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Getting Around by Air
National airlines Asiana Air (OZ) (website: http://flyasiana.com) and Korean Air (KE) (website: www.koreanair.com) run frequent services around the country.
Incheon, Cheongju, Gwangju, Jeju, Gimhae, Daegu are the international airports; Gimpo, Wonju, Gunsan, Phang, Ulsan, Sacheon, Mokpo and Yeosu are domestic airports.
The main domestic airport is Seoul Gimpo (GMP), located 17km (10 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: There are several bus options to many points in the city - it depends on the area you're headed to, the fee you want to pay and level of service. KAL Limousine Buses are the most comfortable (cost appropriate to this), are very frequent and run services to all the major upscale hotels. A subway line runs to the city centre (journey time - 40 minutes). Taxis to the city are also available. The first phase of AREX, a railway link between Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport (41km/26 miles, journey time - 30 minutes) was opened in March 2007. In 2010, the second phase of the project, a 20.5km (12.5-mile) stretch between Gimpo and Seoul, will be completed giving both commuter services and a high-speed (journey time - 45 minutes) Incheon-Gimpo-Seoul connection. Facilities: currency exchange, pharmacy, post office, gift shop, duty-free shop, car hire, local products' shop, restaurant and travel information desk.
Note: It is not possible for British nationals to travel directly to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) from the Republic of Korea unless as part of a guided tour group (some international companies now offer these).
Departure Tax
Incheon, Cheongju, Gwangju, Jeju, Gimhae, Daegu are the international airports; Gimpo, Wonju, Gunsan, Phang, Ulsan, Sacheon, Mokpo and Yeosu are domestic airports.
The main domestic airport is Seoul Gimpo (GMP), located 17km (10 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: There are several bus options to many points in the city - it depends on the area you're headed to, the fee you want to pay and level of service. KAL Limousine Buses are the most comfortable (cost appropriate to this), are very frequent and run services to all the major upscale hotels. A subway line runs to the city centre (journey time - 40 minutes). Taxis to the city are also available. The first phase of AREX, a railway link between Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport (41km/26 miles, journey time - 30 minutes) was opened in March 2007. In 2010, the second phase of the project, a 20.5km (12.5-mile) stretch between Gimpo and Seoul, will be completed giving both commuter services and a high-speed (journey time - 45 minutes) Incheon-Gimpo-Seoul connection. Facilities: currency exchange, pharmacy, post office, gift shop, duty-free shop, car hire, local products' shop, restaurant and travel information desk.
Note: It is not possible for British nationals to travel directly to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) from the Republic of Korea unless as part of a guided tour group (some international companies now offer these).
All non-Koreans leaving by air are subject to a KRW10,000 departure tax at the airport and KRW17,000 passenger service charge. But these fees are often included in the ticket price, so check with your carrier first.
Getting Around by Water
There are ferry terminals at: Incheon, Gyeokpo, Mokpo, Yeosu, Jeju, Gunsan, Wando, Tongyeong, Geoje, Donghae and Boryeong, connecting port to port and out to some of the smaller islands. Ferries connect Busan with Jeju Island. Car ferries also operate this route. Han River Ferry Cruise operates a cruise service on the Han River in Seoul, which runs through the centre of the capital from Yeoido.
Getting Around by Rail
Korean National Railroads (website: www.korail.go.kr) connects major destinations. There are three classes of trains: Korea Train Express (KTX, the country's new high-speed, two-class service); Saemaeul trains (express, first class-grade service); and Mugunghwa trains (local, more of a ‘second class' service). KTX has east (Gyeongbu line, ending in Busan) and west (the Honam line ending in Mokpo) routings (website: http://ktx.korail.go.kr/eng). Station signs in English are common and English translations of timetables are usually available.
Rail Passes
Korea Rail Pass: allows visitors travel with reserved seats on any KR train (except subways) within a three-, five-, seven- or 10-day period. Saver passes are available for groups of between two and five people, and Youth passes for people aged between 13 and 25 years old. A Korea Rail Pass voucher can be purchased at certain offices and travel agencies abroad and exchanged for the actual pass at Korean railway stations.
Korea Rail Pack: includes accommodation and sightseeing services as well as the actual rail journey. Packs are available for two, three or five days and include a free pick-up/drop-off service for major hotels in downtown Seoul, hotel accommodation with breakfast and an English-speaking guide throughout. Routes covered include: Seoul-Gyeongju, Seoul-Busan, Seoul-Gyeongju-Busan, Seoul-Gyeongju-Busan-Jeju and Seoul-Gyeongju-Andong. (website: www.korail.go.kr).
