Getting around
South Korea is a public-transport dream come true with everything reasonably priced. Planes, trains and express buses link major cities, intercity buses link cities and towns large and small, while local buses provide a surprisingly good service to national and provincial parks and villages in outlying rural areas. Car ferries ply numerous routes to offshore islands. Local urban buses, subways and taxis make getting around cities and towns easy. All transport works on the Korean ppallippalli (hurry hurry) system, so buses and trains leave on time, and buses and taxis tend to be driven fast with little regard to road rules.
Comparing the three forms of transport, Seoul to Busan (444km) costs W19,300 by ordinary bus and W28,800 by deluxe bus, which take 5½ hours and run at least every 30 minutes. The train options are KTX (high-speed, W44,800, three hours, every 30 minutes), Saemaul (express W36,800, 4½ hours, every 45 minutes) and Mugunghwa (semi express, W24,800, 5½ hours, every 45 minutes), most of which are faster and more comfortable than the buses. Flying costs W58,000 and only takes an hour, but travelling to and from the airports takes another 1½ hours.
As in other countries, rising fuel prices are pushing up the price of transport, so in 2007 expect KTX train fares to rise 3%, Saemaul train prices to increase 12%, and bus fares to go up between 7% and 10%.
Contents
Boat
Korea has a very extensive network of ferries that connects hundreds of offshore islands to each other and to the mainland. The large southern island of Jejudo can be reached by ferry from Mokpo or Wando in Jeollanam-do or on longer boat trips from Busan and Incheon, although most people fly these days. On the west coast, ferries from Incheon’s Yeonan Pier service a dozen nearby and more distant islands, while other west-coast islands further south can be reached from Daecheon harbour and Gunsan. Mokpo, Wando, Yeosu and Busan provide access to countless islands strung along the south coast. Remote Ulleungdo off the east coast can be reached by ferry from Pohang or Donghae. Inland ferries run along a couple of large sceniclakes – Soyang Lake in Gang·won-do and Chungju Lake in Chungcheongbuk-do.
Hitching
Hitching is not a local custom and there is no particular signal for it, but the country is relatively crime-free, so if you get stuck in a rural area, stick out your thumb and the chances are that some kind person will give you a lift. Drivers often go out of their way to help foreigners. Normally bus services are frequent and cheap enough, even in the countryside, to make hitching unnecessary. Accepting a lift anywhere always has an element of risk.
Car & motorcycle
Hire
Driving in Korea is not recommended for first-time visitors, but travellers who wish to hire a car must be 21 years or over and must by law have an international driving licence (a driving licence from your own country is not acceptable). Official prices are usually discounted by 65% and start at around W46,000 for a small car. Insurance costs around W10,000 a day, but depends on the level of the excess you choose. A better option than driving yourself is to hire a car and a driver at W145,000 per day (10 hours).
There are a few car-hire desks at Incheon International Airport. View www.kumhorent.com to see what Kumho-Hertz has to offer.
Insurance
Insurance is compulsory for all drivers. Since the chance of having an accident is higher than in nearly all other developed countries obtain as much cover as you can, with a low excess.
Bus & tram
Bus
Thousands of long-distance buses whiz to every nook and cranny of the country, every 15 minutes between major cities and towns, and at least hourly to small towns, villages, temples and national and provincial parks. Buses don’t usually run on a regular timetable and times vary throughout the day. Bus terminals have staff on hand to ensure that everyone boards the right bus, so help is always available. Buses don’t have toilets on board, but on long journeys drivers take a 10-minute rest at a refreshment stop every few hours.
Express buses link major cities, while intercity buses stop more often and serve smaller cities and towns. The buses are similar, but they use separate (often neighbouring) terminals. Expressways have a special bus lane that operates at weekends and reduces delays due to heavy traffic. Buses always leave on time (or even early!) and go to far more places than trains, but are not as comfortable or smooth, so for travelling long distances trains can be the better option.
Udeung (superior-class express buses) have three seats per row instead of four, but cost 50% more than ilban (standard buses). Buses that travel after 10pm have a 10% surcharge and are generally superior class.
Expect to pay around W4000 for an hour-long journey on a standard bus.
Buses are so frequent that it’s not necessary to buy a ticket in advance except perhaps on holidays and weekends. Buy tickets at the bus terminals.
