Seoul, Korea Travel Guide
About Getting Around Attractions Hotels Eats Essentials & Practicals
Getting Around Seoul
Getting around Seoul. Photo from Wikipedia
Overview: The sidewalks on the main streets are fairly accessible and smooth and the curbs are manageable. Some, of course, are a bit rugged with drainage shelters, etc. that you have to go around. There is also a lot of people walking along with you. The crosswalks are crowded but not as much as Hong Kong and you don’t need to go way out of your way to find a cross walk in a lot of areas.
In Insadong, you’ll find it pretty easy to get around and navigate and there are no major hassles to contend with. Beware that some of the restaurants in Insadong do have steps at the entrance.
Streets, Sidewalks, Curbs, Buildings
Streets that aren’t on the main road are squeezed in by buildings and cars and they tend to have little hills and branch off diagonally, crisscross, etc. You have to go by landmarks to find your way or way back. A lot of the restaurants and small stores do have steps into their establishments off the sidewalk and at the entrance. Building addresses are just damn hard to find. It’s a mess for the Western mind to find addresses here. Buildings are assigned numbers – addresses – when they’re built. Number 3 can be next to number 2057.
Tip – you have to use subway stops and landmarks to keep your location and destinations straight.
Toilet and Bathrooms: Some of the toilets in Seoul are the pit kind where you have to squat. Yikes! Find nicer, more modern places that have the western-style toilets.