Travel Information

General Information about Chuncheon - 'The Lake City'

Chuncheon (Hangul:춘천, hanja:春川市) is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. It is known as 'The Lake City' by its name and the fact it is surrounded by several large reservoirs, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam. It is a popular vacation site among Koreans and tourists from East Asia. Chuncheon is also dubbed as 'The Romantic City' for its beautiful scenary. For more information about G17 venue information, watersheds in the area and what the Lake City has to offer, view your host Bomchul Kim's killer presentation (PDF) from the last GLEON meeting in Quebec. More about what to see and do in Chuncheon: http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/eng/index.asp .

How to Get to Chuncheon

• By plane: fly to Incheon International Airport (code: ICN or destination: Seoul, South Korea), then you can go directly from the Incheon Airport to Chuncheon City (124km/77mi) by Intercity Bus. We suggest you take this route unless you have additional travel plans in Seoul or other cities before attending G17.

From ICN Airport to Seoul (city centre)

• If you would like to go to Seoul City first after landing at ICN, here are the detailed transportation options provided by The Official Seoul City Tourism Website. It takes between 40-60 min from ICN to downtown Seoul depending on which bus/train you take. 

From ICN Airport to Chuncheon DIRECTLY [New! Download PDF of text & photos instructions]

• Once you enter the arrival hall at the airport, look for exists to Bus Stop #9C, outside the airport building for 'Bus to other provinces': ICN airport bus stops map
• Tickets are available at the bus ticket offices/booths both inside the arrival hall and outside (see map). The one-way bus fare to Chuncheon is about 21,300 Won (~ about US$20). Please purchase the ticket before you board the bus. Bus ticket offices accept major credit cards.
• Chuncheon City is the final stop. The one-way trip takes about 2 hours. The bus makes a couple of stops during the journey. Each stop is displayed on an LED panel at the front of the bus as well as broadcasted. 

From Chuncheon Intercity Bus Terminal to Hotels

• Take a taxi - you will see a line of taxis waiting by the curb at the Bus Terminal. It is about ~ 1.6 km (1 mi) ride to either one of the hotels. 
• The ride to either one of the hotels should cost no more than ~ $5 per taximeter when the traffic flow is smooth. Let the driver know if you need a receipt - it can be printed by the taximeter.

From Seoul (city centre) to Chuncheon New! 

• Download instructions in PDF (power point style with maps, 12 MB).
• Download a summary (text only) version in PDF. 

Money

• The currency used is South-Korean Won (KRW). Credit card is accepted almost everywhere (e.g. taxis, hotels, restaurants, shops, groceries) except for local public bus and small street vendors. 
• Currency converter (the site includes 'Rate Details' and 'Traveler's Cheetsheet').
• Tipping is *not* necessary nor expected. Pay as you are billed anywhere - at restaurants, hotels, taxis, services.
• Public transportation and taxis are inexpensive in Korea. We recommend you use a taxi for local transportation in Chuncheon if need be.

Electricity

• The power sockets used in South Korea are of type C/F at 220V. The image of what the power plug looks like - for your reference only (i.e. we are not endorsing any particular manufacturer or multiple-port style plug): 
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Korean Phrases for Travel

• Please see this collaborative Google Doc for the current collection. You may add phrases in English you think you may need in Korean, by 1 October 2015.
• If you have additional Korean language questions or for specific scenarios (e.g. shopping, food, or others), please contact your fellow GLEONite Meilan Jiang (meelankang@gmail.com).
   

Information about MERS

• As of 29 July 2015, South Korea's Prime Minister has declared the end of MERS outbreak. There has been no recommendation to change travel plans to South Korea or other countries because of MERS, either, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or travel alert & warnings from the U.S. Dept. of State.
• Please refer to the official frequent updates issued by World Health Organization if you would like to know answers to frequently asked questions about the MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome).