Korea (October 2010)

Eric, Jessica, and Mom's Korea trip, October 10-24, 2010.

Itinerary

(famous for mackerel, soju, wooden masks)

Seoul

Best Western (reserved for 10/12-10/13)
Courtyard Marriott (reserved for 10/12-10/13)
Holiday Inn (reserved for 10/21-10/23)
This was the Best Western I wanted to stay at, but they don't allow more than 2 ppl per room.
The IP Boutique Hotel is an Imperial Palace hotel located near Itaewon. Couldn't reserve a room because site in Korean. A possibility for next time, maybe.]
Here's the youth hostel where I submitted a reservation using their online form. Won't know whether I got a room until I hear back from them. I had to use Internet Explorer to make the reservation.

Subway travel in Seoul: "If planning on using the metro extensively or staying for more than a few weeks, you should consider purchasing a T-money stored value contactless smart card. You can buy this card at most subway stations and many newspaper kiosks near subway entrances, as well as convenience stores. The card itself costs ₩3000 and cash can be charged onto the card as often as you like. When entering and leaving a subway turnstile, place the card on the reader (leaving it inside your purse or wallet is fine) and it will deduct the appropriate fare from the card. Using this card will allow you to save ₩100 on all transfers (these are common with Seoul's extensive subway system) and you can get all but ₩500 back if you have unused credit. Typically for most travellers staying less than 2 weeks in Seoul, purchasing this card may not be cheaper but other factors should be considered: it can also be used for taxi fares, buses, storage lockers, pay phones, etc. It also saves the hassle from figuring out how much you need to pay or waiting in line to buy a single-use ticket. The subway is not open 24 hours, so you may be stranded late at night" (from Wikitravel).