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Travel - Internal
AIR: Korean Air and Asiana Air run frequent services between Seoul and Busan, Taegu, Cheju, Ulsan and Kwangju, linking the Republic of Korea’s 16 major cities.
The main domestic airport is Seoul (SEL) Gimpo (GMP) (website: www.kimpo-airport.co.kr), located 17km (10 miles) from the city. Airport Limousine Buses depart to the city every 5-10 minutes from 0700-2215 (travel time – 40 minutes). Airport Express buses depart every 12 minutes. Subway line 5 runs to the city centre (travel time – 40 minutes). Taxis to the city are also available. Airport facilities include currency exchange, pharmacy, children’s restroom, post office, gift shop, duty-free shop, car hire, local products shop, restaurant and travel information desk.
Departure tax: W3000-4000.
SEA/RIVER: A steamer service runs along the scenic south coast between Mokpo and Busan twice daily. A hydrofoil service links Busan and Yosu via Ch’ungmu, five times a day (Angel Line). Ferries connect Busan with Cheju-do Island once a day. Car ferries run three times a week. Semo Cruise Company operates a cruise service on the Han-Gang River in Seoul, which runs through the centre of the capital. Children pay half fare and night cruises are available.
RAIL: Korean National Railroads connect major destinations. There are three classes of trains, Super-Express, Express and Local. Super-Express trains operate on Seoul–Mokpo, Seoul–Busan, Seoul–Chungju–Yosu, Seoul–Incheon (particularly scenic) and Seoul–Onyang (second-class only) routes. Some have air-conditioning and restaurant cars. A supplement is payable for better-quality accommodation on some trains. Station signs in English are common and English translations of timetables are usually available. Children under six travel free and children six to 12 years old pay half fare. Timetables and fares are accessible online (website: www.korail.go.kr).
Korea Rail Pass: The KR Pass allows visitors free travel with reserved seats on any KR train (except subways) within a three-day, five-day, seven-day or ten-day period. Saver passes are available for groups of between two and five people and for people aged between 13 and 25 years old. A KR Pass voucher can be purchased at certain offices abroad and exchanged on arrival in Korea for the actual pass. For further details contact the Korea National Tourist Organisation (see Contact Addresses section).
ROAD: Cars drive on the right. The network extends over more than 60,000km (37,300 miles) of roads; over half of it is paved. Excellent motorways link all major cities, but minor roads are often badly maintained. Road signs are usually written in both Korean and English. Bus: Local and express buses are inexpensive, though local buses within cities are often crowded and make no allowances for English-speakers. Hotel staff will be able to assist in choosing the correct bus and stop. Air-conditioned city-express buses, called Chwasok buses in Korean and much more comfortable than local buses, operate in competition with trains for connections to major cities. Towns and villages are linked by local bus services. Fares are paid in change into the coin box to the right of the driver upon boarding. To stop the bus at your destination, push one of the stop buttons located along the length of the bus. Taxi: Cheap and a good way to travel. There are also deluxe-taxis (mobom taxis) that are black with a yellow sign on top. Car hire: There are numerous of car hire companies operating, including the major international ones. Some hotels and travel agents also provide a car hire service. For details about driving in the Republic of Korea, contact the Korea Car Rental Union (tel: (2) 525 9077/8). Documentation: International Driving Permit required. Drivers must have more than one year’s driving experience, be in possession of a valid passport and be over 21 years of age.
URBAN: Seoul has underground and suburban railways and well-developed bus services, all of which are very crowded during the rush hour. Underground station names, ticket counters and transfer signs are clearly marked in English as well as Korean. Underground lines are colour-coded, and all trains have multi-lingual announcements. Fares are relatively cheap, but do vary with service areas. Taxis are widely available. Good bus services also operate in other cities.
TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Seoul to other major cities/towns in the Republic of Korea.
| Air | Road | Rail | | Busan | 0.50 | 5.30 | 4.10 | | Taegu | 0.40 | 3.50 | 4.10 | | Kwangju | 0.50 | 3.55 | 4.20 | | Ulsan | 0.50 | 4.40 | 4.00 | | Chonju | 1.10 | 3.00 | 3.20 | | Cheju | 0.55 | - | - | | Kyongju | - | 4.40 | 3.30 |
Additional times: From Busan to Cheju by sea is 11 hours (but only 3 hours and 30 minutes via the super express ferry). From Mokpo to Cheju by sea is 5 hours 30 minutes. From Busan to Kyongju is 1 hour by road and 40 minutes by rail.
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