Did you know that in Seoul, South Korea, there are several places scattered across the city you can borrow a city bike FOR FREE!? A Seoul bike rental makes for a fun way to explore the city. As a traveler who is always conscious of my budget, I love anything that can be done for free.
It is very easy to borrow a city bike in Seoul for free. There are several places throughout the city where you can check out the bikes for free. All you need is a government-issued ID and must return the bike by closing time. I visited the location near Lotte World.
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Seoul hotels here!
How to Get to the Bike Shop
Follow these directions to get to the Lotte World Bike shop. This location is great because it is near a lot of cool places you can ride your bike around. I found it rather simple to get there.
- Take the metro line 2 or 8 to Jamsil Station.
- Take Exit #2.
- Follow the signs towards Lotte World or head towards Seokchon Lake.
- After a short walk, you will see the Jamsil bike rental center (pictured above).
Obtaining a Seoul Bike Rental
Once at the bike shop, the worker will have you fill out a paper with your information (name, address, etc). Then the worker will check your ID to make sure it is valid and the information is filled out correctly. After that, you will sign the paper, and voila! You can pick out whatever bike you want in the shop. I chose to get a pink one with a basket.
Where to Ride
After leaving the Seoul bike rental shop, we rode over to the Olympic Park. This park was the site of the 1988 Summer Olympics. The park had several bike trails we were able to follow that went throughout the complexes. Beware of the fact that no one stays in these lanes! You have young children riding around on scooters and tricycles. People walk or run in these lanes. There are also people who peddle around in a 2-4 person cart.
After a few miles of bike riding, we took the bikes back to the shop. It is up to you how long you would like to keep the bikes, you just have to make sure to return them by closing. Ask the workers at the bike shop if you are unsure. Overall, it made for a very enjoyable afternoon and we were able to work off some of the delicious food we had been eating. Best of all, it was FREE!
Besides checking out a bike in Seoul, there are a ton of other amazing things to do in Seoul, or head over to Busan to explore another amazing Korean city. If you have even more time, head over to Japan where you can visit amazing cities such as Tokyo or Osaka.
