Seoul
Getting There/Around

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Getting There:

Air:

Incheon International Airport ( ICN )
+82 032 741 0104
http://www.aiport.or.kr
ICN is located on Yongjong Island, 32 miles west of downtown.

Air Canada ( +1 800 776 3000 / http://www.aircanada.ca )
Air China ( +1 800 227 5118 / http://www.china-airlines.com )
Air France ( +1 800 871 1366 / http://www.airfrance.com )
American Airline ( +1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com )
British Airways ( +1 800 247 9297 / http://www.british-airways.com )
Cathay ( +1 800 231 0856 / http://www.cathaypacific.com )
Delta ( +1 800 221 1212 / http://www.delta.com )
Garuda ( +1 800 342 7832 / http://www.garuda-international.com )
Japan Airlines ( +1 800 525 3663 / http://www.japanair.com )
KLM ( +1 800 374 7747 / http://www.klm.nl )
Korean Air ( +1 800 438 5000 / http://www.koreanair.com )
Lufthansa ( +1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansa.com )
Nippon ( +1 888 422 7533 / http://www.ana.co.jp )
Qantas ( +1 604 279 6611 / http://www.qantas.com )
Singapore Air ( +1 800 742 3333 / http://www.singaporeair.com )
Thai Airways ( http://www.thaiairways.com )
United ( +1 800 241 6522 / http://www.ual.com )

Gimpo Airport ( SEL )
+82 02 660 2114
http://www.airport.co.kr/eng/dba/airport/gimpo
SEL is located only 11 miles west of downtown.

Asiana Airlines ( +1 800 227 4262 / http://www.flyasiana.com )
Korean Air ( +1 800438 5000 / http://www.koreanair.com )

From the Airport:

Incheon International Airport

Taxi:

Seoul's taxi services are safe, clean, and fast. Some taxis even provide a free interpretation service, for an extra fee by calling +82 2 3431 5100. Taxis can be found outside the terminals. A regular taxi averages USD13, while a deluxe cab charges around USD20.

Subway:

Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation
http://www.smrt.co.kr/
An underground passageway connects all three terminals with the airport's subway station. Line number 5 leads directly into downtown and takes about 15 minutes.

Car Rental:

Avis ( +1 800 831 2847 / http://www.avis.com )
Hertz ( +1 800 654 3131 / http://www.hertz.com )

Gimpo International

Taxi:

The fare from Kimpo International Airport to downtown Seoul is from 10,000 to 15,000 South Korean Won and from Kimpo to Jamsil is about 17,000 South Korean Won.

Subway:

Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation
http://www.smrt.co.kr/

Car Rental:

Hertz ( +1 800 654 3131 / http://www.hertz.com )
Jeju ( +82 02 664 5486 )
Sambo ( +82 02 666 1689 )

Train

The Korean National Railroad
http://www.korail.go.kr
Services all of South Korea.

Seoul Station
+82 02 778 6393
This is the city's main train stop, features the Gyeongbu line which fans out all over the country before terminating in Busan.

Cheongnyangni Station
+82 02 969 8003
This is the main base for the Jungangseon line which covers the eastern seaboard.

Seongbuk Station
+82 02 917 7445
This station offers the Gyeongchunseon line, big with tourists for its scenic one-day excursions along the Hangang River.

Highway

Highway 1( Gyeongbu Expressway ) enters Seoul from a south direction after starting in Busan, in South Korea's southeast corner. Highway 15 ( Seohaean Expressway ) fans into Highway 1 south of Seoul after following a scenic route along the country's western seaboard. And Highway 50 ( Yeongdong Expressway ) also connects into Highway 1 south of the city and represents the fastest thoroughfare east across the country to the Sea of Japan.

Getting Around:

Car

Driving is not recommended. Congestion is constant and parking is limited to private garages, many of which charge as much as USD6 an hour.

Taxi

Taxis are easy to flag in the city and passengers can choose between inexpensive or pricey. Regular taxis are white or silver and charge less. Almost none of the drivers, however, speak English; having a written destination is recommended. The deluxe taxis are twice as expensive but worth the cost since most of the drivers speak English and are trained to cater to tourists. And as an added bonus mobile car phones are available.

Subway

The Seoul Subway Corporation ( http://www.seoulsubway.co.kr ) and the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation ( http://www.smrt.co.kr ) combine to move more than 4 million passengers daily. Their eight lines cover downtown and the suburbs, attending all of Seoul's main attractions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Jeongdong Theater, and the National Folk Museum. All stations are serviced every two minutes during rush hours and every five minutes otherwise. English marked signs make the subway tourist friendly. Fares: USD40 for one zone; USD50 for two zones. Hours: 5:30a-mid daily.

Bus

Seoul's 400 bus routes handle 30 percent of Seoul's daily traffic. The regular buses ( USD40 ) are inexpensive, but involve more stops and longer destination times. The express buses ( USD1 ) provide faster service, air conditioning, and a better chance of nabbing a seat. Village buses ( USD30 ) only service short distances, usually between subway stations.

The express bus terminal ( +82 02 969 8003 ), located along the Hangang River, handles most of Seoul's out of town bus traffic via four lines. The Dong Seoul terminal ( +82 02 917 7445 ) is smaller and only handles buses servicing South Korea's eastern coast including Gangneung and Busan.