Getting Around South Korea

I had 3 positive experiences with taxi drivers in Seoul and Jeju.

Upon exiting the airport terminal in Incheon, we boarded a taxi and asked the driver to take us to Fraser Place.. The driver could not speak English. So, I showed him the hotel voucher. He then made a call to the hotel, presumably to ask for instructions from the hotel staff.

In Jeju, we asked the bellhop to tell the driver to take us to the Yellow Submarine. It was mid afternoon, and the driver made a call to the YS office to confirm if there were available slots.

On another day, we went around Jeju island and had lunch in a town near a volcanic formation (Seongsan). After lunch, as we headed back to the resort, I discovered that I did not have my camera with me and started searching my backpack. The driver noticed this, and asked me what I was looking for. He then pulled over and made a call to the restaurant, and got agitated when he was informed that they did not have my camera. (A few minutes later, I was embarassed to find my camera in one of the pockets of my backpack.)

This was an excellent flight with top notch service. No negatives here.
We flew a 5 hour flight from Saigon to Seuol. The plane looked new and had lots of leg room. We booked our trip online directly with Korean Air. I would love to fly with them again.

For accessing the city of Daegu it is wise to get a city map and look at where the subway takes you. I am still learning my way around and after 3 weeks, I'm wondering if I should be further along. The subway cost as of October 6, 2011, is 1200 won one way. See the subway customer service office for getting a discount card that you can refill to save money if you plan on using the subway often. The subway hits all main points, but if you're going off the beaten path, it won't help. You'll have to walk, catch a bus or taxi to get there. This is an awesome experience, but overwhelming at times due to the language barrier. I missed my stop at Seomun Market and asked a teenager how I could get back. He could only point and smile. After getting off at the next stop a woman behind me came to tell me to just catch the other line going back. No additional token needed. This means you don't walk upstairs just stay in the lower track level and cross over to the next side, 1 or 2.

The most humbling experience I've had with transportation was when I got into a taxi after 2 a.m. and he couldn't find my block (even with the navigation system). Meanwhile, the fee for my taxi service was adding up $$$. I then pulled out my business card and had him input that address. As soon as we drove a few blocks east I recognized the restaurant I live 1 block from. With a series of grunts and finger pointing managed to get him to stop. I immediately pulled out my wallet to pay him the 14000 won, but then he grunted and gave me back 2000 won and softly said, "sorry." I looked into his eyes and smiled.

I will get some photos up as soon as I can. The Daegu pages are going to come up slowly because I'm still learning my way around.

The public buses and transport systems still operate during the Chuseok and holiday periods. The only problem is that you'll be competing for space with hundreds or thousands of Koreans who would not normally be traveling during those times. If you can, make reservations or get tickets as early as possible to confirm a seat. Also, plan on traffic to take longer time than normal, so if you have critical connections, leave early.

Private carriers or shuttles may not operate during these times, so contact the provider.

Express Highway Lines of Korea

Gyeongbu Line ( Seoul between Busan ) : 417Km
Namhae Line ( Suncheon between Busan ) : 169Km
88Olympic Line ( Gwangju between Daegu ) : 183Km
Seohaean Line ( Seoul between Mokpo ) : 341Km
Jungbunaeryuk Line ( Yeoju between Masan ) : 204Km
Yeongdong Line ( Seoul between Gangneung ) : 234Km
Jungang Line ( Busan between Chuncheon ) : 289Km
Jungbu Line ( Hanam between Jinju ) : 286Km
Honam Line ( Nonsan between Suncheon ) : 195Km
and many Highway Branch Lines

On April 1st, 2004, Korea entered the 'bullet' age with its first high-speed train. Of course, they did things a little differently by having stops instead of non-stop service from Seoul to Pusan and making the First Class the only class seat you could wish for. (I tried both classes on the regular trains, and found them to be similar: such is not the case on the KTX.)

The good news is it is faster than a normal train. Seoul to Busan is 2:40 compared to 4:10 on the fastest normal train. (Flying is one hour, plus check in.)

Pricing is interesting but normal for here. Each way is 45,000 won (USD 39; Seoul-Pusan). There is a discount based on the day you travel and how far in advance you reserve. Weekdays: 1-2 months in advance, 15-29 days, and 7 to 14 days have discounts of 20%, 15% and 7%. Weekend and holiday discounts are (same advance notice): 10%, 7.5% and 3.5%. Also discounts for: youth (13-24 yrs), business/corporate card, companion card (1 to 9 family members) and seniors (over age 65). First Class has a 40% surcharge. These prices are about 25% above the fastest normal train but less than the 69,000 won cost of a one-way flight.