Bus
Local city buses provide a frequent and inexpensive service (around W850 a trip, irrespective of how far you travel), and although rural buses provide a less-frequent service, many run on an hourly or half-hourly basis, so you don’t usually have to wait long. Put the fare in the glass box next to the driver – make sure you have plenty of W1000 notes because the machines only give coins in change.
The main problem with local buses is finding and getting on the right bus – bus timetables, bus-stop names and destination signs on buses are rarely in English, and bus drivers don’t speak English. Writing your destination in big Han·geul (Korean phonetic alphabet) letters on a piece of card can be helpful. Local tourist information centres usually have English-speaking staff, and are the best places to find out which local bus number goes where, and where to pick it up.
Train
South Korea has an excellent but not comprehensive train network operated by Korea National Railroad (1544 7788; www.korail.go.kr), connecting most major cities and the towns along the way. Trains are clean, comfortable and punctual, and just about every station has a sign in Korean and English. Trains are the best option for long-distance travel, although buying a ticket in advance is a good idea, especially at the weekends. Go to the website, click on ‘online reservation’ and then ‘inquiry/reservation’ to access all the train schedules and fares.
Talks about reopening rail links between North and South Korea are continuing, but this depends on the agreement of the North Korean government. If the rail link ever started running, it would open the way to the development of a Seoul–London and even a Seoul–Singapore rail link, but this is probably a very distant dream.
Classes
There are four classes of trains. Developed in Korea, the new high-speed KTX trains, introduced in 2004, can travel at over 300km/h. At present the high-speed track extends from Seoul to Daejeon, which KTX trains reach in an hour or less, and is being extended to Busan on the east coast. The next fastest and most luxurious are Saemaul trains, which also stop only in major cities. Mugunghwa trains stop more often and are almost as comfortable and fast as Saemaul trains. Tonggeun (commuter) trains are the cheapest and stop at every station, but only run infrequently on certain routes and are a dying breed. Some trains have a dining car, while others have gimbap (Korean sushi) lunch boxes and a snack trolley.
Costs
KTX trains are 40% more expensive than Saemaul trains (and KTX 1st class is another 40%). Saemaul 1st class is 22% more than the standard Saemaul fare. Saemaul standard fares are 50% more than Mugunghwa class, which is 80% more expensive than tonggeun (commuter) class. KTX tickets are discounted 7% to 20% if you buy seven to 60 days before departure. Tickets are discounted 15% from Tuesday to Thursday, and ipseokpyo (standing tickets) are discounted 15% to 30% depending on the length of the journey; with a standing ticket, you are allowed to sit on any unoccupied seats. Children travel for half price and seniors receive a 25% discount. The full range of discounts is complicated and confusing.
Travel documents
Reservations
The railway ticketing system is computerised and you can buy tickets up to two months in advance at railway stations and some travel agents including Hanjin Travel Service (02 729 2680), inside the KTO tourist information centre in Seoul. There are far fewer trains than buses, so seat reservations are sensible and necessary on weekends, holidays and other busy times.
Local transport
Subway
Six cities now have a subway system: Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju and Incheon. The subway is a cheap and convenient way of getting around these major cities, and since signs and station names are in English as well as Korean, the systems are foreigner-friendly and easy to use.
Air
Airlines in Korea
South Korea has only two major domestic carriers – Korean Air (1588 2001; www.koreanair.com) and Asiana Airlines (1588 8000; www.flyasiana.com) – but a new low-cost operator, Jeju Air (www.jejuair.com), started up in June 2006. Initially flying between Jejudo and Gimpo, Seoul, and undercutting the prices of the other two airlines, the plan is to expand the number of routes.
Both the major domestic airlines provide flights to and from a dozen local airports, and charge virtually identical but very reasonable fares – less than US$100 even for the longest domestic flights. Gimpo International Airport handles nearly all of Seoul’s domestic flights, but Incheon International Airport handles a handful of domestic flights to Busan, Daegu and Jejudo. The longest flight time is just over an hour between Seoul Gimpo and Jejudo. Fares are 15% cheaper from Monday to Thursday when seats are easier to obtain. Flights on public holidays have a surcharge and are often booked out. Students and children receive discounts, and foreigners should always carry their passports on domestic flights for ID purposes.
Bicycle
Cycling around Korea is not recommended due to the local driving habits, but hiring a bike for short trips in areas with bike paths or little traffic is a good idea. Bicycle hire is usually W2000 an hour, but try for a discount for a day’s hire. You’ll have to leave your passport or negotiate some other ID or deposit. Helmets are not available and you may need your own padlock.
