Home › Travel Guides › Asia Travel Guide › South Korea › Getting around in South Korea
Image gallery

Seokguram Grotto, South Korea

© iStockphoto / Thinkstock

Getting around in South Korea

Air: 

National airlines Asiana Air (OZ) (http://flyasiana.com) and Korean Air (KE) (www.koreanair.com) run frequent services around the country.International flights primarily leave from Incheon International Airport, while domestic flights fly to/from Gimpo.

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).

Air notes: 

Air travel within South Korea can be quite reasonable if reservations are made online. Discounts often rival train fares.

Departure tax: 

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.

Road: 

Roads are good quality and well-signed; however, erratic drivers and traffic congestion in large cities make driving a challenge for all but the most confident drivers.

Side of road: 
Right
Road quality: 

Excellent motorways link all major cities, but minor roads may be poorly maintained. Road signs are usually written in Korean and English.

Car hire: 

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.

Taxi: 

Taxis are ubiquitous and are reasonably safe and cheap. It's possible to travel from one side of Seoul to the other after bars close for less than 20,000 won. There are two grades of taxi, a black luxury grade and a normal grade. All taxis are required to be metered -- make sure they're using the meter throughout the trip. Reports of lengthy detours, of charging night rates during the day, and other fee-related issues surface from time to time. Safety problems are rare, but assaults on women have been infrequently reported. Exercise judgement and caution when travelling alone.

Bike: 

Bike rentals may be possible for sightseeing in some cities. Ask the local tourist information booths for details.

Coach: 

Bus travel within South Korea is reliable and inexpensive, but often confusing for non-Korean speakers, as many cities have four or more bus terminals, each with different destinations, routes, and timetables. Making matters worse, many bus operators do not have English speakers or English websites.

However, long-distance luxury coaches and normal buses offer service to almost everywhere in South Korea at very reasonable prices. Kobus (www.kobus.co.kr/web/eng/index.jsp) is an English website with scheduling information for all express buses.

Breakdown service: 

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; www.internationalsos.com). Or call 1330 when in Korea. This is not an emergency number itself, but is a tourist information helpline.

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.

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. Most major cities have at least one or two underground lines and/or above-ground trolleys.

Rail: 

Korean National Railroads (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 (http://ktx.korail.go.kr/eng). Station signs in English are common and English translations of timetables are usually available. There is a new high-speed train from Seoul to Chuncheon that takes one hour and 20 minutes and replaces the slower Mugunghwa trains on the route.

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. (www.korail.go.kr).

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.

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.