Korean Job Discussion Forums

[plato's republic]

I'm planning a day-trip to Chuncheon within the next two/three weeks and would like some suggestions on things to see/do while there. I've had a look around online and it seems that the animation museum, Uiam lake, and Cheongpyeongsa temple are worth a visit. Does anyone have exact information on how to get to Cheongpyeongsa?

I also read that it's possible to rent a bike and cycle around the lake. Any info on bike rental costs/location etc would also be appreciated.

[sallymonster]

If you like Korean BBQ, you simply must visit the dalkgalbi street and eat in one of the many restaurants there! You're welcome.

[CP]

Try these sites - you will find everything you need.

visitkorea.or.kr

http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/eng/main/main.asp

[The Sultan of Seoul]

Yeah dakgalbi is a different beast there indeed. Some of the best meals I ever ate there, it really is on a different level to what you'll get in other cities. Aside from that though, the lakes are nice, but otherwise not really much to do or see there. Nice for a quiet break and some bike riding I guess.

[I-am-me]

So how was Chuncheon?

[mikesaidyes]

I actually JUST went to Chuncheon Fri night/Sat. Cue the trip report to help you out....

I live in Sanbon (45 mins south of Seoul on Line 4) and my bf lives in Itaewon, so we met at Yongsan Station and took the ITX train. It leaves on the hour every hour from like 6 AM - 10 PM. You can't buy tickets online, you have to buy them at Yongsan Station (or any Korail machine, presumably). It's CHEAP - 6,900 won each way. You can even book the second level seat, too, which is cool, as it's the only double decker train in Korea. You go from Yongsan to Chuncheon in 1 hr and 10 mins and stop four times.

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1561161

Other than that, your options are slooow subway (like 1.5 hrs from Sangbong to Chuncheon) that is fulllllll, or bus (1-1.5 hrs + if there's traffic) from Gangbyeon Station or Sangbong Station. I HIGHLY recommend ITX.

We stayed at IMT Hotel, as recommended by other posts here. http://www.imthotel.co.kr/ I don't know if he speaks English as I, obviously, had help. Our room was 55,000 for one night and it was nice. We paid in advance via bank transfer, but it wasn't full and walk in would've been okay then. Comfy double bed; nice, real, clean shower and bathtub, and a solid toiletries kit for 500 won. It was right downtown and like two blocks from Myeongdongro and Dakgalbiro.

Chuncheon is a very quiet town. Like barely anyone on the streets. If you want to go out at night, take a taxi to Gangwondae Hakgyo (Gangwon Univ). There are tons of young people out drinking and eating food at all hours of the night.

On Saturday we woke up at like 9:30 and went to the animation museum. PASS ON THIS. It's ALL in Korean, way far away and a pain to get to. Like one bus each direction every 1-1.5 hrs or it's a 10,000 won taxi each way. My bf is all about animation, so I thought it'd be cool. Meh.

We went back to Chuncheon to eat dak galbi. We went to 명동 1반지 닭갈비 as recommended by Seoul Eats. Right on the main drag of dakgalbi street. It was PACKED (luckily, no wait when we went at like 12:30 -1) and TASTY. It's really, really, really, really, really good. It's spicy, but not as "holy F in your face spicy" as the dakgalbi here in Sanbon. You can taste the flavor first THEN comes the spice. We also had makguksu. Considering I usually hate cold noodles, this was also good.

The best part? If you can't finish it, they'll give you the rest in a takeout container.

After that, we were torn between the waterfall at Gangchon or Namiseom at Gapyeong Station. The bf choose Namiseom. You just take the subway to both places. While it was pretty, I'd say PASS. It was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too crowded so it was just a bitch to get in and out. We were there for about 2-3 hours.

We wanted ITX home, but since we didn't know what time we were done on Saturday, we just winged it. Kind of a bad idea. Everything filled up as the day went on. ITX runs from both Gangchon and Gapyeong, so I'd say choose a time (trains run every hour) and buy it as soon as possible. You can do standing room, but by that point we figured if we waited for the ITX, we'd still get home at the same time and ITX was standing room at that point, too.

We were stuck on the regular subway that took two hours to get from Gapyeong to Itaewon (via Hannam Station on the Jungang line). After walking all day, it's not fun to wait for a seat or sit on the floor.

All in all, Chuncheon is perfect for a loong day trip or a Fri night/Sat return like we did. Highly recommend it. Longer than that and you'll be bored.

[waynehead]

Great write-up, thanks!

[oneiros]

You can book tickets for the ITX on the Korail site www.korail.com. You can book in English with either a Korean or foreign credit card. The only annoying bit is that you still have to go to the ticket booth at the station to physically pick up your tickets before you get on the train.

[mikesaidyes]

[plato's republic]

[/quote]I-am-me: So how was Chuncheon?[/quote]

I haven't been yet. I'll probably end up taking the subway from Cheongnyangni station as it's closer for me. I also have the option to go on a weekday, therefore hopefully avoiding the crowds on the train.

[I-am-me]

Great write up. I will keep that info handy for other travelers. I drove to chuncheon once. Food was great and visiting the dam was pretty nice. I would like to go by train though. Some great scenery on the way. Some nice places to see, but you really need a car to find them. Jade shop is one of them. Its in a very remote location.

[plato's republic]

Does anyone know if I can just turn up at Cheongyangni station and buy an ITX ticket on the day of departure, or do I need to reserve one in advance?

[oneiros]

It depends on when you're travelling. On peak travel days, tickets tend to sell out, but you could still probably manage to get a standing ticket.

[CPT]

Is ITX different from KTX?

[oneiros]

The ITX is the new high speed line that runs between Yongsan station and Chuncheon (with multiple stops along the way, including Cheongyangi station in Seoul). It's a lot cheaper that the KTX, and it cuts down on travel time to Chuncheon considerably.