Korea Bike TrailGuides
The questions every foreign rider asks, answered from actual ride reports — not brochures.
Maps & navigation: why Google Maps won't work
Korean law blocks Google Maps routing. Here's how to navigate with Naver, Kakao, OsmAnd and Komoot instead.
Decode the signs: place-name words every rider should know
강, 천, 령, 재, 보, 교 — Korean place names tell you what's coming: a river, a bridge, or a climb. Learn 20 syllables and the map starts talking.
Korean roads, construction detours and riding after dark
How Korea's bike infrastructure actually works, what to do when the path is dug up, and why you don't want to be out there after sunset.
Trains, buses and ferries with a bike
Getting your bike to the start and back from Busan: KTX rules, intercity buses, and the Fukuoka ferry.
Motels, jjimjilbangs and camping
You don't need camping gear: Korea's motel network makes credit-card touring easy at $45–65 a night.
What to pack (and what not to)
Cash, a spare ink pad, and less clothing than you think. Korea's convenience stores carry the rest.
When to ride: seasons and weather
September–November is prime. Summer is a sweaty gamble, winter is genuinely cold.
Renting a bike (including one-way)
No need to fly your bike over: Seoul shops rent tourers from ~$25/day, and one-way Seoul→Busan drop-off exists.
Surviving the cities: leaving Seoul, arriving in Busan
The route's most dangerous kilometers are its first and last. How to get in and out of the big cities intact.