Tour-de-Korea 2024
05-25-24, 11:03 PM
#26
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Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: The Ring of Fire
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Bikes: Several, all affordably priced, none exalted cult artifacts
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Logistics
Food
There is no shortage of food options in the ROK, though you'll have to plan ahead in the long, lonely stretches. Outside of those, the country is blanketed by the GS25, 7Eleven and CU convenience stores where you can always pick up snacks, drinks and a light meal. An instant soup and a gimbap roll at a combined cost of $3 will stand in for a full meal. Otherwise, there are restaurants where you can have the range of Korean food, including the ubiquitous bibimbap.
Filling rice bowl (bibimbap) for $6. With free flow kimchi, of course!
There is no shortage of food options in the ROK, though you'll have to plan ahead in the long, lonely stretches. Outside of those, the country is blanketed by the GS25, 7Eleven and CU convenience stores where you can always pick up snacks, drinks and a light meal. An instant soup and a gimbap roll at a combined cost of $3 will stand in for a full meal. Otherwise, there are restaurants where you can have the range of Korean food, including the ubiquitous bibimbap.
Filling rice bowl (bibimbap) for $6. With free flow kimchi, of course!
Last edited by Ron Damon; 05-26-24 at 01:54 AM.
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05-28-24, 08:11 PM
#28
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Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: The Ring of Fire
Posts: 1,646
Bikes: Several, all affordably priced, none exalted cult artifacts
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About the rig, it is a 16" wheel (ETRTO305) chromoly FnHon Gust 16" folding bike that I built myself from a frameset. They are quite popular in Indonesia where I live and quite affordable too. Turns out they make for competent CC tourers.
Last edited by Ron Damon; 05-29-24 at 11:35 PM.
05-31-24, 10:12 PM
#29
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: The Ring of Fire
Posts: 1,646
Bikes: Several, all affordably priced, none exalted cult artifacts
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554 Posts
Logistics
Lodging
I overnighted at hotels throughout my tour, paying on average KRW50,000 or about $40 per night. This usually includes a basic breakfast of cereal, coffee, eggs, bread & jam and fruit. In a few places, you'll have a full buffet spread of Korean food. If you are looking for scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, etc, you are in the wrong country. No concerns or complaints about cleanliness or comfort at any of the hotels I stayed.
My approach to finding a hotel was to search on Google Maps, making use of the price and rating filter, and turn up at a hotel based on that. At the hotel, I simply asked if they had a room available, and in no instance was I turned away on this or the two previous tours due to room unavailability. I often compare the front desk rate with the Agoda rate, but nine out of ten times it'll be cheaper paying directly at the hotel. Hotels are quite clean and quiet, and you are given your room key card upon payment with no need to show ID. Pay & Go. No hassles, no questions. Not even a second glance that I am bringing a bicycle into the room. Based on previous experience, I recommend the Brown Dot Hotel chain. Clean, quiet, good value.
Navigation
Google Maps is handicapped in South Korea, with extremely limited street view. You'll want to use Naver or Kakao Maps instead. I've used Naver without problems.
Communications
I buy a local GSM SIM card upon arrival at the airport, and network coverage, regardless of location, is flawless no matter how rural or far out in the sticks you are.
Visas
My passport qualifies for free-of-cost visa-on-arrival. Thirty days, no questions asked. I wasn't even asked for proof of return or outward-bound ticket.
I overnighted at hotels throughout my tour, paying on average KRW50,000 or about $40 per night. This usually includes a basic breakfast of cereal, coffee, eggs, bread & jam and fruit. In a few places, you'll have a full buffet spread of Korean food. If you are looking for scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, etc, you are in the wrong country. No concerns or complaints about cleanliness or comfort at any of the hotels I stayed.
My approach to finding a hotel was to search on Google Maps, making use of the price and rating filter, and turn up at a hotel based on that. At the hotel, I simply asked if they had a room available, and in no instance was I turned away on this or the two previous tours due to room unavailability. I often compare the front desk rate with the Agoda rate, but nine out of ten times it'll be cheaper paying directly at the hotel. Hotels are quite clean and quiet, and you are given your room key card upon payment with no need to show ID. Pay & Go. No hassles, no questions. Not even a second glance that I am bringing a bicycle into the room. Based on previous experience, I recommend the Brown Dot Hotel chain. Clean, quiet, good value.
Navigation
Google Maps is handicapped in South Korea, with extremely limited street view. You'll want to use Naver or Kakao Maps instead. I've used Naver without problems.
Communications
I buy a local GSM SIM card upon arrival at the airport, and network coverage, regardless of location, is flawless no matter how rural or far out in the sticks you are.
Visas
My passport qualifies for free-of-cost visa-on-arrival. Thirty days, no questions asked. I wasn't even asked for proof of return or outward-bound ticket.
Last edited by Ron Damon; 06-02-24 at 06:56 AM.
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