Search car rental at Seoul Incheon Airport

The buzzing and lively city of Seoul, served by Incheon International Airport, is quite the destination for any traveller. The heady mix of humanity, technology and history means there’s always something to keep a visitor entertained and interested. Eyes can feast on the skyscrapers, temples, palaces and parks, while the tastebuds enjoy the famously diverse and wonderful dining scene.

A Seoul car rental can take you places! Not only from Incheon Airport into the city, but around the 25 districts of the urban area and out into the diverse towns, cities and countryside of South Korea. The freedom that comes with a vehicle means you’ll see a side of Seoul and South Korea that many people miss: village life, the lovely coasts and much more.

Incheon Airport car rental with Airport Rentals

If you’re flying in to pick up your Seoul car rental, it’ll likely be from Incheon International Airport, 30 kilometres or so outside the city. Airport Rentals makes it easy to pick up a cheap car hire from Incheon Airport, but also other popular South Korean destinations: find Jeju car rental, Busan car rental and also car rental from Gimpo Airport which also services Seoul, along with more airport and city locations

Airport Rentals makes it simple and quick to find and book the perfect (and cheapest!) Seoul car rental from Incheon Airport. Rather than spending hours tracking down prices for individual car rental brands, just enter your travel plans once into the easy-to-use search panel and you’ll be presented with a list of deals from a range of suppliers. These can be filtered down by price, brand, transmission, car type, number of passengers and pick up location to pinpoint the set of wheels that suits you. It’s Seoul car rental made easy!

Seoul car rental brands at Incheon Airport

Several choices of Seoul car rental brands, each offering a variety of different vehicles, means you can drive away with the wheels you need.

● Avis Car Rental is located in the terminal at Incheon International Airport: 272 Gonghang-ro, Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea.

● Sixt Car Rental also can be found in the terminal which is located at 272 Gonghang-ro, Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea.

● Hertz Car Rental has a counter in the Incheon International Airport at 272 Gonghang-ro, Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea.

Driving in Seoul

Once you’ve sorted a car hire in Seoul, you can hit the road - but it pays to be prepared! Let’s start at the beginning: Driver’s licenses. All visiting drivers must have an International Driver’s Permit in addition to their home license, and these can be used for up to one year. Be sure to organise one of these before travelling to the country. Also note that Koreans drive on the right hand side of the road!

As with any country, South Korea has particular rules and limits to abide by when hitting the road. The speed limits around most of the city and country roads range between 60 and 80 kilometres an hour, while on expressways it rises to 100-120 kilometres an hour. Keep an eye out for signs giving the exact limits. The limit for blood alcohol level while driving is 0.03%, so it is recommended that drivers refrain from drinking altogether when getting behind the wheel.

Any big city can be quite intimidating to drive in, and Seoul is certainly no exception. Locals may play a little fast and loose with road rules and lane usage, so tourists with a Seoul car rental should remain vigilant, particularly around bigger vehicles like buses and trucks which tend to get their own way. Local drivers can also be very impatient - be prepared to ignore a lot of beeping horns.

Parking in Seoul

Parking in a busy city is a bit of a nightmare no matter which way you cut it - if you are staying somewhere outside of central Seoul, it’s a good idea to opt for public transport to get in and save the rental car for regional travel.

Locals tend to park wherever they can find a spot, legal or not, not a practice which is encouraged for tourists! It’s best to find a parking tower or underground parking lot which costs a fee but offers peace of mind. Beware of permit-only onstreet parking for residents (marked with a yellow line). Paying for any public on-street parking is done via attendants with handheld fee collection devices. Free parking can often be found outside of the main business districts.

The city has also invested in an interesting initiative called the Green Parking Initiative which aims to increase parking space by offering incentives to homeowners and landowners to allow parking on any unused space near the road.

Road trips from Seoul

Short journeys and long are made possible with a Seoul car rental from Incheon Airport. Here are a few ideas for the keen road tripper:

● Hwaseong Fortress makes a great day trip from Seoul. Massive walls extending almost six kilometres enclose the centre of Suwon, an impressive sight and a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. Built to honour the remains of Prince Sado by his son King Jeongjo in the 18th century, it is fascinating historically and wonderful to explore - you can walk along the fortress wall.

● At around 4-5 hours’ drive, Gyeongju is a bit of a journey with a Seoul car rental but well worth the trip - and you’ll see a bit of Korea along the way! This city is known for  its massive burial mounds called Tumuli, but it is filled with amazing things to see - temples, rock carvings, palace ruins and more. One for the history buffs.

● Seoraksan National Park is not too far from the city, about 2-3 hours’ drive, and located near Sokcho on the opposite coast. This amazing place has been designated as a nature reserve by the government and a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, and is perfect for hiking, scenery and general appreciation of South Korea’s natural assets.

● The charming Hahoe folk village has preserved a taste of Joseon-dynasty rural Korean life for visitors to experience. It is not solely a tourist attraction, but has real residents. Audio guides are available for self-guided tours, and there is accommodation in town as well as the fascinating Hahoe Mask Museum. The drive from Seoul is about 3.5 hours.

● In the summertime, Daecheon Beach makes a great destination - along with the country’s many other beach resorts, quite a few of which are found in the south. Daecheon is a fantastic weekend destination, just a few hours from Seoul, and boasting 3.5 kilometres of golden sand so there’s room for everyone.