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TRANSPORTATION in
South Korea
GETTING THERE
South Korea is well connected with almost all the major
international carriers. The international airport is at Incheon,
60 kms from the capital. The country’s international carriers are
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. South Korea has eight
international airports and seven domestic airports. The Busan and
Jeju airports have flights to and from Japan and China. Fliers
from Japan can opt for Tokyo as they will get the best fares from
there.
Passengers entering South Korea have the option of accompanying
packages through customs. In that case they will be given
discounted airfares by the courier companies. But in the process
they might lose out on the baggage allowance.
Russians can enter the country by hopping onto the Trans-Mongolian
railways at Ulan Ude in Russia and continuing the journey till
Beijing. There they will get onward connections to Shanghai from
where there are boats to Incheon. You can also get the ferry at
Zarubino in Russia till Sokcho in Korea.
Entering South Korea by land is not possible.
GETTING AROUND
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Bus – the buses are at
the heart of the public transportation system in South Korea. They
are safe, on time and definitely fast. Drivers are generally
compared to Grand Prix drivers as they make their way through the
city traffic. They are ruthlessly fast on the roads and don’t have
much respect for the traffic rules. During rush hour the buses
might be filled beyond capacity and it will be difficult for you
to find a seat. There are two types of buses in service – express
and intercity. The former is non-stop and seats are reserved. So
you miss a bus and you have to get yourself a new ticket. The
intercity buses have unreserved seating and they ply with
scheduled stops. Please remember drivers do not speak much English
and the stop names are not in English.
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Taxis – there are two
types of taxis in service, regular and deluxe (mobeum). The latter
is more comfortable and the drivers speak good English. If you are
hailing a regular taxi ask someone to write the destination for
you in Korean and then show it to the driver. For regular taxis
fares start at 1900 won and deluxe taxis charge 4500 won at flag
fall.
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Subways – subways are
the most convenient and fastest mode of transportation in the
country. They are generally safe and they stop at major train
stations, bus terminals and popular areas. The stop signs are
written in both English and Korean but announcements are generally
made in Korean only. During rush hours ladies should take special
care to avoid the men’s roaming hands.
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Trains – Korea has an
extensive rail network. The local trains are inexpensive,
punctual, on time and safe. There are no smoking compartments too.
Almost every station has signs in English and Korean for the
benefit of the commuters. The new KTX or the bullet train runs
across the length of the country. They run at a speed of 300 kms/hr.
With KTX you can reach anywhere in the country within 3 hours.
These trains are all environment friendly and fares start at
10,600 won.
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