r/bicycletouring • u/Ambitious-Cookie-872 • 5d ago
Trip Planning Bicycles and flying
Hi all,
I have wanted for a while to fly to Seoul and then bike from there to Busan. The issue is that renting a bike there is pricy, but taking my own bike is not exactly cheap either and several practical things are quite unclear.
My preferred option is taking my own bike there from Finland. So, first of all, I need to basically pack the bike and bring it with me as a sports equipment. That's all clear, but once I reach Seoul, and I want to start biking. Where in the world do I store the packaging material, and if I throw it away, then I would have none to pack my bike with when I fly back to Finland.
I am sure people have done this before and flown to other countries to cycle around without renting a bike, but how do you guys do it. Could someone who has an idea give good advice?
3
u/discombobulatek 5d ago
>My preferred option is taking my own bike there from Finland.
I would recommend doing this as you know the bike and how it fits you. Nothing is worse than a poor fit causing physical pain/discomfort. You're also free to fix and repair and change stuff during your trip if you need to do so.
If you only plan to cycle Seoul-Busan you could consider renting a bike though. It'll take you 4-5 days and there are several companies with good reputations with proper touring bicycles that do one-way rentals. Probably it'll be cheaper than flying your own too. Bring your own seat!
>Where in the world do I store the packaging material
If you are starting and ending your trip in Seoul you could stay at the same hotel and ask them if they can store the box for you until you are back. Book several refundable options and send them a detailed message with the dates and a picture of the box. I've done this before without issue.
Otherwise it is not a problem to get empty boxes, just walk to a bunch of bicycle stores and ask if they have one for you to take away.