because it is a good location-wise.

  • I go into it in the where to stay video.

  • It's a good location, but I personally just don't like being surrounded and overwhelmed by huge crowds, lots of tourists.

  • Now I would say go watch the where to stay video, and everything else in that video, it's still true.

  • It's still up-to-date.

  • You guys know one of the most popular series probably on my channel is my transportation playlist, but I wanted to update it.

  • Me, ya girl, she always wants to save money.

  • When in doubt, I'm going to save money.

  • But I know some people maybe come to Korea with a lot of luggage, maybe are just super tired, super jet lagged, don't want to have to deal with going up and down subway steps, or just trying to make their way around Korea when they first get here, they just want to take a taxi.

  • I don't blame you at all.

  • Some people have misunderstood what I said that it's super expensive, like incredibly expensive.

  • I'mma looking up on my phone.

  • To take a taxi, it says on my phone from Incheon airport to Myeongdong station, it is 55,000 won, which is about 42 US dollars.

  • Some people would say 42 dollars, that's nothing, especially because you don't have to tip, and you're right.

  • It's so much cheaper than it would be in the States, because that's an hour-ish taxi ride.

  • And that, by the way, is only for a general taxi, so it's not a big taxi.

  • That would include like one person and three large suitcases, or two people and two large suitcases.

  • The problem is with traffic, that price could increase depending on what day, what time of day.

  • A larger taxi, like the Venti larger taxis, you end up accidentally getting into the black taxis rather than the general taxis.

  • So it can cost, let's just say, 50 to 100, 120 USD to take a taxi from the airport to where you're going.

  • But I do want to warn you, when you get to the airport, please make sure you're going to the right area to get the correct taxis, not the ones that are trying to rip you off.

  • If you're trying to take the bus, because there are bus options that can get you almost directly to your hotel for about 15 to 20 USD.

  • All of that is listed in my airport guide in complete detail.

  • I go into explanation, explanation, picture, walk here, go here, so I really recommend you check out the airport guide.

  • Even if you're not planning to take the bus or the taxi, it's a very good guide to just help you know how to get through the airport, and I will be updating it just in time for spring for all of those of you who are trying to come see the cherry blossoms, so look out for that.

  • Some people ask me where should I eat.

  • I have a video that explains how to eat Korean barbecue.

  • I have another video that explains how to eat by yourself, because you can't actually eat by yourself in all restaurants here in Korea.

  • So I definitely recommend checking those out, but if you want restaurant recommendations, if you want to know where do I go to get the good grub, I have a food guide over on a company's website called Thatch.

  • Super, super helpful.

  • I tell you how to eat at each of those restaurants, what I would eat at each of those restaurants.

  • I even have like a little section, "Can I eat here by myself?"

  • "Is there a touch pad?" Those are great, if you are a little scared to speak Korean.

  • Some restaurants have like a little touch pad thing going on, so you just card paid, they bring you the food, or you go pick it up.

  • You don't even have to talk to anybody, for those of you who are a little nervous, a little apprehensive about talking to people.

  • But just as a bonus tip, I will show here on the screen one of the options that I have on there.

  • This is a chain restaurant here in Korea, and when I tell you they're mandu, they're dumplings, the fried dumplings.

  • So good.

  • The last thing I want to point you in the direction of is my new podcast, where I go way more in depth of like things I wish I would have known before traveling.

  • Traveler's oppression.

  • If you didn't know that was a thing, that's a thing, and you should be prepared for it so that you aren't so surprised by it.

  • Questions that you should ask if you're planning to travel with somebody else, I go into way more depth here in the podcast, so I would check that out, and I'll see you over there.

  • Safe travels, and bye!

If you are coming to South Korea, I am so glad you found this video.

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