Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Launched in the 1970s and still being extended as you read, Seoul's vast subway network
consists of over a dozen lines that span nearly 1,000 kilometers (180 miles) and ferry some
eight million people each day. While some of the stations, particularly major transfer points
like Jongo 3-ga or Sindorim, can be crowded and confusing, by and large it's a very user-
friendly system, with all signs and major announcements in Korean and English (and often
Chinese). Stations are about two minutes apart and cover nearly every corner of the city,
as well as neighboring Incheon and parts of Gyeonggi Province. Delays or breakdowns are
extremely rare, but many lines do shut shortly after midnight. Fares start at 1,000 won. Pas-
sengers can also purchase electronic stored-value cards that offer a discount of about 10
percent on regular fares and can also be used on buses and even in some taxis and shops.
Given the city's notoriously unpredictable traffic, the subway is often a better option than
buses, but they do link some destinations, particularly within neighborhoods or on the out-
skirts of Seoul, that the train tends to underserve. Some—but by no means all—buses have
bilingual English and Korean signs and stop announcements, and route information is avail-
able in English online. Smaller green buses are usually limited to routes in a single neigh-
borhood, while blue buses ply longer routes between neighborhoods and major city centers.
Fares start from around 1,000 won. Red buses, which connect far-flung suburbs with cent-
ral Seoul, cost more.
Taxis are abundant and scandalously cheap compared to other world capitals, with the meter
starting at 2,200 won and fares rarely exceeding 10,000 won for standard hops.
Mobum
or
deluxe, taxis, distinguished by their black and gold design, offer a more luxurious ride than
the average cab; they're usually larger sedans with more leg and luggage room and, it's
claimed, especially knowledgeable and courteous drivers. However, they're about twice as
expensive as standard cabs, and most long-term residents see them as necessary only if no
regular taxis are available.
Taxi drivers are generally a pleasant and honest enough bunch, although as in any city,
you do get a few bad apples. Few speak any amount of English, so it's always helpful to
have your destination or a major landmark nearby written in Korean to show the driver.
With most cabs now boasting mobile handsets and onboard GPS navigation systems, the
days of endlessly circling an area in a fruitless search for a destination are now basically
