Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ddarko]

anyone ever done this before? was thinking about doing it sometime next year. as far as i know, it's an overnighter, landing in tianjin, and you'll need to take a bus/train/etc. from tianjin to beijing (not sure about length of that leg of the trip).

few questions re: the above...

1) where to catch it at the port of incheon? and how much is the ticket price, roughly?

2) is there a nice duty free you can pick up tax-free stuff at?

3) worth the trip?

4) a bit off topic, but are the in-country flights on domestic carriers cheap as well? was also thinking of visiting HK, Shanghai, Xian, kunming, and MAYBE harbin.

[samd]

I know people who have done it. One couple did it to save money, and they regreted it. Another couple of friends did the roundtrip from China due to fear of flying, and they didn't mind it.

1) There are many different ferries. Google Korea to China ferry for the Korean website which is quite good and gives you precise names, locations, times and prices.

2) Not sure but from what I hear about the terminals I wouldn't count on it.

3) I would say no. Firstly because it's a massive waste of time (1.5 hours vs. 18+), secondly because there's nothing to do on the boat, bad food, and nothing to see except water and/or smog.

4) Check Ctrip or Elong for China domestic flight prices. Going to Hong Kong is not cheap by plane, sometimes it can be as expensive as going to Seoul, and it will void your Chinese visa unless you have a double-entry. BJ to SH is not that cheap either, but there are lots of cheaper train options. Beijing to Xi'an/Harbin weren't too bad the last time I flew those routes.

Also, the fast train to Beijing from Tianjin takes 28 minutes and costs 55 yuan! Not sure how long from the ferry terminal to Tianjin Station though. Also, the first-class seats are always empty outside peak hour, so you can buy a regular ticket and sit in the comfortable seats, and the staff will never ask you to move.

[eat_yeot]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=58007

[ThingsComeAround]

I did the boat and it wasn't too bad. Met some Mongolians returning home, some Korean businessmen, and family travelers.

Should you do the boat, do yourself a favor and bring RMB. My friend and I made the mistake and we were suckered by a taxi driver that drove us around Tianjin (after the ATM) for an hour before taking us to the train station.

[Zyzyfer]

I did it with a couple of friends and it was fine until we got to Tianjin. We arrived at like 3 in the morning and tried to take one of those shuttle bus things. Pretty sure it is the single worst travel experience I've ever had, that ride. We were kind of winging it and decided against the train station for whatever reason. No heat, no shocks, van kept breaking down, just ugh.