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Getting around Seoul

Public transport: 

City buses in Seoul are classified by one of four colours: blue, green, red or yellow, and many have bilingual signs. Blue and red buses are the speediest but yellow buses are the most useful for foreigners, travelling a loop around downtown Seoul calling at main rail stations, tourist and shopping areas. Check bus routes on www.congnamul.com.

The Seoul Subway (Lines 1-4: Seoul Metro, www.seoulmetro.co.kr; Lines 5-8: Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, www.smrt.co.kr) is one of the fastest in the world and connects with buses. Trains are clean, frequent and punctual, and the eight colour-coded lines (and 400 stops) have signs and announcements in English.

A 30-day Metro Pass is available. The rechargeable T-money Card (www.seoulcitypass.com), available from convenience stores and subway ticket counters, can be used to pay for public transport and some inner Seoul taxis. A one-to-three-day Seoul City Pass allows for 20 trips a day on bus and subway and unlimited journeys on the Seoul City Tour Bus and also acts as a discount card on tourist attractions.

Taxis: 

There are four types of taxis in Seoul: regular taxis, deluxe taxis, high-tech brand taxis and luggage-friendly, eight-seater jumbo taxis, some with a ‘free interpretation' online service. Deluxe taxis (tel: (02) 3431 5100 or 558 8000) are black and yellow and offer a high level of service. Brand taxis include Kind Call Taxi (tel: (02) 1588 3382), KT Powertel (tel: (02) 1588 0082) and Jumbo Taxis (tel: (02) 888 2000).

Driving: 

Roads in Seoul are well paved, traffic lights functional, and most drivers comply with basic traffic laws in Seoul.

Car hire: 

To hire a car in Seoul, foreigners need to be over 21 years, with a year's experience and an International Driving Permit. Kumho Rent-A-Car (tel: (02) 797 8000; www.kumhorent.com), affiliated to Hertz, is the largest car hire provider in the country. Other car hire agencies include Avis (tel: (02) 862 2847; www.avis.co.kr) and Car for You (tel: (02) 1588 1006; www.carforyou.co.kr).

Bicycle hire: 

Cycle paths have been introduced along the canals and rivers running through Seoul, taking cyclists into the city centre, and there are also bike trails in the easily reached surrounding hills and mountains. Bicycle hire is available from Filthy Bikes (www.mtbk-adventure.com).

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