When planning a trip to South Korea, one of the biggest questions is how to get around efficiently. The country has a very strong transport network, but depending on where you are, the best option can change quickly.

I travelled through Seoul, Busan and Jeju over two weeks, and this is exactly how I got around, what worked, and what I would recommend doing or doing differently.

Getting from the airport to Seoul

After landing in Seoul, we were honestly exhausted. Instead of figuring out public transport, we took an Uber straight from the airport to our Airbnb.

This cost around 30 euro and for us it was completely worth it after a long flight. No stress, no transfers, just directly to the apartment.

Alternative option

If you want to save money, you can take the airport train to the city.

• The AREX train connects the airport to Seoul Station
• From there you transfer to the metro
• This is cheaper, but requires more time and effort

What I would suggest:

• If you arrive tired or late → take Uber
• If you travel light and feel fresh → take the train

Getting around Seoul

In Seoul itself, I mostly used the metro, and that quickly became the easiest way to move around. The network is very extensive, everything is clearly indicated, and it gets you almost everywhere.

We used it constantly throughout the day, whether we were going from Myeongdong back to our apartment, heading towards temples or moving between neighbourhoods like Seongsu, Hongdae and Jongno.

At the same time, we didn’t rely on the metro exclusively. Especially in the evening or when we were tired, we often took an Uber instead. This made the experience a lot more comfortable and flexible, because sometimes the metro routes require multiple transfers or longer walking distances.

The combination of metro during the day and Uber when needed worked perfectly.

Navigation in South Korea

One thing that can really make or break your experience is navigation. Google Maps is not reliable in South Korea, especially for routes.

Instead, you should download apps like Naver Maps or Kakao Map. These work much better and are what locals use. Once you switch to one of these, getting around becomes much easier and more intuitive. I prefered to use Naver Maps.

The T money card

To make using public transport easier, we bought a T money card. We didn’t get it at the airport but in a 7 Eleven in the city, where we also topped it up immediately. You can also buy this card as soon as you arrive at the airport, which might be more convenient if you plan to use public transport right away. It usually costs between 2,500 and 5,000 won, which is roughly 2 to 3 euro, depending on the design. This is just for the physical card, so you still need to add balance before using it.

We mainly used the card for the metro. It saves time because you don’t need to buy a ticket for every single ride. Topping up is very simple. You can do it in convenience stores like 7 Eleven, but also in metro stations.

One important thing to know is that topping up often requires cash. In the metro stations, we tried paying with card several times, but it didn’t always work. After that, we made sure to always have some cash with us, which avoided any issues. Prices are also very reasonable, especially for a big city like Seoul. Most of our rides cost around 1,400 won, which is less than 1 euro. If you travel longer distances, the price increases slightly, but in general it stays below 2,000 won per ride.

Even if you plan to use Uber regularly, I would still recommend getting a T money card. It makes moving around during the day much easier.

Day trips from Seoul

For our day trip to Seoraksan, Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm, we decided not to use public transport and instead booked a guided tour through GetYourGuide for about €70 per person.

The main reason was timing. The tour left very early, and doing this independently would have required multiple connections and a much longer travel time.

If you prefer convenience, a tour is definitely the easiest option here. If you are willing to plan more and want to save money, it is also possible to get there by bus or train, but it will take more effort.

From Seoul to Busan

Travelling from Seoul to Busan was probably the easiest part of the entire trip. We took the KTX high speed train, and everything went very smoothly. The journey is fast, comfortable and very well organised. You travel directly from city centre to city centre without the hassle of airports. Make sure to arrive on time if you have luggage with you because there is not a lot of space for this. One ticket costs around €33 per person, depending on the day of travel.

There are other options like flying or taking a bus, but the train is by far the most practical and efficient choice.

Getting around Busan

Busan felt quite different compared to Seoul. While there is a metro system, the city is more spread out and distances between places are larger.

We did use the metro occasionally, but in reality we relied much more on Uber here. What surprised me was how cheap it was. Many rides were only around 3 to 4 euro, which made it very tempting to choose convenience over figuring out public transport routes.

There is also a local taxi app called Kakao T, which is normally cheaper and widely used by locals. It is definitely worth downloading and trying. In my case it didn’t work well, so I ended up using Uber most of the time, but if it works for you, it can be a good way to save money.

From Busan to Jeju

To get from Busan to Jeju, we took a domestic flight with AirBusan for about €55 per person (including luggage). Make sure to book these tickets well in advance because they do sell out pretty quickly. We lost one day in Jeju because the flights were sold out on the day that I wanted to book them.

This is the easiest and fastest way to travel between the mainland and the island. Everything was smooth and it fits perfectly into a two week itinerary. There are alternatives like ferries, but these are much slower and less practical if you don’t have a lot of time.

Getting around Jeju

Jeju is completely different from Seoul and Busan when it comes to transport.

Here, we rented a car with Enterprise for €170 (4 days), and this honestly made the biggest difference in the entire trip.

We drove long distances between different parts of the island, from sunrise spots to waterfalls and coastal areas. Having a car made it possible to see multiple places in one day without being limited by schedules. There are buses on Jeju, but they are less frequent and don’t reach every location easily. You can use them, but it requires more planning and you will lose flexibility.

If you want to follow a similar itinerary and make the most of your time, renting a car is definitely the best option.

Back to Seoul

For the final part of the trip, we flew back from Jeju to Seoul with Jeju Air for about €65 per person. This was again straightforward and didn’t take much time.

Once back in the city, we returned to the same system as before, using metro during the day and Uber when needed.

What I would do again

Looking back at the trip, I would make the same choices.

Taking an Uber from the airport made arriving much easier. Using the metro in Seoul combined with Uber gave the right balance between efficiency and comfort. In Busan, relying more on Uber saved time and effort.

The KTX train between cities worked perfectly, and flying to Jeju was the right decision. Renting a car on Jeju was probably the most important choice of all, because it made the entire experience much smoother.

Final thoughts

Getting around South Korea is not complicated, but it is different depending on where you are.

In Seoul, the metro works very well and you can easily combine it with Uber. In Busan, you will probably use Uber more than expected because of the distances. Between cities, the high speed train is the easiest option, and for Jeju, a rental car gives you the freedom you need.

Once you understand this, everything becomes very straightforward and you can focus on enjoying your trip instead of figuring out transport.