I’m planning a trip to Busan in Oct 2017 with a side trip to Geoje and Tongyeong. Geoje is a small island Southwest of Busan and Tongyeong is a coastal town further west. They are a linked by highways and bridges to Busan. I intend to do a 3-day driving trip there and back to Busan.
I’ve rented cars from Lotte Rent-A-Car and Sixt in Jeju before with positive experiences so for this trip I decided to use them again.
I’ll be picking up the car from a city location. In terms of rental office locations Lotte has more branches in the city. Lotte has a branch at the Centum which is nearer to Haeundae where I’ll be staying for the first 2 nights. They also have a branch at Busan Station where I intend to return the car which is nearer to Seomyeon where I’ll be staying after my trip back from Geoje and Tongyong. Sixt has only a branch in the city at the Busan Station. So in terms of car rental location Lotte has more choices and suits my plan better.
Car Rental Locations For Lotte and Sixt in Busan
| Lotte Rent-A-Car | Address | Sixt | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Busan Gimhae Int. Airport | 1850-4 Daejeo 2-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan. Opening hours: Day - 08:00~22:00 / Weekend(holiday) - 08:00~22:00 | Busan Gimhae Int. Airport | 108 Gonghangjinip-ro, 46718 Busan Opening hours: 09:00 - 21:00 daily including public holidays |
| Busan Railway Station | 3-6 Jungang-daero 248 beon-gil, Dong-gu, Busan. Tel: 051-442-0091 Opening Hours: Day - 08:30~22:00 / Weekend(holiday) - 08:30~22:00 | Busan Railway Station | 6-5, Jungang-daero 196beon-gil, 48821 Busan. Opening Hours: Mo. - Th. 08:00 - 21:00 Fr. - Su. 08:00 - 22:00 Bank Holiday 08:00 - 22:00 |
| Haeundae | 1F, Centum Q, 1483 U-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan. Tel: 051-740-8000 Opening hours: Day - 08:30~20:00 / Weekend(holiday) - 08:30~18:00 | ||
| Busan Gangjang Hotel | 7, Jungang-daero 214beon-gil, Dong-gu, Busan Tel:051-441-8000 Opening hours: Day - 08:30~18:00 / Weekend(holiday) - 08:30~18:00 |
Comparison of Car Rental Prices
Comparing like for like Lotte’s rate is slightly cheaper than Sixt. For a 3-day rental for a mid-sized car like the Kia K5, Lotte’s rate is KRW295,400 (USD263) while Sixt rate is KRW310,992 (USD277). However Sixt offers a no cancellation rate which is about USD45 cheaper at KRW 260,448 (USD232). All rates quoted here are inclusive of English GPS and basic CDW insurance cover (KRW300,000 deductible for damage).
Given the tense situation with North Korea and the possibility of cancelling the trip if the situation worsens, I booked the car with Lotte, no deposit required and free cancellation. Location wise it works out better too. Lotte also has a wider range of cars so I booked the Renault SM6, a new diesel powered car jointly manufactured in collaboration with Samsung right here in Busan. Diesel’s running cost is also cheaper with a more fuel efficient engine.
Hopefully everything works out well on the political front. I will follow up with some information on driving in Busan after the trip. This will be my first time driving in Busan so hope it turns out according to plan.
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