United Airlines passengers will have new and expanded nonstop options starting this year as the carrier beefs up its already gigantic international network.
18.02.2024 - 11:43 / lonelyplanet.com
South Korea might not leap out as the obvious place for a road trip. The country's superb public transportation means a private vehicle is rarely necessary, and the traffic in Seoul can make you question the point of the open road when you spend so much time at a standstill.
But renting a car and escaping the capital opens up some otherwise inaccessible (or at least more time-consuming) travel possibilities and gives you a chance to savor the charms of Korea's smaller cities and rural hamlets.
With well-maintained roads and abundant signage, just about the only thing you'll have to worry about is choosing where to go next. Here are some of the best road trips in Korea for natural vistas, history, food and off-the-beaten-path exploration.
Best road trip for a bit of everything
Seoul–Busan; 599km (72 miles); allow 12 days
Sure, you could zip from Seoul to Busan in three hours on the high-speed KTX train, but then you'd miss out on everything this road trip that highlights a good sample of all South Korea has to offer. After exploring Seoul, make the short jaunt south to Suwon, renowned for its galbi (ribs) and Hwaseong, a majestic 18th-century walled fortress that encircles the old city.
Two hours south of Suwon, the modern and ancient worlds butt up against each other in Sejong, a city barely 10 years old that houses many government institutions, and Gongju, the former capital of the Baekje kingdom (18 BCE–660 CE). Delve into history at Gongsan-seong Fortress and the Gongju National Museum.
Just 20km (12.5 miles) southeast, several universities give Daejeon a vibrant, youthful atmosphere. On the northeast edge of the city, spidery Daecheongho Lake has isolated villages and scenic overlooks to discover. Cross from agricultural Jeolla-do Province to industrial Gyeongsang-do Province via Deogyusan National Park, where the mountains are dotted with waterfalls, Buddhist temples and hiking trails.
After this rural interlude, wrap up in Korea's populous southeast. Two hours east of Deogyusan is Daegu, famous for its herbal medicine market and historic churches, and an hour and a half beyond is Ulsan, home to enormous shipyards and herons nesting in bamboo groves along the Taehwagang River. It's then a short sprint down the coast to Busan, where beaches and a vibrant cultural scene await.
Best road trip for understanding Korea's recent history
Incheon–Sokcho; 385km (240 miles); allow 7 days
Actually visiting North Korea can be a difficult trip to pull off, but this road trip in the south gets you close enough to peer into this hermitic country and provides an up-close look at the consequences of the peninsula's tragic division. The irony is that this trip is one of South Korea's most peaceful drives, full of rice
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