Renting a car in Seoul is as easy as renting a car in any Western country, and is often less expensive. If you have an international drivers license or a Korean drivers license you can rent a car with no problem. While some companies will accept a drivers license from your home country, it is advisable to use companies that will only accept international drivers licenses. For the most reputable companies, you must be at least 21 years of age to rent and you must have at least one year of driving experience. Insurance is always included in the rental fees, which generally include accident insurance and 3rd party liability. As with any rental company, you are expected to return the car at the allotted time with the same amount of gas in the tank as when your rental period started. Depending on the type of car you want to rent, you can expect to pay between 80,000 won to 400,000 won a day.
Rental Companies
AVIS
With eight locations around Seoul, Avis is one of the more popular rental options among expats. You can book a rental online with your Avis ID number, or if you don’t have one, you can call or go to the nearest Avis location and book with your credit card.
Telephone: 1544-1600
Website: http://www.avis.com/car-rental/location/ASP/KP/Seoul
Budget Car Rental
Another rental company you can use is Budget, as many expats are familiar with it and it has five locations in Seoul city. Again, you can book online with your budget membership number or you can call and book with your credit card. You can also book a car with a private driver.
Website: http://budget-car-rental-korea.com
Locations:
Mapo-gu (1): 35-1 Mapo-Dong 1F Hyundai Building 121 737
Mapo-gu (2): 592-4 Sungsan-Dong 2F Handoo Building 121 250
Yangcheon-gu: 21-1 Sinwol-Dong 158-090
Injoo Building (1): Ground Floor 111-1 Seoulin-Dong 110-110
Injoo Building (2): Main Arrivals Cconcourse 111-1 Seoulin-Dong 110-110
Gangnam-gu: 2F Seawon Building 574-4 135-891
Telephone: (02)724 7063
Hertz
Another company most expats will be familiar with, Hertz has several locations around Seoul city. You can book online with your membership information or you can visit/call and reserve a rental with your credit card. Unlike other rental companies, the Hertz website is very user friendly and it is easy to make online bookings.
Website: http://www.hertz.co.kr/rentacar/reservation/gaq/index.jsp?bsc=t&targetPage=reservationOnHomepage.jsp
Telephone: Monday to Friday: 0800-2000 Saturday and Sunday: 0800-1800
Chauffeurs
While it’s quite unnecessary to request a driver while in Seoul, it is not altogether unheard of. If you are unable to drive for some reason, you may request a chauffeur with ONE limo – a Seoul car and limousine company that includes drivers. This company specializes in transportation all over South Korea and does airport pick ups. They have services in English, Korean, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish. It is recommended to make your reservation at least 48 hours in advance as they can be quite busy. For more information or to make a reservation, you can visit their website here:
http://www.onelimo.com/Seoul_Limousines_Limos_Car_Hire_Service.htm
If all that you need is someone to drive your car for you, for a relatively short distance, then this is also possible and extremely common. Since drinking alcohol is very much a part of Korean work, social, and family culture you may find yourself on more than one occasion unable to drive your car home. Never fear, Seoul has literally hundreds of services that can help you and your car get home safely. The most common service caters to central Seoul and you can arrange a pick up and drop off service by calling this number: (02) 1577 1577.
There is usually at least one person available who speaks English, or you could have a Korean friend call for you. They will come to wherever you are, drive your car to wherever you need to go, and then another member of the service will come to pick them up.
