Suwon Transportation

There is a tourist information booth just outside of the Suwon subway/train station. Exit the main doors, turn left, and walk about 150 meters. They are very friendly and helpful (and they speak English!). They gave us a good city map, guided us to a hotel, and pointed out the nightlife spots in the city. They also help with buses to Everland and the Korean Folk Village.

BTW there are express buses and regular city buses to both sites. The express buses are numbered in the 6000s; they cost more but make fewer stops. The other buses with 2 or 3 digit numbers are very cheap (600-700 Won), but make very frequent stops, doubling your journey time. Since the express buses are for tourists, their destinations are usually written in English and Hangul.

Seoul Subway line 1 extends to Suwon and is now being expanded beyond this great town. From Seoul to Suwon is about 1,300 Won (US$1.25). The trip takes about one hour and passes through some beautiful Korean countryside after leaving the Seoul city limits and going above ground.

The high-speed KTX train also stops in Suwon on its journey between Seoul and Busan. Regional trains also make this journey.

All three types of rail transportation use Suwon's main station, on the west side of downtown.

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Suwon can be reached from Seoul by either train or metro (Line 1). The journey takes about 50 minutes. As you walk out of Suwon Station, just to your left, on the same side of the road is the main tourist information office, which is one of the best in Korea.

There is a free shuttle bus service from Suwon Station to the Korean Folk Village. the journey takes about 35 minutes. As you walk out of Suwon Station, turn left. after 50 metres you will see the tourist information office. Purchase your admission ticket for the Korean Folk village there, then board the shuttle bus in the adjacent car park.

The return bus stops in the main car park at the Korean Folk Village, in front of the main entrance.

Suwon is a big city just to the south of Seoul, but Seoul Metro Line 1 goes all the way to Suwon. However it takes a long time to get there! On Line 1, note that some trains run on the main-line tracks much of the way and are a lot quicker. Generally these trains run to/from Cheongnyangi. It is not clear on the general subway maps which stations are used for this express service. This is useful for bypassing a whole lot of stations. Also many Korail main-line trains stop at Suwon after departing from Seoul, and this will further reduce the travel time if you are starting from north or central Seoul.
The main Metro access area is at the lower ground floor level of Suwon station, while the Korail services go from the upper level – it looks as if you are taking an escalator up into the department store, but you emerge into a vast station plaza. The ticket offices are on the left and there is a special window for tickets to Seoul at the left-hand end of the windows. Note that after you have purchased a mainline rail ticket you will need to queue by the relevant platform gate; passengers are allowed down to the platform minutes before the train arrives. Station announcements at Suwon are made, like at most stations in Seoul, in Korean and English.
If you are waiting a while and can read Chinese, it is fun to see how many Korean placenames have Chinese roots by comparing the English or Korean script with the Chinese; equally it is also interesting to see how many are quite different!

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There is a red tram with an interesting design of a dragon head where you can ride around the famous Hwaseong Fortress and surrounding city areas. The ride starts at the East Gate area and takes about 20-30 minutes where it will end on top of a small hill just above the cultural village.

Black taxis are considered deluxe taxis throughout most of South Korea and will charge higher prices than silver or white taxis. The level of comfort, however, is not very different between the two kinds. Taxis will also increase their prices after midnight.

Suwon can be reached by subway through the number 1 or dark blue line. Though this means of travel from Seoul is slower than the bus, it can be less confusing (provided the platforms indicate which direction the lines are running in).

Suwon's subway station is right next to its train station which can cause some confusion. This shouldnt be the case when arriving in Suwon, but upon leaving, it is easy to enter the wrong area. This was more of a problem before the train station was drastically remodeled in 2003.

Once outside the subway station, there are a variety of transportation options including numerous buses and a steady stream of taxis. Usually a taxi line forms just outside the station, but it moves rapidly and usually faster than the bus you are waiting for.