Seoul airport may refer to Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) or Gimpo International Airport both of which serve Seoul. Seoul airport  was never the name of any airports in Korea however with Seoul being the capital, Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport often get [...]]]>

Seoul Airport

Seoul airport may refer to Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) or Gimpo International Airport both of which serve Seoul. Seoul airport  was never the name of any airports in Korea however with Seoul being the capital, Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport often get referred to as Seoul Airport. Both airports have excellent transportation systems to downtown Seoul.

Incheon International Airport is the biggest airport in Korea and was opened in 2001 before the Japan – Korea Fifa World Cup. Incheon Airport is located about 70 km’s west of Seoul on an island. If you are planning on travelling to Korea Incheon Airport will more than likely be your gateway to Korea. The journey time from Incheon International Airport to Seoul city takes from 43 minutes up to 2 hours depending on your mode of transportation. For more information, visit Incheon Airport. If you are arriving at Incheon Airport and wish to travel to Seoul city, find out how to on our Incheon Airport Travel page. See the location of Incheon International Airport Below.

Seoul airport but officially named Gimpo International Airport (Seoul Airport) is the only airport that is located in Seoul. The airport used to be the main airport for international flights arriving into Korea. Since the opening of Incheon Airport, Gimpo Airport (Seoul Airport) is used for domestic flights and a few international routes such as China and Japan. For more information and directions to Gimpo Ariport, take a look at our Gimpo Airport Page. Also see the map below for the location of Incheon and Seoul Airpot (Gimpo Airport).

If you need any other information about Seoul Airport, visit our forum and ask us.

Gimpo International Airport is located in the west of Seoul, south of the Hangang River. Gimpo International Airport is the second largest Airport in Korea. It was originally the largest and main international airport of Korea until 2001. In 2001 it was replaced by the newly built Incheon International Airport. Since then [...]]]>

Gimpo International Airport Seoul Korea

Gimpo International Airport is located in the west of Seoul, south of the Hangang River. Gimpo International Airport is the second largest Airport in Korea. It was originally the largest and main international airport of Korea until 2001. In 2001 it was replaced by the newly built Incheon International Airport. Since then Gimpo Airport primarily caters for domestic flights while serving a few international destinations such as Japan and China.

Gimpo International Airport was first built in 1939 by the Japanese Occupation Army to help them fight in the war. After Japan’s defeat and surrender, the airport was was run by the American army until it was then take over by the Korean government in 1954. In 2006 the airport was reconstructed and improved. A new complex called “Sky City” was added and also a cinema called “CGV Gimpo Airport“. Sky City offers a whole range of  leisure / cultural activities  which makes the stop over or time waiting for a flight go so quickly.

Transportation:

It is very easy to get to Gimpo Airport in Seoul.

There are now 3 lines that serve Gimpo International Airport. Line 5 and 9 stop at Gimpo International Airport station and are connected directly to the airport.

In 2010 the Arex Train line opened which can take you from Seoul station, Hongik (Hongdae) station and other stations directly to Gimpo Airport in 20 minutes. For more information about the AREX TRAIN visit our AREX TRAIN page.

Being close to Seoul, other options are available like Taxis and Buses.

Map of Gimpo International Airport:

Taxis in Incheon are a convenient form of transport around Incheon City. Currently the Incheon subway system consists of 1 line so taxis and buses are used frequently. There are many taxi companies in Incheon due to Incheon International Airport. If you are looking for [...]]]>

Incheon Taxi

Taxis in Incheon are a convenient form of transport around Incheon City. Currently the Incheon subway system consists of 1 line so taxis and buses are used frequently. There are many taxi companies in Incheon due to Incheon International Airport. If you are looking for transportation to and from Incheon Airport, visit our Incheon Airport Transportation page.

The taxi rates for regular taxis in Incheon seems to be the same as Seoul.

The fare for Regular Taxi starts at 2,400 won for the first 2km and 100 won for each additional 144m. If the taxi is travelling at less than 15km or stuck in traffic, the charge is 100 won for 35 seconds. Fares increase by 20% between midnight and 4am.

Deluxe Taxis: Called mobeom in Korean the Deluxe Taxis are black with a yellow cap. The Deluxe Taxis offer a higher standard of service. Deluxe Taxi Drivers have been trained in special customer care and need to have 10 years accident free experience driving a standard taxi. The Deluxe Taxi fare starts at 4,500 won for the first 3km and 200 won for each additional 164m. If the taxi is driving less than 15km or stuck in traffic the charge is 200 won for 39 seconds.

