How To Travel To And Around Seoul?

Published On : 17 Oct 2024

Welcome to Seoul! Seoul is the largest city in South Korea and its capital, which is a modern economic powerhouse with a wealth of history, culture and vibrant atmosphere and delicious food that draws more than 10 million tourists from around the world per year. Arriving in the city and trying to get around in this huge metropolis can be quite a challenge especially for first time visitors. This blog gives you insights on how to get to Seoul and how to navigate through this interesting city when you are there.

Getting To Seoul

By Air
Seoul has two main international airports: Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Gimpo International Airport (GMP). Last, a destination worth visiting is Incheon which is about an hour’s drive from central Seoul and is South Korea’s largest airport and its main gate to the international community. It caters for flights from established international airline companies and provides link to most parts of the world. The airport primarily serves local destinations and some short regional international connections from other parts of Asia such as Tokyo, Shanghai and Taipei.

In case you are landing at Incheon, the most convenient and comfortable mode of transportation into Seoul is through the Airport Railroad Express (AREX). Two options are possible – the fast AREX line that gets you to Seoul Station in the city center in 43 minutes, or the commuter AREX line that stops at every station (it takes about 55 minutes). The price of a ticket is from 8000 to 14000 won (about 6 to 11 USD) per person depending on the station you have to get off.

Another way is to use a bus or a pre-arranged airport transfer by car or a van which is usually cheaper but takes 1- 1.5 hours in traffic. There are normal metered taxis which cost about 60 000 – 70 000 won to get to central Seoul depending on the traffic .

By Train

As for the intercity trains, Seoul has four major stations: Seoul Station (central), Yongsan Station (Honam/Jeolla), Cheongnyangni Station (Chungcheong/eastern), and Sangbong Station (Gangwon-do provinces). The KTX high-speed rail transport links most Korean cities to Seoul in approximately 2,5hours or less. It takes about 4 hours to go through Saemaeul or Mugunghwa trains but they are cheaper than the KTX.

By Bus

Intercity buses that ply long distances to Seoul can be found three terminals in Seoul; Seoul express bus terminal, Dong Seoul Bus terminal and Sangbong Intercity bus terminal depending on the terminal from which the buses originated. Seoul has an efficient bus system that provides a link to every town and city in South Korea. Transit time from all other areas averages 4 to 5 hours.

Getting Around Seoul

Public Transit

Without a doubt, the best way to get around this city is by using its well-organized and extensive public transport, which is also cheap and very easy to use. It consists of a strong rail network of the subway/Metro/underground lines, public buses, the AREX line from the airport and even the streetcars, which encircle the downtown area. Prices begin at 1,250 won (USD $1+) per trip.

Seoul has a unified transit card and it is convenient to get hold of a reloadable T-Money card that offers a few percentage of discounts and is usable in all forms of transport including taxis. You can buy them at any of the subway stations and convenience stores. It simply requires a tap when one is getting to or from stations or buses.

The subway is large, modern, and very efficient; and directions are provided in English on subway signs, maps, and announcements. 4G and 5G data service also means that use of social apps such as Kakao Metro for schedules/routing or Google Maps to navigate is not a problem, even in tunnels. Utilize them to chart your movement across the vast city.

Taxis

Loud, bright orange/yellow and black sedans are out in large concentrations. The normal taxi services are cheap with higher base rates during night (midnight to 4AM). Most drivers speak at least some English but having your destinations written in Korean is helpful as is being able to point out the location on a map on your phone.

My third tip is Metered Taxi, this can be paid by T-Money cards. Only a few black ‘mobility taxis’ serving only the wheelchair bound and the disabled are allowed to operate in the country. Due to its size, folding wheelchairs can also be taken by a regular taxi most of the time provided that this has to be requested in advance.

Long-Distance Travel

As for the places that are located out of the capital area like DMZ Tour or further Jeju Island, there are lots of bus tours. Several authentic agencies include Trazy Crew, GPSMyCity, My Real Trip that provide inexpensively direct airport pick-up/drop-off day tours by bus in multiple languages.

You can also plan a public bus trip using Kakao Metro or Google Maps where transfer instructions are provided to get to places within the country. While it may be slightly more challenging to move around in the rural areas where the use of English is not as widespread as it is in urban areas.

But for real though, with a transit card, metro maps, and some data on your phone, Seoul’s amazing infrastructure makes it very easy to get around in this huge city! Still, do not forget to get some delicious Korean street food while exploring the area.

This guide should provide you with all the confidence and information necessary for a seamless solo trip to and through the lively Seoul during your next Korea trip! Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any other questions. Have a great time here and make lots of nice experiences in this interesting city! Happy travels!