Travel to Seoul
Flying to Seoul
Asiana Airlines (www.flyasiana.com) and Korean Air (www.koreanair.com) operate flights to Seoul from around the world, including the UK and USA. Peak travel times are generally March/April, July/August and December, with cheaper fares available outside these times.
Flight times
From London - 11 hours; New York - 14 hours 30 minutes; Los Angeles - 13 hours 30 minutes; Toronto - 14 hours; Sydney - 10 hours 40 minutes.
Travel by road
Road conditions are generally good in Seoul. Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years old. Speed limits are 60kph (37mph) on regular roads and 80-120kph (50-75mph) on expressways.
A good metro system and intercity train service means you are unlikely to need a car in Seoul, but if you do decide to hire one, you need an international driving licence. Most rental companies require you to be over 21 years old with at least one year’s driving experience, or over 26 with three years’ experience if you wish to rent a 4-wheel drive.
Emergency breakdown services
Korea Automobile Association (tel: +82 2 565 7001).
Routes
Due to the division between North and South Korea, it is impossible to enter Seoul by overland routes, however, of the nine major highways connecting cities throughout South Korea, six radiate into the city making it easily accessible by road from other parts of the country.
Coaches
Seoul Express Bus Terminal, 19-4 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, is the main depot for regular and deluxe intercity express bus services. Deluxe services have spacious seats, mobile phones and on-route movies. Real-time schedules and seating details are available through Kobus (tel: +82 2 536 6460; www.kobus.co.kr/web/eng/index.jsp), the Express Bus Lines Association.
Travel by Rail
Services
The main railway station is Seoul Station. It's the main hub for the über-modern, high-speed Korea Train Express (KTX), bookable in advance, which takes just 2 hours 40 minutes to reach Busan in the far south.
Operators
Korail (tel: +82 1599 7777; www.korail.com) operates fast, comfortable and reliable trains to most parts of the country from Seoul. It also sells the Korail Pass, which offers discount rail travel to foreigners for limited periods (one, three, five and seven) and can be purchased at overseas offices or online.
Journey times
From Daejeon - 1 hour; Dongdaegu - 1 hour 50 minutes; Busan - 2 hours 40 minutes; Gwangju - 3 hours 15 minutes; Mokpo - 3 hours 30 minutes.
Travel by boat
Ferry companies operate between the international port of Incheon, 1-2 Hang 7(chil)-dong, Jung-gu, and several cities in China, including Shanghai.
Ferry operators
The Jinchon Ferry (www.jinchon.co.kr) travels between Tianjin and Incheon, departing from Tanggu International Ferry Terminal twice a week.