If you are using a taxi in Korea for the first time, visit out Taxis in Seoul page for a step by step guide on how to use the taxis in Korea.

Incheon City is served by 1 subway line called Incheon Subway line 1. The line has 29 stations and more lines are planned and currently under construction. Line 1 of Seoul’s Subway system also serves Incheon. The new AREX line that connects Incheon Airport to Seoul city has a few stations in Incheon.

For Seoul’s [...]]]> Incheon City is served by 1 subway line called Incheon Subway line 1. The line has 29 stations and more lines are planned and currently under construction. Line 1 of Seoul’s Subway system also serves Incheon. The new AREX line that connects Incheon Airport to Seoul city has a few stations in Incheon.

For Seoul’s subway map, visit our Seoul Subway Page.

A map of Incheon’s Subway system.

Taxis in Busan are a very convenient and cheap way to travel. There are a few different types of taxis to choose from in Busan. In this article I will introduce the most common ones. If you don’t speak Korean it is best to have your destination written down in Korean or have your hotel business [...]]]>

Busan Taxis

Taxis in Busan are a very convenient and cheap way to travel. There are a few different types of taxis to choose from in Busan. In this article I will introduce the most common ones. If you don’t speak Korean it is best to have your destination written down in Korean or have your hotel business card. If the driver can’t understand you, you can take advantage of the “Free Interpretation Service”. This is offered in most taxis. They will give you a phone and you can speak to an interpreter and tell them where you would like to go, all free of charge.

Most of the taxis in Busan will accept payment by smart cards but don’t rely on it and make sure you have cash available.

General Taxi: This is the most common taxi around Busan. The taxi is usually grey with a blue light on top. If the taxi is vacant the lamp on top will be lit and a red sign will be turned on which you can see through the windscreen.

The fare for  General Taxi starts at 2,200 won for the first 2km and 100 won for each additional 143m. If the taxi is travelling at less than 15km or stuck in traffic, the charge is 100 won for 34 seconds. Fares increase by 20% premium between midnight and 4am.

Deluxe Taxi (Mobeom): The deluxe taxi is black and has a yellow sign on top. As you can guess from the name, the taxi is deluxe. What they mean by deluxe is the car is more comfortable, they take credit cards, offer many different services and the drivers have a clean driving record and experience. This comes at a price as it is double the fare of a general taxi.

The fare for  Deluxe Taxi starts at 4,500 won for the first 3km and 200 won for each additional 160m. If the taxi is travelling at less than 15km or stuck in traffic, the charge is 200 won for 38 seconds. There is no late night surcharge unlike the general taxis.

Brand Taxis: There are two other companies that have taxis in Busan. Deungdae Call Taxis which are grey with an orange lamp on the roof and orange sticker on the side of the car. Deungdae Call is a private taxi company and charges the same rate and services as the general taxi.

Busan Call Taxis: These are run by a taxi company and are noticeable by there grey colour with a blue light on the roof and a blue sticker on the side of the car. Each taxi is on the street 24 hours a day with 2 drivers doing 12 hour shifts. Busan Call taxis charge the same as the general taxis.

The fare for  Busan Call Taxis and Brand Taxis starts at 2,200 won for the first 2km and 100 won for each additional 143m. If the taxi is travelling at less than 15km or stuck in traffic, the charge is 100 won for 34 seconds. Fares increase by 20% premium between midnight and 4am.

Many tourists use taxis in Busan every day and have no problems. However, make sure the meter is on when you start your journey. If the driver refuses to turn the meter on get another taxi. Sometimes when you hail a taxi, the driver will refuse to take you to your destination. There could be a number of reasons for this. Maybe your destination is too close or too far or it may be close to midnight and they are waiting to pick up passengers after the late night surcharge begins. If this happens leave the taxi and hail down another.

Busan has a very extensive bus transportation system. With a population of over 4 million people and a subway system with 5 lines, buses come in very handy for those hard to get to areas or from your house to the subway station.

There are 3 types of buses in Busan:

1. Local / City [...]]]>

Busan Bus

Busan has a very extensive bus transportation system. With a population of over 4 million people and a subway system with 5 lines, buses come in very handy for those hard to get to areas or from your house to the subway station.

There are 3 types of buses in Busan:

1. Local / City Buses – used everyday by people travelling to work or from there house to the subway station or around the city.
2. Inter-city Buses – These buses connect the different cities in Korea.
3. Airport Buses – From the airport to areas around Busan.

