Renting a car in Jeju
As someone who travelled to Jeju previously and didn’t rent a car, renting a car this time was a huge difference! I am no longer constricted by the bus frequencies and can head out anytime i want to!
The buses in Jeju city are quite frequent but the buses outside are totally different. We noticed that we can save half the time by driving.
One question you may have is - it’s right hand drive, isn’t it hard? I think it just takes some adjusting and the constant reminded to keep right and all would be fine! Using Naver maps helped us to know which lane to be in and where the speed cameras/bumps are.
A funny moment is when there is a speed camera at certain areas and you can see all the drivers slowing down to 30km/h 😆
The parking is mostly free, some places do require you to spend to get free parking (e-mart)
We chose to rent an electric car because why not? haha there were lots of chargers to charge the car and our fav was e-mart LOL. The acceleration was great too!
It was such a great experience TBH and made the trip sooo much better as i got to visit more places than before!
If you’re considering renting a car in Jeju, here are some tips from my experience that might help you. First, although Jeju’s buses run frequently in the city, rural areas have limited service. Renting a car cuts down travel time significantly and gives you flexibility to visit hidden gems at your own pace. Driving on the right side took a bit of getting used to, but apps like Naver Maps clearly guided me on lanes, parking spots, and alerted me about speed cameras and bumps. I highly recommend renting an electric vehicle if you can; charging stations are conveniently located, especially at places like e-mart, which became my favorite charging stop. Regarding parking, many places offer free parking, but some, like e-mart, may ask for a small purchase to use their lot without fees. Keep some coins handy just in case. One fun moment was noticing drivers slowing down drastically near speed cameras—reminded me to keep my speed in check too! Overall, my car rental experience made the trip more enjoyable and allowed me to cover much more ground than relying on public transport. If you want a hassle-free way to explore Jeju fully, I definitely recommend renting a car.
