i ♥ Seoul (#2)

TRANSPORT GET IN

By plane

Most visitors arrive via Incheon International Airport located on Yeongjong Island in the neighboring city of Incheon.

The best way to get from the airport to Seoul is by bus. Limousine buses (₩14000 to/from city for one way, ₩6500 to/from Gimpo Airport (domestic flight)) travel directly to major areas and big hotels in Seoul, while public buses (₩8000-9000) will take you to major transit hubs. If you're visiting for the first time it's recommended to take the limousine bus. For either bus type, consult the big maps or staff to figure out which route best suits your needs; you can then find the shuttles outside 1st floor arrivals (if possible get this information from your hotel before arriving). Or simply, walk out and ask the many ticket sellers (they are wearing vests) which bus goes to your hotel because if it's a popular one or in a popular area, they'll surely know which you'll need. It's best to buy tickets at any of the the ticket gates near the bus arrival area but you can also pay the fare using won or a T-Money card if you have one. The limousine bus drivers are extremely friendly but don't count on them knowing too much English. There are maps inside the buses letting passengers know which stops are upcoming and these are also announced in Korean and English. Pressing any of the red buttons inside signals to the driver you want off at the next stop.

The A'REX train link connects the airport to Gimpo Airport, with express and commuter services (both ₩3100) running every 12 minutes for a trip time of 28-35 minutes, making this both faster and cheaper than the bus if transiting between the airports. From Gimpo Airport, transferring to subway lines 5 or 9 will take you into various parts of the city. The rest of the link to Seoul Station is scheduled to be ready in December 2010. However, if you have a lot of luggage and prefer not to transfer several times, the airport limousine bus is your best option.

If you have a late flight and plan on getting into Seoul via bus, make sure you get out to the curb as soon as you can. The last buses run shortly after the last flights land. If you miss your bus, you'll be stuck paying for a taxi, as the trains will be done running too. A taxi direct to Seoul will run around ₩50000/70000 regular/deluxe. Black deluxe taxis (모범 택시) and some regular taxis accept credit cards, but most regular taxis (일반 택시) do not. Ask the driver before you get on if you can pay by credit card. You are expected to pay any road tolls on top of the meter fare. Having your destination written down in Korean will be very helpful.

Beware of taxi drivers trying to pick you up from inside the terminal and even the bus stop. As both buses and taxis are subject to traffic, allow extra time for rush hour delays; one possible shortcut is to take the subway to Gimpo and transfer to the subway there (see below).

Gimpo Airport

The more centrally located but older Gimpo Airport [6] (김포국제공항, GMP) caters only to the shuttle services to Tokyo-Haneda, Osaka-Kansai and Shanghai-Hongqiao, as well as domestic flights within South Korea.

Gimpo Airport is easily reached on subway lines 5 and 9, as well as the A'REX rail link to Incheon Airport. Line 5 requires about 50 minutes just to get downtown, while Line 9 offers express trains (every 20 min) that skip most stops and can take you clear across the line in 30 minutes, making it a better choice for most visitors. Both lines cost ₩900-1300 (depending on distance), while a taxi to central Seoul will run around ₩30,000.

By train

Seoul is the northern terminus of the KTX high-speed line. There are two KTX stations within city limits:

• Seoul Station (서울역) for trains to Busan via Daejeon and Daegu. Accessible via subway lines 1 & 4.
• Yongsan Station (용산역), for trains to Gwangju and Mokpo. Also on line 1 & 4 (Shin-Yongsan station).

Nearly all ordinary (non-KTX) services also use one or both of the above terminals, but services east to Chuncheon or Gangneung and southeast to Gyeongju via Danyang use Cheongnyangni Station (청량리역), to the east of the city on line 1.

By bus

Every weekend approximately 2 million Seoulites leave the city, which goes a long way to explaining why the city has no less than five major intercity bus terminals.

• Central City Terminal, also known as Honam Terminal, (Metro Lines 3, 7 or 9, Express Bus Terminal stn). Directly adjacent to the Express terminal, serves buses to North and South Jeolla.

• Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (동서울버스터미널), Gangbyeon stn (Line 2). Buses to points east of Seoul (Gangwon and some part of North Chungcheong).

• Seoul Express Bus Terminal (서울고속버스터미널), (Metro Lines 3, 7, or 9, Express Bus Terminal stn). Also known as Gangnam Terminal and Gyeongbu-Yeongdong Terminal, this is the largest of them all and serves pretty much the entire country, but most services head east (incl. Busan, Daegu, Daejeon). Lines to Jeolla, however, use the Central City/Honam Terminal right next door. For the most part there's no need to buy a ticket days in advance except for maybe during holidays. There's even a ticket window labeled "Tickets for Foreigners" where the attendant can speak English. Fare from Seoul-Busan is about ₩20,000 and buses come continuously throughout the day. Small restaurants and snacks are all throughout the station. Journeys longer than 2 hrs. typically will have a short stop at a rest area. Most buses are very comfortable and extremely safe.

• Nambu Bus Terminal, Nambu Bus Terminal stn (Line 3). Serves places southwest of Seoul (Southern Gyeonggi, South Chungcheong and nothern North Jeolla).

• Sinchon Bus Terminal, Sinchon (Underground) stn (Line 2) or Sinchon stn (Gyeongeui Line). Buses to Ganghwa Island. Note: That's Sinchon station, not Sincheon, which is also on Line 2 but on the wrong side of the city!

By boat

There are ferry services to various points in China from the neighboring port city of Incheon. Currently no services run from Japan directly to Seoul; many Koreans take the coach or KTX train to Busan, where several ferry and hydrofoil options are available.

By car

No matter where in Korea you start your journey, there will be at least one tolled expressways (Gosok Doro) and national highways (Gook Do) that lead to Seoul; the most important one is the Gyeongbu Expressway, linking Seoul with Busan. To avoid daily traffic jam of Gyeongbu Highway near Seoul, take Jungbu/2nd Jungbu, Seohaean, or Yongin-Seoul Expressway.