By plane

Seoul (SEL IATA for all airports) is served by two airports; Incheon International Airport serves most international flights, while Gimpo Airport mostly serves as Seoul's domestic airport, plus a smattering of international routes to China, Japan and Taiwan.

Incheon Airport

Most visitors arrive via 1 Incheon International Airport (ICN IATA) on Yeongjong Island in the neighboring city of Incheon.

The A'REX train connects the airport to Seoul Station (for further connections to KTX high-speed services) and Gimpo Airport (most domestic flights), operating from 05:20 until 00:00. Two versions exist: express services to the city (every 40 minutes) take 43 minutes and cost ₩9,000 (with WiFi available on board); while all-stops services (every 6 minutes) take 53 minutes and cost ₩4,750. The express train and the regular train leave from different platforms and have different ticket booths. The express train requires reservations, accepts credit cards and can be purchased in advance, while the all-stops service is a regular unreserved train and payments are cash/T-money only.

If you have a lot of luggage or are heading to southern parts of Seoul (e.g. Gangnam), the airport buses remain your best option.

A taxi direct to Seoul will cost around ₩50,000/70,000 regular/deluxe.

Gimpo Airport

2 Gimpo Airport (김포국제공항, GMP IATA). Closer but older. Caters only to the shuttle services to Taipei-Songshan, Tokyo-Haneda Airport, Osaka-Kansai, Beijing Capital International Airport and Shanghai-Hongqiao, as well as domestic flights within South Korea, mostly to Jeju.

Gimpo Airport is easily reached on the A'REX link from Seoul Station or Incheon Airport, as well as subway lines 5 and 9. All lines intersect Line 2 which runs in a large circle through Seoul. Line 9 (Gold Line), the first privately run subway line in Seoul, has express trains as well. Travelers coming into Seoul should first have detailed directions to their destination from the nearest station then consult the subway map before deciding on which line and route to take. All three lines cost ₩1,000-2,100 (depending on distance), while a taxi to central Seoul will run around ₩30,000. Discounts for subway fare are available with T-Money cards.

By train

Seoul is the northern terminus for most KTX high-speed train services. There are three main stations within city limits:

3 Seoul Station (서울역) for trains heading Southeast (Busan, Pohang, Daegu, Daejeon, Changwon) and few heading East (Pyeongchang, Gangneung, Donghae) depart here. Accessible via subway line 1 , 4 , Gyeongui-jungang , as well as the AREX (from Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport). The Gyeongui line uses a separate platform in the old station building (Culture Station 284). Some trains bound Southwest depart from Seoul station as well.

4 Yongsan Station (용산역) is the main terminus for trains heading Southwest (Mokpo, Gwangju, Daejeon, Yeosu). Metro lines 1 and Gyeongui-jungang pass through the station. Line 4 is at the nearby 5 Sinyongsan station, about 150m away.

6 Cheongnyangni Station (청량리역) serves trains heading east, including all KTX trains bound for Pyeongchang, Gangneung, Donghae, and Andong. Subway line 1 and Gyeongui-jungang line stops here, with few trains from Suin - Bundang and Gyeongchun line.

Some KTX trains heading south stop at 7 Yeongdeungpo Station (영등포역, accessible via subway line 1 ), and some heading east stop at 8 Sangbong Station (상봉역, accessible via subway line 7 , Gyeongui-jungang and Gyeongchun line). Train stopping at Yeongdeungpo takes longer because they use conventional tracks.

9 Suseo Station (수서역) in the city's southwest is the terminus for SRT trains from Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Mokpo. It is also about 15% cheaper than the KTX. Subway line 3 and Suin - Bundang line stop at the station. GTX train has been added to Suseo Station, so people can move Guseong and Suseo in 15 minutes. The subway system also serves as a commuter rail network for nearby cities and towns in Gyeonggi.

2 Gangnam Station, (강남역) (Line 2 ). Take airport line at terminal 2, change from Gimpo Aiport Station(line 9), and get off at Shinnonhyeon station. It takes 1 and half hours.

Remember that for all KTX services, reservations are mandatory and included in the price. This means trains do sell out - even the few standing tickets offered on some routes - and there might be no possibility to travel on the dense Seoul-Busan line on weekends without booking at least a week ahead.

By bus

Every weekend approximately 2 million Seoulites leave the city, which goes a long way to explaining why the city has four major bus terminals. Destinations are not strictly divided by terminals (especially intercity buses), so check the exact terminal and schedule on the website (Express, Intercity)

10 Seoul Express Bus Terminal, (서울고속버스터미널), (Metro Lines 3 , 7 , or 0 , Express Bus Terminal stn). Also known as Gangnam Terminal and Gyeongbu-Yeongdong Terminal, this is the largest of them all and serves pretty much the entire country, but most services head Southeast (incl. Busan, Daegu, Daejeon). Lines Southwest to Jeolla, however, use the Central City/Honam Terminal right next door. For the most part there's no need to buy a ticket days in advance, except during the holidays. There's even a ticket window labeled "Tickets for Foreigners" where the attendant can speak English. Fare from Seoul-Busan is about ₩20,000 and buses come continuously throughout the day. Small restaurants and snacks are all throughout the station. Journeys longer than 2 hours typically will have a short stop at a rest area. Most buses are very comfortable and extremely safe.

11 Central City Terminal, (센트럴시티터미널), also known as Honam Terminal, (Metro Lines 3 , 7 , or 0 , Express Bus Terminal stn). Directly adjacent to the Express terminal, serves express buses heading Southeast to North and South Jeolla, South Chungcheong, and some routes to Daejeon and North Chungcheong.

12 Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, (동서울버스터미널), Gangbyeon stn (Line 2 ). Served mostly by intercity buses. Most intercity buses to Gangwon and other parts of Korea departs here. It is heavily used by soldiers heading to the military bases in Gangwon. You can find restaurants, convenience stores, a cafe, a pharmacy, a bakery, and a nursing room here. There's even an underground shopping mall to kill time.

13 Nambu Bus Terminal, (남부터미널), Nambu Bus Terminal stn (Line 3 ). Served mostly by intercity buses. Most intercity buses to Southeast to North and South Jeolla and other parts of Korea departs here.

14 Gangnam Station, (강남역) (Line 2 ). Take an Airport Limousine Bus number 6009. It takes 80 minutes from Airport terminal 1 and 100 minutes from Airport terminal 2. It is better to take subway who depart from Airport terminal 2(See By train section).

By boat

There are ferry services to various points in China from the neighboring port city of Incheon. No services run from Japan to Seoul; many Koreans take the coach, KTX or SRT trains to Busan, where several ferry and hydrofoil options are available.

By car

No matter where in Korea you start your journey, there will be tolled expressways (Gosok Doro) and national highways (Gook Do) that lead to Seoul; the most important one is the Gyeongbu Expressway, linking Seoul with Busan. To avoid the daily traffic jam on the Gyeongbu Highway near Seoul, take Jungbu/2nd Jungbu, Seohaean, or Yongin-Seoul Expressway. On Korean highways, the first lane is used as a passing lane. No matter how fast you're going, it's not okay to keep driving in the lane.