Seoul, Korea episode

Listener Story Spotlight

A friend and a listener named Lois recently went to Hawaii. She told me she spent much time getting travel insurance for herself and her partner. She had to pay more than she expected as her partner was having a birthday between the day she bought the service and the day of the trip. But she said it was well worth it for her peace of mind.

The FAQ for today is: Where to find the best travel insurance for a long trip abroad.

1. Start with a neutral comparison engine; you can see this in the show notes.

Why use it first?

Where to click

Smart filters to enable

It lets you price 30-day single-trip plans from dozens of underwriters side-by-side, then click through to the policy certificate in one step.

Squaremouth (toggle "Comprehensive" or "Medical-only" to see apples-to-apples pricing). Squaremouth Travel Insurance

Medical ≥ $100k, Evac≥ $250k, "Cancel for Any Reason" if you want maximum flexibility.

Gives you consumer-written claim reviews plus AM Best financial ratings in the results grid.

InsureMyTrip (same data feed as Squaremouth but different sort logic).

Add "PIf relevant, existing condition waiver" if rek "Adventure sports" if you'll hike or dive.

Pulls quotes from some insurers that don't feed aggregators (e.g., Allianz's higher-tier plans) and lists A.M. Best scores.

TravelInsurance.com

Use the "24/7 assistance" toggle to see which plans outsource helplines.

Skeptical check: All three make a commission, and none of them has every carrier. Run your trip through at least two engines and see if the so-called "cheapest" plan is available.

 

 

2. Cross-reference with an independent ranking list

• U.S. News "Best Travel Insurance Companies 2025" ranks plans by coverage and claim-paying history—not advertising spend. It's a fast way to see which names (Travelex, Allianz, Tin Leg, etc.) consistently show up in the top tier. U.S. News

 

 

3. See what other solo women say

• SoloTravelerWorld.com keeps an updated "Best Travel Insurance for Solo Travelers" guide that spells out what to look for if you're traveling alone—single-supplement benefits, harassment coverage, and 24-hour crisis lines. Solo Traveler

• AbsolutelyLucy.com lays out five red flags that matter disproportionately to women (e.g., personal-assault medical limits, emergency contraception exclusions). Absolutely Lucy

Read these before you fall for glossy Instagram ads that treat "female-friendly" as a slogan.

 

 

4. Kick the tires on the insurer's site

If a plan looks good in a marketplace, open the policy certificate directly on the carrier's website (World Nomads, SafetyWing, Allianz, IMG, etc.). World Nomads publishes unfiltered claim reviews, which help sniff out chronic payout delays. World Nomads

 

 

5. Verify what your government will—or won't—do

The U.S. State Department's Insurance Coverage Overseas page makes it crystal-clear that Uncle Sam does not pay your hospital bill or med-evac. It also links to the embassy medical resources for every country, which tells you how far the nearest trauma center is from your trekking trail. Travel.gov

 

 

6. Double-check your credit-card benefits

Cards in your wallet may cover trip delays, baggage loss, or secondary car rental insurance. The Points Guy keeps a running tally of cards whose built-in coverage is worth something and where the gaps are (e.g., no medical evacuation).

 

 

How to use these resources efficiently

1. Quote your exact dates (don't round your trip to a calendar month; excess days add cost).

2. Filter for medical & Evac first; those two benefits can bankrupt you.

3. Ignore marketing buzzwords like "explorer" or "adventure" until you've opened the PDF certificate and searched for the activity you plan to do.

4. Run your final four shortlist past recent claim reviews (Squaremouth, Trustpilot, Reddit r/solotravel) to see if the carrier ghosted people during COVID or the Israel–Gaza cancellations.

5. You can purchase directly from the insurer once you've chosen, which avoids aggregator change fees if you need to modify dates.

Stay curious, question every "Top 10" list's methodology, and you'll land the coverage that fits your risk profile—nothing more, nothing less.

60-second confidence challenge

3 things: neighborhood selection, daylight itineraries, scam avoidance

Select walkable neighborhoods with public transportation nearby if you don't drive. Read reviews on the AirBNB website before you select.

When booking a flight or train, be sure it arrives at daylight, which can differ in winter months. If it comes after dark, it will be more challenging. 

To avoid scams, be cautious when choosing passwords, logging out of websites, and making online purchases. These are very typical scams. If you are suspicious, you may be right to avoid that vendor and choose another. Don't look like a target, either.

 

If you like today's Confidence Challenge, Chapter 1 of my book dives deeper—https://www.5stepstosolotravel.com

 

See Book A for addressing all of these items.

Find it on the website or Amazon. It's a series.

Today's destination is:  South Korea 

I visited South Korea last month. I landed at Seoul's Inchon Airport. My Korean pronunciation is not good, so please understand that as I describe my trip.

I was excited to see the city through the eyes of my friend Chris. We were whisked away to a hotpot dinner, then taken to the French neighborhood in Seoul, where we rested for the night.

The next morning, we drove south to visit a town about 2 hours away and stayed in Wolbong-ro (Road), in Seobuk-gu, near SeongJeong.

 

For example, the Seoul Noryyanglin Fisheries Wholesale Market is five stories tall and open to the public. It's worth seeing if you like seafood, and you can roam the aisles looking for your favorite fish delicacies.

 

I visited the Vovo Bidet company and met with the director and some of his team. Have you seen the #1 Bidet firm in Korea? They have retail and wholesale offices in the Los Angeles area, too. I liked the tour of the offices here in Seoul. They even have a Bidet to go. Think about that for a minute. That was in Daebang-dong or Seocho4-dong.

I visited retail stores such as Zara, one of my favorites for fashion.

I had Chinese, Japanese, and Fusion foods.

I took subways, busses, taxis, and Ubers plus trains.

I went to Gwannghumun Square, the purple Station #9.

I went to the shopping mall called The Hyundai. and found stores like Zanmang Loopy, the Hyundai Present, and a great coffee and tea shop.

I learned about Hanguel, the Korean alphabet, and saw the statue of Sejong the Great. There was also another statue of Admiral YiSun Sin.

The Bukchon Honok Village is a quiet residential area.

Jogyasa Temple is where you will see Buddism.

Hongdae is the neighborhood for independent artists.

 

Yonsei University was a place I wanted to visit next time, as I was in the neighborhood and liked it a lot.

Gangnam style, well, maybe next time.

I tried new foods, such as mung bean pancakes and hotleok desserts.

We had a wonderful dinner at Sushi-ya Shabu-ya, about an hour from Seoul, near Korea Nazarene University in Cheonan-si-Buldang1-dong.

Recommended: Relax in a tea house.

Smart Move and Slip up pairings

In Korea, we were departing from the airport without enough money on our transit cards, so we could not enter the building. Instead, we had to see the office at the kiosk and pay for the train. It was not much, but it did take a few minutes. We arrived well ahead of the recommended 3 hours, so that was not an issue.

60 second confidence challenge

Do you or don't you tip? Not in South Korea. But it's always smart to ask. Be confident when you know what the expectations are.

 

Resources Roundup

 

If you are looking for more solo female travel resources, you can find several tips and ways to navigate the pitfalls, such as paying the difference on the transit card when you go long distances or knowing when to tip.

 

When you get lost, don't get upset. Get found. You will be better off if you cool down instead of heating your brain incorrectly. Chill, and you'll be found sooner. Dr. Travelbest’s tip #760.