Top 3 Seoul Tourist iPhone Apps
Your smartphone can be your most useful tool while traveling. Just check with your service provider to get an international roaming plan to avoid a huge cell phone bill when you return home from your travels.
Get the most out of your smartphone while on your vacation to Seoul with these 3 iPhone applications from the iTunes Store.
Released by the Seoul Tourism Organization, it is the most downloaded app for Seoul travel. App highlights include Seoul’s Best with top lists of what to try in the city. Also it gives a good rundown of popular events going on in the city at any given time. The medical tourism industry is growing in the country, so interestingly they’ve also added info about the best places to go in the city for medical services.
The app does need a bit of refining, some maps do not load properly and there is some lag when trying to access some parts of the program. It is a work in progress that is already useful for those looking to get quickly acquianted with the city, and will surely get quality updates as the organization continues to use it’s expanding budget to encourage tourism into the city.
There are various apps like this in Korean for the buses in Seoul, but this is by far the best one in English, making it perfect for travelers looking to tour the city by bus. Even if you are on a budget, taxis are often a good option because they are relatively cheap. But this app, with information on over 2,500 routes and almost 40,000 bus stops, makes getting around the city much easier and smoother. You get to avoid the depths of the subway if you so choose. People are often worried about which stop to get off at, so this app has a handy GPS alarm to help you. Luckily so many buses run on so many routes that even if you do miss your stop, it is not a disaster. Just don’t forget to charge your T-Money card! Your bus fare per trip is lower than if you just used cash.
The official app of the Korea Tourism Organization, this app is handy for those looking to travel a bit beyond the city limits. No matter what area of the country you are in, just load up the app and click ‘Nearby’ to see what there is to check out in your location. Check out the Hot tab to see what events are going on and to read some current cultural news. This app can be buggy, when accessing images for example. Some parts of it are clearly waiting to be updated, including parts of the menu. As tourism continues to increase at a double digit rates, I hope to see more third party and independent Seoul travel apps to provide those visiting Seoul with more app options.
For those that are proficient in Korean, the Naver app has a useful search ability and maps amongst many other things. The 버즈니 맛집 app can help you find the best place to eat around where you are, think urbanspoon for Seoul.
