From Incheon Airport
Three good ways into Seoul. The AREX Express train runs non-stop to Seoul Station in about 45 minutes and is the quickest for anywhere on the west side of town. The AREX all-stop train costs about half as much and takes ~60 minutes, with transfers to other lines on the way. Airport limousine buses stop at the major hotel districts (Myeongdong, Gangnam, Hongdae) and are the easiest if you have heavy bags — you sit, the bag goes underneath, and you get off near your hotel. A taxi from the airport is ₩70,000+ and only worth it late at night with a group.
The subway
Seoul’s subway is the backbone of any trip: clean, safe at any hour it runs (roughly 5:30 a.m. to midnight), with English on every sign and announcement. Tap your T-money card at the gate on the way in and out. A few habits:
- Stand on the right on escalators; let people off before you board.
- The pink and orange seats at the ends of each car are for the elderly, pregnant and disabled — leave them empty even when the train is full.
- Phones on silent, conversations quiet. Eating on the train is frowned on.
- Avoid 7:30–9 a.m. and 6–7:30 p.m. on Line 2 and Line 9 if you can; they are famously packed.
Taxis
Taxis are honest and metered, and cheaper than in the US. The app everyone uses is Kakao T — it works in English and you can set it to pay by card at the end of the ride so there is no language barrier. Uber also works in Korea (it calls regular taxis). Orange or white cabs are standard; black “premium” cabs cost more. Have your destination written in Korean or shown in the app; many drivers speak little English.
Between cities
The KTX high-speed train links Seoul with Busan in about 2.5 hours and Gyeongju, Daegu, Gangneung and Jeonju in two hours or less. Book in the Korail Talk app (it accepts foreign cards) and sit on the right side heading south for the coast. For Jeju, fly — it is a one-hour hop and the fares are low.
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