This guide is focusing on the local buses that you will more than likely use while sightseeing in Busan.

There are many types of buses available to use in Busan city such as the regular bus, local neighborhood bus, late night bus and more.

As of 2010 Busan City has been providing the local bus routes in foreign languages. For now this covers mostly tourists areas but will hopefully expand to all bus stops over the coming years. The buses in Busan are very convenient but due to the lack of English available it is better to use a taxi or the subway.

If you can read Korean check out the official Busan Bus page to find out about all the routes and bus stop locations. http://www.busanbus.or.kr/

How much is the Bus in Busan?

The local buses in Busan are a standard fee of 1,200 won. If you use a smart card you get a discount of 10%.

How do I use the bus in Busan?

First of all, find out which bus you will be taking. Wait at the bus stop until the bus arrives. The bus stop always has a bus symbol on at the top of the post or shelter. Buses will stop at the bus stop if people are waiting there. You must enter the bus at the front. After entering put 1,200 won cash into the machine or use your smart card and swipe it over the machine.

When you hear the name of your stop press the stop button on the side of the bus and the driver will stop at the next stop. When leaving, you must use the exit in the middle of the bus. If you paid cash you can just leave the bus. If you used your smart card you must swipe it again before your leave. The smart card machine will be beside the exit.

Busan Subway Guide is here to help make your first journey on the subway in Busan easier. There are 5 lines that make up the train / subway transportation system in Busan.  The subway lines are Line 1 (Orange), line 2 (Green), line 3 (Gold), line 4 (Blue) and the Busan – Gimhae light rail. [...]]]>

Busan Subway

Busan Subway Guide is here to help make your first journey on the subway in Busan easier. There are 5 lines that make up the train / subway transportation system in Busan.  The subway lines are Line 1 (Orange), line 2 (Green), line 3 (Gold), line 4 (Blue) and the Busan – Gimhae light rail. For a map of the Busan Subway System visit out Busan Subway Map page.

There are a few types of tickets that can be used while travelling on the subway in Busan.

1. The easiest way for tourists is the single journey ticket. You can buy a ticket at the subway gate entrance and use this ticket for one journey only. This ticket is a paper ticket and can be bought beside the ticket gate. When purchasing the ticket there is a touch screen panel. The screen is in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese. There are two fare types 1,100 won or 1,300 won. The 1,100 won ticket is called section one and allows you to travel up to 10 km. The 1,300 won ticket is called section 2 ticket and is for distances of 10 km or more. When you click your station on the touch screen it will tell you which ticket to buy. Put in your money and the paper ticket will print out. The machine usually accepts 20, 50, 100 and 500 won coins and 1,000 won notes. Newer machines accept up 10,000 won in notes.

2. One day pass ticket. This ticket can be bought at the ticket machine in Busan Subway stations. The ticket costs 3,500 won and lets you use all Busan Subway lines up until the last train of the day. This ticket is also a paper ticket.

3.  A rechargeable card. The cards used in Busan are called Hanaro card or Mybi Transportation Card. They both offer the same services. Both cards are smart cards that can recharged and used for the subway, buses or many other things in Busan. These cards allow you to enter the platform each time without having to queue up to buy a ticket. These cards can be bought at the train station or in convenience stores. The cards also come in different styles such as phone straps. The card costs 3,000 won. To recharge your card, use the automatic charge machine at the station. These cards also offer a 10% discount off the subway. If you leave a train station and get a bus within 30 minutes, the price of the busfare becomes only 250 won.

Both cards can also be used in Seoul.

The T-Money system card that is used in Seoul can also be used in Busan.

Busan Subway Prices:

Ticket prices: 1,100 won up to 10km
1,300 won over 10 km

10 % discount with smart cards

3,500 won for a one day unlimited pass

Entering the ticket gate at the station:

The Busan subway has turntable style gates. When entering the gate, put your ticket into the machine and walk through. You ticket will come out the other side of the machine and you must keep it so you can exit at the next train station.

If you are using a smart card you do not have to insert your card anywhere, just place it briefly on top of the sensor on the ticket gate and walk through or press your body against the turntable.

Riding the Train:

The trains have information in English and Korean on the maps. The announcements are in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. Usually in the corner of the train they will have seats for the elderly, disabled, people with an illness and pregnant women. The trains can get very busy at rush hour.

Leaving the ticket gate:

When you have gotten off the train you will have to leave through the ticket gates. The process is the same as when entering the ticket gate but this time the machine keeps your ticket. If you travelled over 10 km but bought a 10 km don’t worry you can use the fare adjustment machine beside the exit. This can also be used for the smart cards.

