Where to stay, and getting around afterwards

The right answer is almost always "walking distance from the place you have to return to", and that is not the same as the nicest neighbourhood.

Choose by follow-up, not by district

You will travel to the clinic more times than you expect — the consultation, the procedure, the first check, the stitch removal. Each of those journeys happens when you are least able to enjoy a long subway ride. Pick accommodation by travel time to your clinic, then worry about everything else.

What to check before booking

• Lift or stairs. A charming fourth-floor walk-up is a different proposition three days after surgery.
• Check-in time and luggage storage. Arriving on the morning of a consultation usually means your bags need somewhere to be.
• A fridge. For cold packs and for medication that needs it.
• Convenience store downstairs. In Korea that is a realistic expectation, and it solves food when you do not want to be seen.
• Flexible cancellation. Schedules move. Non-refundable rates are a bet on a medical timetable.

Getting around

• Taxis are ordered through apps and are inexpensive by the standards of most visitors' home countries. For the first days after a procedure, take the taxi.
• A transport card works on subway and buses everywhere and is sold at any convenience store.
• Get a SIM or eSIM at the airport. Almost everything — the taxi app, the maps, the clinic's messages — depends on having data from the moment you land.
• Subway stations are large and involve a lot of stairs. Lifts exist but are not always near the exit you want.

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