Getting around Seoul for a beauty trip: maps, cards and transit
Two things surprise first-time visitors: Google Maps is weak for walking and transit directions in Korea, and almost everything else is card-friendly.
What to set up before you land
- Directions
- Use
- Naver Map or KakaoMap
- Why
- Accurate walking/transit routes, English UI
- Subway & bus
- Use
- T-money card
- Why
- Top up at convenience stores, tap in/out
- Payments
- Use
- Your credit card
- Why
- Widely accepted, even for small amounts
- Taxis
- Use
- Kakao T app
- Why
- Works with foreign numbers in many cases
- Translation
- Use
- Papago
- Why
- Handy for product labels (camera mode)
| Need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Directions | Naver Map or KakaoMap | Accurate walking/transit routes, English UI |
| Subway & bus | T-money card | Top up at convenience stores, tap in/out |
| Payments | Your credit card | Widely accepted, even for small amounts |
| Taxis | Kakao T app | Works with foreign numbers in many cases |
| Translation | Papago | Handy for product labels (camera mode) |
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For Seoul, I’d install Naver MaporKakaoMap before you land; both handle local walking and transit routes much better than Google Maps. Search the exact Korean name or paste a place’s Korean address if an English listing won’t show up. For subway trips, check the exit number too—Seoul stations can have a lot of them, and the right exit saves a surprising amount of walking.
For transit, pick up a T-money card at a convenience store or transit-station kiosk and top it up with cash. It works on buses and the subway, and often for small purchases too. Don’t assume you can reload it with a foreign bank card; the easy fallback is cash. Regular cards are widely accepted at shops, cafés and beauty stores, though a few smaller places may be cash-only. Keep a little won on hand.
I’d download an offline translation app and save your hotel address in Korean as well. Which part caught you off guard most on your first trip?
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Tip from the desk: in Naver Map, switching the language to English in settings makes transit directions much easier to follow.