Jeju

Keep your original passport and booking confirmation with you, and make sure the passenger name matches the passport. A passport photo on your phone is not a substitute for the original ID. As a planning buffer, aim to reach the airport about 90 minutes before departure, earlier at busy times. This is not a universal deadline: Korean Air, for example, closes domestic check-in 30 minutes before departure and boarding 10 minutes before departure. Follow your own airline’s baggage, check-in and boarding cutoffs.

Collect your baggage at domestic arrivals, then check your rental voucher for the shuttle operator, bay and operating hours. Jeju Airport directs rental-car customers from Gate 5 on the first floor to the rental-car shuttle area. Many suppliers take you to an off-airport office to check documents and hand over the car. Keep time for the shuttle and inspection; the plane’s landing time is not your car pickup time. For the return, allow time for refuelling, vehicle inspection, the shuttle and airport check-in.

Choose Jeju Airport, your pickup and return dates and times, the country or region that issued your licence, and the driver’s age. Compare passenger and bag capacity, the named supplier and pickup location. Before paying, read the licence and driving-experience requirements, deposit and payment-card rules, cancellation terms, insurance, excess and exclusions. After confirmation, save the voucher and supplier contact details. Age limits and accepted documents vary by supplier; a paid booking does not waive them.

For overseas-licence holders, South Korea recognises valid IDPs issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna road-traffic conventions, as well as applicable mutual-recognition arrangements. Driving is limited to the permitted vehicle category, within one year of entry to Korea and while the permit remains valid. Bring the physical IDP, original, valid home-country licence and original passport; check matching names and the supplier’s conditions. A valid Korean licence is a separate route. An unofficial “international driving licence”, translation or PDF alone is not a substitute for a recognised IDP.

Apply through the authorised issuer for your driving licence, before you leave. US licence holders can check AAA; UK licence holders should use GOV.UK’s issuing-location guidance and its 1949-permit listing for South Korea; Australian licence holders can use the Australian Automobile Association or its member clubs. These are examples, not a complete country list. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao are not interchangeable issuing jurisdictions: Korea recognises qualifying Hong Kong and Macao IDPs. Taiwan has a separate recognition arrangement. Check your issuing authority and the Korean rules before booking.

Have the staff verify every intended driver and any child seats. Photograph existing damage, wheels, glass and the fuel gauge or battery level, and have existing damage recorded. Check the fuel type, insurance exclusions, excess and the accident or breakdown contact number. Ask for the return address, opening hours and airport shuttle details. “Full cover” is not a reason to skip the policy wording.

Choose by people and luggage together, not seat count alone. As editorial starting points, compare a petrol Ray for two or three people with light bags, a Sonata for two to four, and a Sorento or Santa Fe for three to five. A Palisade or Carnival can suit four or five with more luggage. For EVs, compare EV3 for two or three and IONIQ 5 for two to four. These recommendations include the driver and do not guarantee luggage space. Confirm the exact model, seat layout, child seats and licence category with the supplier.

Our planning view: quieter routes outside Jeju City can feel less demanding than central Seoul’s busy multi-lane junctions, but Jeju is not automatically an easy driving destination. Airport traffic, narrow village roads, unfamiliar parking, fog on upland roads and winter ice need a different kind of attention. The winding 5·16 mountain road deserves particular care. Drive on the right, follow posted limits and choose a daylight coastal route first if you are unfamiliar with Korean roads. Avoid treating a navigation shortcut as the best route in bad weather.

Do not assume that a place appearing in Google Maps means turn-by-turn driving will work: test an actual driving route before departure. NAVER Map provides English navigation; open MY → Settings → Language and select English (the app may direct you to your device settings). KakaoMap also offers driving navigation; Kakao Navi and TMAP are separate apps whose language, account and device requirements you should test in advance. Keep mobile data, a phone mount and charging ready, and save the Korean address and correct parking entrance.

Before leaving the rental office, ask whether the car’s built-in navigation supports English menus or voice guidance, and ask the staff to set your first destination. Support differs by vehicle: do not assume every system can switch languages. Keep the hotel’s Korean address and phone number and confirm the correct entrance on the map. If neither phone nor vehicle navigation is workable for you, arrange a different car, a driver or public transport before setting off.

Opening hours vary by station, so do not depend on finding an open station late at night. Our trip-planning suggestion is to refuel before your evening plans, aiming for before 22:00; this is a suggested buffer, not a claim that all stations close then or that none open overnight. Look up a station along your route in Opinet or a local map and confirm its actual opening hours. On an early-flight day, filling up the previous evening can make the return easier.

Follow the fuel policy in your rental contract. Many rentals ask for the same level recorded at pickup, while others use a full-to-full policy. Photograph the starting gauge and confirm the fuel type, required return level and any refuelling or service charges with the staff. Do not assume you must always fill the tank completely. For an EV, ask about the required battery percentage and charging fees instead.

An EV can suit a planned itinerary when charging is convenient. Before booking, check your accommodation’s charger access, a compatible charger near your route, payment using your own card or a rental-supplied charging card, and the required battery level at return. Confirm these with the supplier rather than assuming a foreign card or every charging app will work. If charging would complicate a short stay, compare a petrol or hybrid car as well.

Yes. Build your itinerary around a manageable area and compare Jeju buses, taxis and organised tours. Check the last bus and the walk from the stop to each attraction before choosing your accommodation. If your licence is not accepted or you are not comfortable driving, plan transport around your destinations instead of assuming you must rent a car.