2 weeks in S.Korea +bike

You can leave your bike locked up at a bike rack outside a station, or tied to a railing somewhere. It'll still be there when you get back. I once left mine on the pavement, unlocked for an entire day, and it ws still there at 7pm!
Love motels are the best bet for cheap accomodation. Hotel Koreana near the station has decent rooms for about 35,000W a night (includes en suite, internet, cable tv etc etc).

Yea, love hotels are a good bet. If your not in a central area(like Seomyeon, Haeundae) you can get love hotels for even less, in Sasang(my area) I think they are around 28,000 for a good one.

The cities are not bike friendly, although people do ride up and down the smaller neighborhood streets but at least in Busan there are a few bike paths that go along the river and up the city center that are fine to ride on, off the main roads there are usually small roads going to other towns/cities..I think they are fine to ride once your out of the main urban area but the shoulder is non-existent.

I wouldn't lock it near Busan Station, thats really the only place in Busan that has real issues from time to time but anyplace else outside a subway station/etc(locked) should be fine. If your bike is expensive or whatever, I can check my building, if it has a secured area...you'd be welcome to park it there.

I live in Busan. I usually go mountain biking, which is possible all year round, but riding on the road can be quite cold around late November, depends on what you're used to. I'm not a fan of the cold so I usually keep to my trails and maybe a 90 min ride up the coast from Haeundae. Riding around Busan is a game of Russian roulette, and several of my Korean bike buddies have the scars and bent bikes to prove that.

I did meet a guy in my travels who went bike touring every weekend, all year round, so it's possible to do the km's that time of year, but again, you have to be dressed right.

I'd leave the bike at someone's apartment, maybe do the coast ride I mentioned, and travel without the bike, especially that time of year.

Thanks for the replies.

I wouldn't leave my bike outside a train station, anywhere!

You more or less backed up my pre-conceived notion that it's not a good time or place for cycling.
I actually want to combine some peddling in South Korea with spending a couple of months peddling the length of Japan in spring or autumn............unfortunately I'm getting there at the wrong time of year. A situation I can't change! But I should be back another time.
Meanwhile I need somewhere safe to leave the bike whilst I'm in S. Korea this December.

Why are they called 'love hotles'? Are they knocking shops?.

...............hotels........

They're called love motels because in a country where most people live with their parents until they get married, young couples need somewhere to do what young couples want to do. Love motels are where they go.

Hi
I am currently a student in Korea and i had travel to Busan 3 time already.

Last week i went the Pusan International Film Festival.
talking about the hotel in Busan, mostly will be at least 30,000won and more.

But if you can consider about the Motel, 20,000 to 25,000won will do. This price range of motel you can find near the Busan Train station. it is not a luxury place to stay though but it comfortable enough.

If you wanna to find accommodation around the big cities like Haundae or Ganghwali it will be very expensive i can say.

Yeah, about the bike Korea not really a bike friendly compare to Japan and China.

Wish you luck in Korea.

If you wanna know more in advance, you can email me. ; )

Hello!

In Busan my husband and I stayed at the Haotel Motel. It's a wonderful, clean, cheap motel. Love motels/hotels sound very raunchy but in reality they seem to be just super clean, cheap places to stay that just happen to have porn on the LCD TV and oddly enough a VHS porn collection in the hall. We've recommended this place to several people now and everyone's been happy!

Good luck with your trip! We loved Korea! It's clean, reasonably priced, lots of stuff to see and the people couldn't be more welcoming or helpful.

Our Korea pictures
Our Korea blog

Happy travels!

Wendy Sewell
[www.ianandwendy.com]

Cheap Clean Mote/Hotell in Sasang, Busan, South Korea
Dear Fellow travellers.

I will be traveling to Busan and would like to stay near Silla University, which i believe is near Sasang. I am hoping that the LP community will be able to suggest a place to stay. I'll be in Busan for at least 7 days, so I really don't want to spend much more than 30,000 a night ($30 USD), but at the same time, I would like a decent place. In other words, a place that is not sleezy, which I have heard some of these 'Love Motels' are.

Would also be great if someone could recommend a gym/fitness center in the are as well.

Thanks you in advance.

You will really be doing me a big favor.

Megacito