Seoul: practical information

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content:

• How to get to Seoul
  • Arriving by Air
    • Incheon International Airport
    • Gimpo International Airport
  • How to get to Seoul by train
  • How to get to Seoul by bus
• Getting around Seoul
• Other information of interest
  • Royal Palace Pass

How to get to Seoul

Arriving by Air

This will be the mode of transport by which most of us will arrive in South Korea. The Seoul area is served by two airports: Gimpo International Airport and Incheon International Airport.

Incheon International Airport

This is the largest airport in South Korea and is located in the city of Incheon, about 60 km from the centre of Seoul.

There are several options for getting to Seoul from Incheon Airport.

Train

This is the most popular means of transport. There are two options, the A’REX All Stops and the A’REX Express.

As the name suggests, the A’REX Express runs non-stop between the airport and Seoul Station. It takes 51 minutes from Terminal 2 and 43 minutes from Terminal 1.

The fare is 11,000₩ (€7.70) for adults and 8,000₩ (€5.60) for children.

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The A’REX All Stop train makes 13 stops from Airport Terminal 2 to Seoul Station. The journey takes 66 minutes from Terminal 2 and 59 minutes from Terminal 1.

Ticket prices vary depending on which stop you get on/off the train. From Terminal 2 to Gongdeok, which is the longest route, the fare is 5,050₩ (3.50€).

The truth is that, unless you are staying at an earlier stop, the most practical way is to get on the Express.

Bus

At Incheon Airport there are many different bus lines serving Seoul and other surrounding cities.

There are two types of private buses: Deluxe Limousine Bus, which is faster but more expensive. Between 14,000 and 16,000₩ (9.76 – 11.15€).

The Standard Limousine Bus is slower but cheaper. Between 9,000 and 10,000₩.

Regular Bus

There are also several regular bus routes such as Bus route no.6001 to Dongdaemun or Bus route no.6005 to Seoul City Hall.

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Taxi

This is the most expensive form of transport. The fare is between 60,000 and 100,000₩ (42 – 70€) and the journey takes about 60 minutes, depending on the (terrible) traffic in the city.

Gimpo International Airport

Gimpo International Airport is located 15 km from the centre of Seoul. Formerly known as Kimpo International Airport, it was the main airport in Seoul and South Korea.

Since the opening of Incheon Airport in 2001, it has functioned as a secondary airport. It is still the second most important airport in the country.

Here are the main transport options between Gimpo and Seoul:

Subway

You can take Seoul Metro lines 5 and 9. Line 5 is probably the most convenient as it takes you directly to the city centre.

The fare to central Seoul is 1,700₩ (€1.20) for a single ticket or 1,600₩ (€1.10) with the T-Money card. As you can see, it’s pretty cheap.

Line 9 is good for going directly to the area south of the Han River, such as Gangnam or the Express Bus Terminal.

The fare to the Express Bus Terminal is 1,800₩ (€1.25) for a single ticket or 1,700₩ (€1.20) with the T-Money card.

Train

You can also take the A’Rex All Stops train from Incheon Airport. The journey takes about 30 minutes.

Gimpo Gold Line

The Gimpo Gold Line is an unmanned light rail line that only serves the city of Gimpo. As such, it is of little use to ordinary tourists.

Bus

The Calt company has two lines, 6101 and 6105 and the fare is 9,000₩ (6.25€) for adults and 6,000₩ (4.15€) for children.

More information on their website.

Taxi

There are two types of taxis: Standard and Deluxe. Of course, taxis are by far the most expensive form of transport.

The fare to Seoul City Hall is approximately 22,000₩ (15.30€) for the Standard and 40,000₩ (27.75€) for the Deluxe.

How to get to Seoul by train

Seoul Station is the largest and busiest station in the country with over 100,000 passengers a day. It is the station we will use to take the KTX to various cities in the country, such as Busan.

To get to the station we can take Metro lines 1 and 4.

How to get to Seoul by bus

The main bus station is the Express Bus Terminal. Apart from being a bus station, it is a shopping centre with numerous shops and many restaurants.

From this station we take the bus to the city of Sokcho on the east coast of Korea.

To get there we can take Metro lines 3, 7 and 9.

Getting around Seoul

Subway

This is the most efficient way to get around the city. You can get to most tourist spots on it. It consists of 10 city lines and 6 suburban lines; and a network of 282 kilometres.

The minimum single fare is 1,400₩ (€0.97) and goes up by 100₩ (€0.07) depending on how far you travel. To this you have to add an extra 500₩ (€0.35) as a deposit when you take the single ticket.

Once you finish your journey and exit the turnstile, you must insert it into a machine which will refund the 500₩. The card is NOT rechargeable.

The most practical way is to pay with the T-Money card, which is also 100₩ cheaper.

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Bus

There are 4 types of buses, differentiated by their colours.

• Blue, which travel long distances.
• Green, which travel shorter distances and connect major underground stations or bus terminals outside central Seoul.
• Red, which are express buses specially designed for passengers travelling between downtown Seoul and the metropolitan area.
• Yellow which are circulator buses. These circulate around parts of Seoul and will stop at stations near business, tourist and shopping areas.

To pay on the bus you will have to put the exact amount in a machine next to the driver. Don’t try to cheat him, because he will either be attentive or he will check that you have the right amount.

You can also pay comfortably with your T-Money.

Taxi

Taxis in Seoul are relatively cheap compared to Spain and other countries. The basic fare for an ordinary taxi is around 3,800₩ during the day (€2.60) and 4,600₩ (€3.20) between midnight and 4am. For each kilometre travelled, the meter will increase by 1,000₩ (€0.70).

Other information of interest

Royal Palace Pass

The Royal Palace Pass is a special pass that allows you to visit up to five royal palaces in Seoul, including the Secret Garden.

It costs 10,000₩ (€7) and is valid for 3 months from the date of purchase. It can be purchased at the ticket office of any of the palaces.