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Transportation
in Seoul
Airport
Incheon International
Airport
Incheon International Airport is 52km west of downtown Seoul.
Known as the Winged City, Incheon International Airport
is built on reclaimed land between two islands off Incheon.
Geographically, located between Japan and China from East
to West, and between and Siberia Southeast Asia from South
to North, the location of IIA represents a premier regional
gateway to major air routes to about 40 cities, each with
more than one million people. Opened in March 2001, the
airport provides international flights connecting 70 cities
in 30 countries. It can accommodate 170,000 flights, process
27 million passengers and handle 1.7 million tons of cargo
annually. (Incheon International Airport: 82-32-741-0104)
Located at the World Trade Center Seoul in southeastern
Seoul, The Korea City Air Terminal (KCAT) provides passenger
and luggage check-in and immigration processing for international
flight passengers. Passenger Service Charge tickets are
sold here at a 50 percent discount. Currently, the service
is available for those flying Asiana Airlines, Korean Air
and one of 10 foreign airliners who have check-in counters
at the terminal. A limousine bus service operates between
KCAT and Incheon Airport at 5 to 10-minute intervals from
5 a.m. to 8 p.m. (KCAT: 82-2-551-0077~8)
At City Air Terminal located inside Gimpo Airport, passengers
for international flights can receive their boarding passes,
check-in their luggage, buy discounted Passenger Service
Charge tickets, complete immigrations procedure and board
a non-stop limousine bus to Incheon International Airport.
The check-in service is available only for Korean Air and
Asiana Airlines at the moment. Passengers must begin check-in
at least two hours and 20 minutes before departure time.
Limousine bus service to Incheon International Airport departs
every six to 10 minutes, from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Korean
Air at 82-2-656-5141, Asiana Airlines at 82-2-669-1151)
From Incheon International Airport to downtown Seoul,
there are several transportation options. Limousine buses
run on 15 routes, including those to Seoul City Hall, Seoul
Station, Yeouido and Gimpo International Airport. City Express
buses offer six routes. Taxi passengers have to pay a toll
for using the New Airport Expressway, which is the only
way in and out of the airport.
Gimpo Airport
Gimpo Airport is 18.2 km from downtown Seoul. Flights to
13 Korean cities depart from this airport. The airport is
served by subway No. 5 line. Several different bus services
are available, including the Sejin Limousine Bus, KAL Limousine
Bus and Airport Limousine Bus. (Gimpo Airport: 82-2-660-2114)
Bus
City Buses
There are approximately 400 bus routes connecting
the farthest corners of the city. 'The Exclusive Lane for
Bus System' is enforced at daytime. Fares can be paid with
either cash, or a bus card as you board. To stop the bus
at your destination, push one of the stop.
Kinds
of City bus
Three kinds of urban buses are running in Seoul City: City,
City Express and Deluxe Express. The City Express Buses
are referred to as 'jwaseok' and are more comfortable than
City Buses. City Buses are referred to as 'ilban' bus. You
may get assistance from your hotel front desk to find out
where the bus stops are and which number you need to take.
You may also contract the Bus Route Information Center (Tel.
82-2-414-5005)
And there is one more kind of bus called 'Maeul Bus' that
is a kind of a shuttle bus. It is run with a short-distance
service course in the residential. These buses are smaller
and cheaper than the normal buses.
Seoul
City Tour Bus
Specifically designed for the touring of Seoul, the 35-seat
luxury bus ensures passengers a comfortable ride by employing
wide leg room and reclining seats. A tour begins every 30
minutes at the bus terminal. Tourists with a day ticket
can hop on and off for an unlimited time from any bus at
any of the designated tour-bus stops.
for more information : www.seoulcitytourbus.com
Transportation Card
The Transportation Card is a pay-per-ride card with 2 %
added value and can also be used to pay subway fares. 10,000,
and 20,000won bus cards are sold and recharged at kiosks
or news stands near the bus stop.
When the passenger gets on the bus, he or she needs to place
the transportation card to the card reader set beside the
driver to pay the bus fare on the card. Then the card reader
displays how much money left in the card. If one wants to
pay the fares for more than one person, he needs to tell
the driver how many people he wants to pay the fare for
and place the card to the card reader as many times as the
number of the people. (the Seoul Bus Transport Association
at 82-2-414-5005)
Taxi
In Seoul, there are several types of taxis on the
streets. Ordinary taxis charge 1,600 won for the first 2
km and 100 won for each additional 168 meters. Fares increase
20 percent between midnight and 4 a.m.
Deluxe taxis are black with a yellow sign on top and the
word "Deluxe Taxi" written on the side. These
taxis offer a higher standard of service. The fare is 4,000
won for the first 3 km and 200 won for each additional 205
meters or 50 seconds if the speed drops below 15 km per
hour. There is no late-night surcharge. A deluxe taxi can
be called at (02)-3431-5100.
Jumbo taxis are black minivans that can carry up to eight
passengers. Fare rate is the same as that charged by deluxe
taxis. Jumbo taxi stands are located at airports, hotels,
train stations and bus stations, and on major streets.
"Visitor's Guide Taxis" have been introduced
for foreigners who do not speak Korean. These taxis are
black with a yellow sign on the roof and a label reading
"Visitor's Guide" on both sides of the vehicle.
Drivers speak English and Japanese. A special interpretation
is provided in taxis displaying the "Free Interpretation"
stickers on the rear side window. Three-way simultaneous
communication is possible between the passenger, driver
and interpreter in English, Japanese and Chinese through
a wireless phone installed in the taxi.