See the link below for a great review of the KTX.

The Soul underground is very good, easy to use and on time.
They have a bi lingual language over both the tannoy and on the signs.
The only downside to the Metro is that they dont have a circle line like on the London undeground system, which would link more of the stations together, but thats a minor point.
They have 8 lines which are all colour coded and easy to navigate around the system.
All the stations and trains are clean every single day.
Even the free local paper (like the Mtero paper in London) gets cleaned up during the day.
I love travelling by train and undergorund when I am abroad, even though wen travelling by underground you miss the sights and sounds of the city.
All Soul stations are wheel chair accessible and easy to navigate through, expect Soul Sation and City Hall as the majority of the lines through these 2 stations and its very easy to get lost.
I would recommend that you find out which station exit is the one that I closer to your destination otherwise you could walk out of the station a couple of miles away from where you wanted to be.
I would recommend people buy the underground travel card, as it can save you allot of money. the travel card machine is very easy to use as its in english. My only problem was that it took me a long time to find a machine in Soul station.

Taxi service in Seoul usually is easily accessible and straightforward.

Just watch out when you are looking to return to the airport especially if you have to fly out of Inchon, South Korea. If you are leaving from your hotel, make certain that you have the bellmen handle the details with the taxi cab driver upfront. Why? Because the taxi driver could pull a fast over on you if you're not careful.

Usually a trip from the Hilton Seoul to Inchon Airport is appox. $80 - $90 US dollars. If you take a private car from the Airport, it can cost you as much as $130+. We rookies tend to find out the details well after being the ... TS "Traveling Sucker"!

Well, this story gets worse. I was on my journey back to Inchon to fly to the next country. I stepped into a cab that I thought that my bellman called up for me. I was mistaken. Even though I doubled checked about the cost to the airport ... as being approx. $80 US dollars, my taxi driver nodded with a smile then acted like he understood but said little to nothing. So, off we went. My fast dash to the airport. I fall asleep in the taxi. Of course, tired from all the partying. This nap was a "wrong decision". When I awoke the taxi's meter show close to $300 charges and we hadn't event crossed the bridge to Inchon. I was "sh#$" out of luck as I only had approx. $200 US and Korean won on me. Trust me, you do not want to get into an argument with over taxi fares at the end of your trip while rushing to catch a flight.

So, guess how much my supposedly $80 dollar taxi fare ended up? We'll while crossing the bridge to Inchon, I started to inquire about the meter that was running like crazy. My heart was pounding. Had a flight to catch. Didn't have any alternative if I challenged the taxi driver too soon. He slowed down at a time to possibly dump me by the side of the road penniless. I watched all the cabbie's "Christian Crosses" swing from the rearview mirror and decorated on the dashboard. I whispered ... "what a Christian?" "is this what being a good Christian look like". So, I prayed for the guy quickly out loud then dropped a few words that I was hurt by being taking advantage. Sharing all this while the driver carried on with little emotions.

So, I started writing down every serial number in the cab including a consumer hotline. So, as the bill passed the $400 mark, I put on my acting shoes. Started showing my frustration while (acting) like I was dialing the US Joint Command base plus the mayor of Seoul. Of course, you have to act as if they've placed you on hold for a bit. Don't forget a few transfer calls that frustrate you. When I finally acted as if I reached the General and the Mayor, I was courteous then displayed being upset about Taxi #43444455 because I was being robbed. At one point, I even mentioned canceling a major delegations visit to see the Mayor of Seoul because of their unruly cabbies. This went on for about another 20 minutes.

We'll when I finally arrived at Inchon Airport. I was off my phone (or at least acting like it). Told the cabbie that I was sadden by him misleading me as to the cost of the trip to the airport from the Hilton. The meter hit a few hundred bucks more than what I had on me. By this time, the cabbie showed signs of perspiration on his face. I gave him my $200. His hands were shaking. He handed the money back to me. I said it is yours. He nervously said hold out the money. Then he only took $60. Cracked a smile of apology. Rushed out to get my luggage.

He shoved of faster than a scared deer running from a forest fire.

I wish him well. But, he peeled out.