Korean Job Discussion Forums

Tancred · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 6:48 am Post subject: chu-seok excursion - am i crazy?

Okay...it's one week before chu-seok and suddenly i'm hit with the compulsion to go to japan...is this wacky? Is it even possible? And if so, how do i do it? Alas, i'm in Incheon and so the furthest possible location from a point where i could take the ferry there. And i'm aware of how bad the bus/train traffic to Pusan would be during Chu-Seok holiday. So what are my options?

1. Take a flight to Osaka or Kyoto...what would the cost be of this (roughly) and will anything be available at this point?

2. Is it possible that i can get to Pusan and take a ferry to Japan, in spite of the crazy holiday traffic?

What is the best route for me to take...any suggestions would be hugely appreciated at this point. I'm sure some of you must have done this before on the holiday and possibly know of the best option...please let me know. Thanks....T.

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Why don't you call up a travel agent and find out if any flights are available? That's your only option i think, since travel between seoul and busan will be brutal on the highways. Train sold out ages ago as well.

If you decide to brave the traffic, I think you'll be fine if you leave Seoul by 7 am on Wednesday. Any later and you might be pressing your luck. Coming back would be a pain in the butt too.

camel96 · Guest

I wouldn't go near the roads and ferry option.
Check out the flights. There may be something reasonable.
I'm doing a travel agent run myself this weekend to see what comes up as the overbooked reservations start to be cancelled.

Arthur Fonzerelli · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Suwon

go for it.... you only live once... and you will regret it when you come in on monday morning knowing you did jack sh*t for your holiday....

Daami · Joined: 27 May 2003

Taking the ferry from Busan (despite the traffic situation, which would be insane from Incheon) is not really all that good an option if you're doing it simply to keep the price down. True enough, the slow ferry is only about 140,000 won return (or was July last year) but travel around Japan is incredibly expensive. If you only wanted to see Fukuoka/Hakata, that would be cool... but if you wanted to get around and see more, you're possibly better off flying into another city. All depends on where in Japan you want to go, and what you want to do...

Also, I'm pretty sure that the ferries don't run everyday... so you'd have to check the departure times.

Daami · Joined: 27 May 2003

OOps, I forgot... I DID go to Japan for Chuseok 2 yrs ago... I flew into Nagasaki with a really lame package tour... doh!!!

Great place though... and I'm pretty sure it cost less than 1m won and we'd only booked about a week in advance but that was also just after NY Sep 11, and a lot of people had cancelled travel plans! (Fools... don't let them win!!!)

I recommend not taking a package tour.... a busload of korean ajjumas and a very insecure tourguide who absolutely refused to speak any korean to myself and my companion despite our assurances that we could get by if she did.

As already suggested, check out a travel agent. The flights may still be there...

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Go for the air tickets. You might have to go on a waiting list, but I waited it out on waiting lists through two different travel agents looking for tickets to China for 7 people, and I ended up with 13 confirmed tickets.

Five day weekends don't come around often in life (unless you work for a Korean university). Take advantage of it.

FierceInvalid · Joined: 16 Mar 2003

Yeah flying is your only decent option. I just settled for tickets with a ho-hum departure time (evening Wed) after the waiting list for others didn't pan out.

Actually I have a question: does anyone know if the traffic from Seoul to the airport (Incheon) is likely to be really nasty on Wednesday? I'm sure it'll be worse than usual, but I don't know how much more time I should allow.

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

OP: You've left it a bit late, haven't you? Nonetheless, you should be able to get a flight. A few points: you can't take an international flight to Kyoto. Go to Osaka & take a train(Kintetsu is best) to Kyoto. I booked tickets in Aug., in Canada.I'm flying to Osaka on the 10th and flying back from Nagoya on the 15th. Total price was less than $700 CDN. You might end up paying more, though. I'd definitely allow more time to get to the airport. Better to be bored at Incheon than to be in a panic on the highway about making your flight.

JackSarang · Joined: 28 Jan 2003

Return air ticket to Osaka is roughly 300,000. You should be able to find a flight if you book now. Most Koreans do not leave Korea for Chusok. Trying to go down to Pusan from Incheon is madness, in the end you'll only save a tiny bit of money for 1000 times the aggravation. You do not want to be on the Korean highways during Chusok.

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

http://kangsantravel.com/ in Busan offers a cheapie package to Fukuoka which is ferry passage and a night's stay for 190.000. If you were truly determined you could bring your own food and not break the bank, although you might not have much fun there on nothing.

There are hourly trains between Busan and Seoul on the slow line and they're not all sold out. If you're willing to go at an odd time you'll get tickets, but you'll have to decide pretty soon.

Ken:>

Tancred · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:23 am Post subject:

thanks for the info all...i'm calling a travel agent tomorrow and (hopefully) going air to osaka...

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

phoning today, got a reserved seat on the hyrofoil next wednesday. 135,000 round trip pusan/fukuoka, takes three hours. however, the train ride cheonan to pusan is standing, so i got a collapsible stool to take on the choo.

Tancred · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 5:14 pm Post subject:

as of today, there is nothing available from incheon to osaka according to the two travel agents i called...this being from wednesday and returning sunday or saturday...

anyone have any suggestions besides booking earlier next time?

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

You can ask your agents to keep your name on a waiting list in case of cancellations. If you DO get a flight, let us know what the price was.