Though Korea is known as the “Land of the Morning Calm”, you will be hard-pressed to find anything calm about last-minute travel in the country.  Mind you, Korea has one of the most efficient and extensive transportations systems in the Far East, but it is highly advisable to make your plans with ample time in advance.

In order to make plans, you will first need to know how to get around, somewhere to go, and some handy travel tips.  I wish I’d had these when I first arrived instead of learning over the span of 9 months via trial and many oh-so-stressful error(s).

One of the first things that should be mentioned when advising anyone about travel in South Korea is that you should ALWAYS book long weekends, holiday getaways (high season), or festival outings WELL in advance*.  If not, you shall experience the pain of a forced staycation during the 4-day weekend that you had every intention of seeing Jeju during**.  Flights and trains will sell out MONTHS in advance.

*Koreans work, A LOT.  Therefore, provided a rare extended “break” from their otherwise monotonous lives (such as Chuseok [Fall], Buddha’s Birthday [Spring], or the Lunar New Year [Winter]) pretty much EVERYONE leaves.  Seoul literally becomes a ghost town for a week during the Chuseok holidays.

**If you do find yourself faced with a “staycation”, rest assured there are plenty of unique ways to enjoy your time in-town.  Here’s our favorite ways to enjoy ourselves without leaving town:

1. Themed Cafes: In even the smallest of towns you will be sure to have a handful of quirky, themed cafes at your doorstep.  Our favorites include the animal cafes.  We have personally experienced cat cafes, dog cafes, raccoon cafes, and even ZOO cafes (we’re talking kangaroos and porcupines, people).  We also love the various Harry Potter cafes usually serving up Butter Beer in addition to your more typical latte.  From Hello Kitty cafes to “cozy” cafes where you sit in large, plush couches and are served free cake with your coffee, we’ve seen it all.  Believe it or not, Seoul even offers up a delightful POOP-themed cafe for those so inclined…
2. Bath Houses (aka Jimjilbang): These “treats” have saunas, cold rooms, oxygen rooms, hot tubs, foot baths, you name it.  Some even have sleeping quarters.  Most are open 24 hours a day and range in price from 4,000 to 18,000 won.  The entrance usually includes a towel and a t-shirt and shorts to wear while roaming around from one sauna to the next.  Be forewarned: you ARE expected to (required, really) to enter the bath area FULLY nude (separated by gender, of course).  Our favorite is SpaLand, located inside the Shinsegae department store (the biggest in the world) in Busan.
3. Noraebang: Translated roughly as “singing-room”, these are generally a giant karaoke party where you pay by the hour to rent out a room for you and your friends to sing the night away while being served soju, beer and a variety of snacks.  If the thought of this makes you wary, we promise after one visit you’ll be hooked.
   

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When not enjoying a staycation, how do you get around in Korea?

Innercity transportation 

1. By Subway

The subway is available in all major cities (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejon, & Gwanju).  Seoul has the largest subway system in Korea.  The public transportation system within the country is easy to figure out, provided you have at least a tiny bit of a handle on Hangul, the Korean writing system.  After as little as a couple of weeks, you will get the hang of things. The subway provides the cheapest way to get around the major cities.

In Seoul, subways close around 1am during the week and around midnight on the weekend (why on earth?).  In this case, please see option 2 below.

2. By Taxi

As is the same in practically any city the world over, taxis are another convenient method of transportation in and around Korea’s cities or towns, big and small.  It’s important to note that the subway system closes around midnight, leaving you late-night revellers high and dry, and completely dependent on taxis.  Be warned though, taxi companies know this, and the rate is usually higher after midnight.

3. By Bus

Without Hangul (Korea’s writing system) at your fingertips it will be quite difficult to navigate the bus system, but in some places you’ll have no choice.  Often over-crowded, cramped, and in the summertime, boiling, coupled with the fact that Korean bus drivers apparently learn how to drive on a go-kart track, buses aren’t the best mode of transport in Korea.  However, if you must, you probably won’t find a seat so do hang on for dear life.

Intercity travel

1. KTX

The KTX trains are the quickest and most comfortable, albeit expensive, way to travel the length of the country or from city to city.  There are also two other types of trains (really?): the Saemaul train has minimal stops and is slower than the KTX and the Mugunghwa train is the slowest of the three as it stops at every station it passes.  You can imagine the price differentiation of the three.

For train schedules and to make reservations in advance, your best bet is to use Lets Korail!  Basic protocol is to print out your reservation and keep in mind that this is NOT the actual ticket!  You will need to show up BEFORE your scheduled train time, wait in line, and have your actual tickets issued to you.  Be sure to take your passport with you when checking in at the station.  A great benefit to the whole thing is the ability to cancel your reservations for a full refund up to mere moments before your scheduled departure.  Good job Korea.

2. Bus

Buses are another great method to travel around Korea.  The first bus you’ll probably encounter will be the Limousine, or airport bus.  These will take you to and from the center of town at a fraction of the cost of a taxi.

LOCAL BUSES: You will then want to get acquainted with the local buses as they are convenient, fast, and more frequent than perhaps any other place on Earth (see above).  Warning to those who suffer from motion sickness: Bus rides in Korea are not for the faint at heart.  Every ride can seem like it might be your last.  You’ll see what we mean soon enough…

INTERCITY BUSES:  For adventure-seekers on a budget, the express bus terminal will become a building with which you are very familiar in a short amount of time.  And we’re happy to report that long-distance, or intercity, buses are a world apart from local city buses in comfort and ride-ability.  Most towns and cities all over Korea have express bus terminals. These buses travel from town to town and region to region at a fraction of the KTX prices.  These buses do have a set schedule so it is best to search it out in advance.  A handy website for bus travel in Korea is Bus Tago, where you can check schedules, routes and reserve tickets in advance.  I wish I had known about this site when I arrived in the country.

3. Domestic Flights

For those with the means, but limited time, domestic flights are surely the quickest route between cities.  Besides, if heading to Dokdo or Jeju islands, other than via ferry (which I still have no idea how you would go about this), you simply HAVE to fly.  The most common airlines flying domestic flights are Asiana Air, Hansung Air*, Jeju Air* and Korean Air (*study your Hangeul!)

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Always carry with you:

• Tissues- some restrooms don’t have any or have run out.
• Wallet with cash and your ARC/Passport: Cash is always the preferred method of payment.  You never know where credit cards won’t be accepted.
• Cell phone: As with anywhere, this is a survival requirement in Korea. Should you have any questions or concerns while traveling Korea, you can dial 1330, the Korean Travel Information phone number.  You even have the option of speaking to an English operator (option 2).  How neat!
• Something to kill time as you travel long distance: a book to read and your cell phone is usually more than enough.
• Hand sanitizer: not all public restrooms provide soap and water.
• Knowledge: It’s always handy to know a few basic Korean phrases as you travel around.  Oh, and common sense… that’s always good to pack as well…

-The author has lived in Korea for over a year and has learned a lot about the frustrations of travel in Korea, especially the “forced staycations” (see above).  Save yourself from experiencing them and keep this travel advice and the aforementioned websites handy.