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Kalian
Joined: 06 Nov 2010
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 Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 9:16 am Post subject: I want to rent a car in Jeju? what do I need? |
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Hi everyone. I'm going back to the states in less than 2 months, but before I go back I will be going to Jeju Island for my first time. I heard that I can rent a car there to get around the island however, I don't have a Korean driver's license, and since I'm leaving soon, I don't want to spend the money for driver's training, and driving test.
Is there a way I can rent a car with just my CDL (California Driver's license) or am I out of luck?
Also will getting an international drivers license help at all? |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 10:48 am Post subject: |
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| International License is the norm, even in your country. Or, ask someone you know who has a korean license to rent the car for you. |
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nstick13
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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You can swap out your US License for a Korean one. You'll have to swear an affidavit at the US Embassy (or the consular services coming to Busan the first week of December). Then, all you have to do is take the written test (in English) at the license center (reasonably easy). They hold your US license until you come back to them with plane tickets home to get your US license back. No driving courses are required.
Make sure you keep a copy of your US license as proof of driving experience, as many rental car companies won't rent to someone with a new license. You'll probably need to show your passport or ARC as well, though I imagine you'll have both of those with you anyways.
My girlfriend's co-teacher helped us get things set up, and we went with Halasan car service. It was right at the airport. We went over Chuesok, so we needed a reservation; you probably won't depending on when you go. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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| You don't need anything except cash in your hand. People told me that before I visited but I went ahead and got an international driver's license for my visit in 2006 and I wasn't asked for i.d. but I was asked to pay cash instead of my visa. I have been told subsequently that it's common for them to pocket money instead of recording it. Now that I live on Jeju I have heard of several others renting without licenses, and certainly they accept whatever local i.d. you have from back home. The general rule of advice here is: if you come across a stickler then go to the next rental place (there are sooooo many rental bizes here). Some laws in Korea are enforced strickly and others aren't: this one isn't. |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| nstick13 wrote: |
| Make sure you keep a copy of your US license as proof of driving experience, as many rental car companies won't rent to someone with a new license. |
This happened to me on Jeju. The small, cheaper companies wouldn't rent to us b/c my Korean licence was less than a year old. However Hertz would, so we paid a little more. I didn't have a copy of my own drivers licence, and I didn't quite understand what the problem was at the time, as we spoke too little of each other's languages.
| Kalian wrote: |
| I heard that I can rent a car there to get around the island however, I don't have a Korean driver's license, and since I'm leaving soon, I don't want to spend the money for driver's training, and driving test. |
It's not expensive to get a drivers licence in Korea. The most expensive bit is getting it certified by your embassy (or was for me with the Australian embassy's extortionist prices, anyway). The actual Korean part of the process is less than 30,000won total, I think. You will probably have to study for the written test, which takes a little time. Check out this recent thread for some more tips http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=191366&highlight=.
It may be easier to send away for an International Drivers Licence. I don't know what the process is, but if you have time, and you're not planning on coming back to Korea, that is probably the best option. I've never heard of anyone hiring a car on their overseas licence. |
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goreality
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Although some one may just rent to you and hope that nothing bad happens, another option is to look online for international rental companies operating in Jeju. If you have a reservation, they may be more willing to rent to you. |
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canactuary
Joined: 09 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Off topic but I'd rcommend you rent your car through a hotel tour company. They have deals with car rental companies. Should be able to save around 20-50%. Have fun. I'll be heading there myself and ladyfriend this weekend. |
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lakeshow
Joined: 02 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:13 am Post subject: |
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just need to bring cash? I should've known earlier. I went last year and had a reservation and everything. My gf didn't have a license but i had a Korean one that I got 3 months prior to going to Jeju. They said I needed to have had it for at least 1 year. I showed them my American driver's license and explained that I've been driving since I was 15, I'm not some rookie. They still said no, I need an Int'l license if my Korean one doesn't suffice. My gf started crying in front of them... still didn't work. They were sorry but that was their rule and just offered us a private taxi to the places we wanted. My gf asked how the hell do foreigners rent cars when they come to Jeju.. they answered "They all have int'l licenses"..  not sure if I believe that but whatever.
We took a cab and agreed 150,000 for the whole day to go to the select places we wanted. Turned out for the best. We would've wasted hours getting lost in circles not knowing the place. So.. that is an option if you don't end up renting a car |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| lakeshow wrote: |
| They were sorry but that was their rule and just offered us a private taxi to the places we wanted... We took a cab and agreed 150,000 for the whole day to go to the select places we wanted. |
They suckered you! Next time go to the next rental place. Really, you paid twice what you should have. The crying just made the $$ signs in their eyes bigger.
Seriously, anyone coming here, get in touch with me via PM. Some people are just so naive when they travel. |
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lakeshow
Joined: 02 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| Louis VI wrote: |
| lakeshow wrote: |
| They were sorry but that was their rule and just offered us a private taxi to the places we wanted... We took a cab and agreed 150,000 for the whole day to go to the select places we wanted. |
They suckered you! Next time go to the next rental place. Really, you paid twice what you should have. The crying just made the $$ signs in their eyes bigger.
Seriously, anyone coming here, get in touch with me via PM. Some people are just so naive when they travel. |
We didn't take their offer.. we just left, took the bus to our hotel. From the hotel we took a cab outside the hotel to whatever that place is on the east coast. The driver said since he has to drive all the way back to seogwipo anyway, he'll take us to all the places we want and be our guide for the whole day. We agreed on the price and had a nice long day out. Don't know if 150,000 was too much, the meter when he dropped us off at the hotel was a little over 170,000 so seemed a fair day's work for him and for us. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| lakeshow wrote: |
just need to bring cash? I should've known earlier. I went last year and had a reservation and everything. My gf didn't have a license but i had a Korean one that I got 3 months prior to going to Jeju. They said I needed to have had it for at least 1 year. I showed them my American driver's license and explained that I've been driving since I was 15, I'm not some rookie. They still said no, I need an Int'l license if my Korean one doesn't suffice. My gf started crying in front of them... still didn't work. They were sorry but that was their rule and just offered us a private taxi to the places we wanted. My gf asked how the hell do foreigners rent cars when they come to Jeju.. they answered "They all have int'l licenses".. not sure if I believe that but whatever.
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No, they weren't lying as this is an anomaly that lots of experienced drivers run into when they try to rent a car having only just acquired a Korean licence.
Basically, there's nothing on the Korean licence to show experience from elsewhere and when the rental company staff enter the licence details into their computer it simply won't allow the transaction to be processed because a rental to a holder of a licence issued less than a year ago is automatically blocked.
I was once with a friend to whom exactly the same happened. To be fair, the staff tried their best to help, calling up their head office to explain he had a licence from the UK that had been issued 15 years previously. The answer came back that it wasn't the rental company that was unreasonably refusing to budge on these cases, but their insurers. Might be just passing the buck, but that's believable IMO.
It would probably also help if there was something on the Korean licence to distinguish a newbie driver from an experienced one who'd driven in another country. |
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