Korea Rail Pack: includes accommodation and sightseeing services as well as the actual rail journey. Packs are available for two, three or five days and include a free pick-up/drop-off service for major hotels in downtown Seoul, hotel accommodation with breakfast and an English-speaking guide throughout. Routes covered include: Seoul-Gyeongju, Seoul-Busan, Seoul-Gyeongju-Busan, Seoul-Gyeongju-Busan-Jeju and Seoul-Gyeongju-Andong. (website: www.korail.go.kr).
Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Excellent motorways link all major cities, but minor roads are often badly maintained. Road signs are usually written in Korean and English.
Bus: Local and express buses are inexpensive, though local buses within cities are often crowded and make no allowances for English speakers. Hotel staff can assist in choosing the correct bus and stop. Air-conditioned city-express buses (chwasok) are much more comfortable than local buses, and operate in competition with trains for connections to major cities. Towns and villages are linked by local bus services.
Taxi: Generally cheap, and there are also deluxe taxis (mobom taxis), black with a yellow sign on top, which offer a higher level of service. Taxi drivers tend to speak little or no English. Have the destination written in Korean and a map of private addresses, although some offer a free phone interpretation service.
Car hire: Numerous car hire companies operating, including the major international ones. However, complex road systems and density of traffic may mean this is an option only for more confident drivers, or you can hire a driver to go with you on the road.
Regulations: Seat belts are mandatory. Speed limits are 100-110kph (62-68mph) on motorways; 60-80kph (37-50mph) for A-roads.
Documentation: International Driving Permit required. Drivers must have more than one year's driving experience, be in possession of a valid passport and be over 21 years of age.
Emergency breakdown service: Contact Korea Rent-a-car Association (tel: (2) 2525 4962) or check with your car hire company. International SOS Korea provides English-speaking advice on all kinds of emergencies (tel: (2) 3140 1700; website: www.internationalsos.com). Or call 1330 when in Korea. This is not an emergency number itself, but is a tourist information helpline.
Bus: Local and express buses are inexpensive, though local buses within cities are often crowded and make no allowances for English speakers. Hotel staff can assist in choosing the correct bus and stop. Air-conditioned city-express buses (chwasok) are much more comfortable than local buses, and operate in competition with trains for connections to major cities. Towns and villages are linked by local bus services.
Taxi: Generally cheap, and there are also deluxe taxis (mobom taxis), black with a yellow sign on top, which offer a higher level of service. Taxi drivers tend to speak little or no English. Have the destination written in Korean and a map of private addresses, although some offer a free phone interpretation service.
Car hire: Numerous car hire companies operating, including the major international ones. However, complex road systems and density of traffic may mean this is an option only for more confident drivers, or you can hire a driver to go with you on the road.
Regulations: Seat belts are mandatory. Speed limits are 100-110kph (62-68mph) on motorways; 60-80kph (37-50mph) for A-roads.
Documentation: International Driving Permit required. Drivers must have more than one year's driving experience, be in possession of a valid passport and be over 21 years of age.
Emergency breakdown service: Contact Korea Rent-a-car Association (tel: (2) 2525 4962) or check with your car hire company. International SOS Korea provides English-speaking advice on all kinds of emergencies (tel: (2) 3140 1700; website: www.internationalsos.com). Or call 1330 when in Korea. This is not an emergency number itself, but is a tourist information helpline.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
Seoul has underground and suburban railways and well-developed bus services, all of which are very crowded during the rush hour. Underground station names, ticket counters and transfer signs are clearly marked in English as well as Korean. Underground lines are colour-coded, and all trains have multilingual announcements. Taxis are widely available. Good bus services also operate in other cities.
Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Seoul to other major cities/towns in the Republic of Korea.
Additional times: From Busan to Jeju by sea is 11 hours (3 hours 30 minutes via the super-express ferry). From Mokpo to Jeju by sea is 5 hours 30 minutes. From Busan to Kyongju is 1 hour by road and 40 minutes by rail.
| Air | Road | Rail | |
| Kwangju | 0.50 | 3.55 | 4.20 |
| Chonju | 1.10 | 3.00 | 3.20 |
| Kyongju | - | 4.40 | 3.30 |
| Ulsan | 0.50 | 4.40 | 4.00 |
Additional times: From Busan to Jeju by sea is 11 hours (3 hours 30 minutes via the super-express ferry). From Mokpo to Jeju by sea is 5 hours 30 minutes. From Busan to Kyongju is 1 hour by road and 40 minutes by rail.