Holiday Park Korea is a company that run inexpensive caravan holiday parks. There are a few locations around Korea and prices are cheap at 120,000 won a night per caravan.

I stayed at the Holiday Park in Dobongsan. It is located at the foot of  Dobongsan Mountain. There are 3 caravan homes at this site. [...]]]>

Holiday Park Korea

Holiday Park Korea is a company that run inexpensive caravan holiday parks. There are a few locations around Korea and prices are cheap at 120,000 won a night per caravan.

I stayed at the Holiday Park in Dobongsan. It is located at the foot of  Dobongsan Mountain. There are 3 caravan homes at this site. Each caravan is fitted out with 2 beds, cable tv, a kitchen, toilet and shower. In front of the caravan there is a BBQ area.  The caravan can house up to 4 people. It works out at a very reasonable price of 30,000 won per person per night. At the holiday park there is a basketball and tennis court. A minute walk from the holiday park there is a river and waterfall. If you are interested in hiking , Dobongsan Mountain trail is a minute away. From here you can visit the Royal Tombs, a temple and follow the scenic mountain trail.

Holiday Park is a great place to get away from the city, relax with the family and take in the beautiful views that Mount Dobongsan has to offer.

To make reservations please visit their site at Holiday Park.

How to get to Holiday Park in Dobongsan:

Holiday Park is a 10 minute walk from Dobongsan station on Line 1. Leave exit 1 and head straight and make a left turn before the Army Base and walk straight until you find the camp site.

Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) was opened in March, 2001. Construction began in November, 1992 on reclaimed land between Yeongjong Island and Youngyu Island. The Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) island is connected to the mainland by Yeongjong Bridge (opened 2000) and by the A’REX express train. Incheon International Airport (ICN [...]]]>

Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport)

Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) was opened in March, 2001. Construction began in November, 1992 on reclaimed land between Yeongjong Island and Youngyu Island. The Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) island is connected to the mainland by Yeongjong Bridge (opened 2000) and by the A’REX express train. Incheon International Airport (ICN Airport) is located 70kms west of the capital Seoul.

The airport has a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, ice skating rink, a casino, indoor gardens and a Museum of Korean Culture. The main passenger terminal (496,000 sq metres) is the largest airport terminal in area in South Korea, and the ninth largest passenger terminal in the world. The airport was built to serve up to 100 million passengers a year.

Incheon Airport has been voted the best airport in the world for 5 consecutive years (Skytrax) and won many more awards.

Access:
Rail: Express train connecting Incheon Airport to Seoul Station.
Bus: Before the A’REX express train opened in 2010 bus was the cheapest was to downtown Seoul.
Taxi: Cost about 50,000 won plus express way toll.
Fore more detailed information visit Incheon Airport Travel Guide.

Map of Incheon Airport

The A’REX Airport express train began running trains from Seoul Station to Incheon International Airport in December, 2010. The line opened in 2 phases. Phase one was opened in March, 2007 and linked Incheon Airport to Gimpo Airport. Phase two was opened on December 29th, 2010 and linked Incheon Airport to Seoul Station.

A’REX is [...]]]>

A'REX Airport Express Train

The A’REX Airport express train began running trains from Seoul Station to Incheon International Airport in December, 2010. The line opened in 2 phases. Phase one was opened in March, 2007 and linked Incheon Airport to Gimpo Airport. Phase two was opened on December 29th, 2010 and linked Incheon Airport to Seoul Station.

A’REX is the fastest and cheapest was to travel from Incheon airport to downtown Seoul. Commuter rapid trains run every 6 minutes and the total journey time from Seoul to Incheon is 53 minutes with 7 stops along the way.
The Express train runs every 30 minutes and the total journey time is 43 minutes. There are no stops on the express train.

A new stop will open at Gongdeok Station at the end of 2012 finally completing the A’rex Line.

Prices:
From Seoul to Incheon airport using the commuter train costs 3,700 won and takes 53 minutes.
From Seoul to Incheon airport using the Express train costs 13,300won and takes 43 minutes

The express train cost 9,600 won more the commuter train. For this extra price all you get is reserved seating, arrive 10 minutes earlier and a little bit more comfort. You are better off taking the commuter train which is comfortable, runs every 6 mintues and usually empty.

Time table from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station

Time table from Seoul Station to Incheon Airport

A video providing information on the A’rex

Visit the officail site for more information KORAIL