Subway
Eight subway lines and one surface line serve Seoul
and the outlying satellite cities. Lines 1-4 are operated
by the Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation (http://seoulsubway.co.kr/english_subway/e_index.htm)
and lines 5-8 are run by the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit
Corporation. Colored differently between lines, Seoul subway
lines link the farthest parts of Seoul and its satellite
cities and cross each other at various transferable stations,
marked by the symbol. The Korea National Railroad (http://www.korail.go.kr/eng)
is responsible for the surface line.
In general, subway trains operate at intervals of 2.5 to
3 minutes during the morning and evening rush hours, and
at intervals of 4 to 6 minutes during the non-rush hours.
Tickets cost 600 won for area 1 and 700 won for area 2.
for more information : Seoul
Subway Map (size 211KB)
Train
Korean National Railroad (http://www.korail.go.kr/eng)
provides train services in Korea. Tourists can use this
fast, safe and reliable service with very reasonable prices.
Trains run on strict schedules, offering a reliable alternative
to traveling by car.
Three classes of trains are operated: Super express Saemaeul-ho,
express Mugunghwa-ho and limited express Tongil-ho.
Seoul Station in downtown Seoul is the central station,
through which about 90,000 people pass through every day.
The station can be reached by Subway Lines 1 and 4. Address:
122 Bongnae-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
Transportation: Get off at Seoul Station Transportation
(ubway Line1 & 4)
Telephone: 82-2-1544-7788
for more information : www.seoulst.go.kr
(Korean)
Cheongryangni Station, located in northeastern part of Seoul,
is the originating point of Gyeongchun, Jungang, Taebaek
and Yeongdong routes that connect Seoul with the East Coast
and several national parks. The station can be reached by
Subway Line 1.
Address: 588-1 Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Transportation: Get off at Cheongnyangni Station (Subway
Line 1):
Tel:82-2-1544-7788 (ARS)
for more information : www.cnnst.go.kr
(Korean)
Getting
Around Korea
Getting There
& Away
A number of international carriers fly to South Korea. The
international airport is in Incheon, 60km (37mi) from the
capital; Gimpo airport in Seoul now operates domestic services
only. The international airports in Busan and Jeju have
flights to and from China and Japan. If you're flying from
Japan, Tokyo is the best place for cheap fares. During the
World Cup, look out for deals with Korean Air for flights
to and from Japan. For flights plus accommodation, World
Cup travel brochures offer special (if a bit pricey) packages.
Departure tax on international flights is to be paid in
won and costs in the vicinity of US$10.
Courier companies offer discounted airfares to passengers
willing to accompany packages through customs; you may have
to surrender all your baggage allowance and only be able
to take hand luggage. If you want to extend your trip, you
could consider a round-the-world ticket; this is a good-value
way of seeing several countries, as long as you don't mind
booking your stops in advance.
If you have the time, the Trans-Mongolian railway via Ulan
Baatar to Beijing, with onward connections to Shanghai,
is one of the world's acclaimed rail trips. From Shanghai,
there are boats to Incheon; book this in advance. Ferries
also run from Busan to Shimonoseki and Hakata in Japan,
and from Incheon to Shanghai, Dalian, Dandong, Weihai, Yantai
City, Qingdao, and Tianjin in China. You can get some great
combined ferry-train tickets, eg, express train from Seoul
to Busan, jetfoil to Hakata, plus a rail ticket to Osaka.
Other combinations include: Seoul-Tokyo, Daegu-Kobe, Daejeon-Hiroshima,
etc. To get to/from Russia there are ferries between Sokcho
in Korea and Jarubino in Russia. The seafaring adventurer
could hitch a ride on a cargo freighter; it's not the quickest
way to go, but you'll see a fair few ports on the way and
it's a low-cost option.
You can forget about entering South Korea by land.
Getting Around
All South Korea's main cities are linked by air, but the
distances are small so it's usually not worth the extra
cost. During the World Cup, however, Korean Air has plans
to charge a flat fee of US$35 per single domestic flight.
Land travel may still prove a better bet: buses are fast,
safe and on time; the train network is extensive and services
are frequent. There are two types of bus, express and intercity
- the former go direct and the latter stop. Seats are reserved
on the express buses (if you miss your bus, you must buy
a new ticket), and unreserved on the intercity services.
The trains are also efficient: a high-speed service runs
the length of the country and there are several local trains.
The quickest trains are the saemaeul, with the mugunghwa
not far behind. Tongil trains are cheap but lack air-con,
and the 4th-class bidulgi and kkachi go at a snail's pace.
Rail passes (KR Pass) can be a good bet if you're planning
on travelling around for a few days. Allowing three, five,
seven or 10 days unlimited travel on Korean trains, at the
moment they can only be purchased in Japan or America, but
there are plans to widen their availability. For more details
on the rail pass see www.korail.go.kr.
Driving in South Korea can be difficult: it's expensive
and traffic jams are a common problem. If that doesn't put
you off, make sure you take an International Driving Permit.
Long-distance share taxis, known as bullet taxis, go between
big cities and major tourist sights. They're not metred
so you'll need to negotiate a price before you set off.
Cycling in Seoul is a bit of an extreme sport, but it can
be a pleasant way of exploring the rural areas.
Water-babies can take ferries from the mainland to offshore
islands and several lakes. Most cities have buses, but the
stop names are not in English. Seoul, Busan, and several
other cities have subways, which are convenient, cheap and
comprehensible (all the signs are in Korean and English).
Taxis cost more than the subway, but if you fancy treating
yourself, deluxe taxis are comfortable, and the driver is
smartly dressed and speaks English. |
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