Riding the rails in South Korea

South Korean public transport is extremely good, and almost scarily comprehensive – you can get from any A to any B on the mainland using public transportation alone. Seoul itself has one of the most comprehensive metro systems in the world, with the longest line – Line 1 – has more than 100 stations, stretches for 218km in total, and would take you the best part of four hours to ride from end to end. Inter-city buses between certain locations can depart as frequently as every two minutes at the busiest times of day. However, to really experience the fastest transit with the most comfort and the best views, you’ll really have to hit the rails

The KTX: take Korea’s high-speed trains all the way from Seoul to Busan

Korean trains come in several different forms, though top of the tree are the high-speed KTX services, which purr along at speeds of up to 305km/h. That’s just as fast as Japan’s famous Shinkansen trains, but in some ways the KTX are more comfortable. Shinkansen trains typically have a three-by-two seat layout, which means that one unfortunate soul per row may find themselves squashed in the dreaded middle seat, but KTX services have their seats arranged two-by-two as a matter of course, and actually two-by-one in first class. 

Screens and announcements make it clear where you are and what the next station is, as well as when you’re going to get there – very user-friendly. The washrooms are kept clean, vending machines allow you to pig out on snacks or sugary drinks, and attendants pass along the carriages from time to time selling food and drink. 

Lastly, though this may come as a shock to people from certain countries, Korean trains are punctual to a fault – if you get to the platform mere seconds too late, you’ll be waving goodbye to the back end of the train.

Where can I go?

Although it’s in the north of the country, Seoul is Korea’s rail hub, with lines firing out in all directions. The first KTX line, from Seoul to Busan, started service in 2003, and more lines have since been built or upgraded – the KTX will now take you almost everywhere you want to go. Here are a few journey ideas:

The Gangwon coast

KTX services head from Seoul to Gangneung, which was the hub of the 2018 Winter Olympics, along the way passing through (and sometimes under) the mountains that formed the majestically snowy backdrop to the Games. Gangneung has become a really pretty city, with a beach scene, great food (they have a particularly soft form of tofu, made with sea water) and lakeside trails; it’s even possible to stay the night in a traditional wooden building known as a hanok, heated in the winter with underfloor fire. An entirely different sort of accommodation awaits a short train-ride down the coast in Jeongdongjin, a seaside village presided over by one of the world’s zaniest hotels – shaped like a ship, and sitting on a cliff above the sea.

Jeonju

For an even better hanok experience, head to this richly traditional city, which has a whole district full of these wooden beauties – the largest in the country, in fact, and especially photogenic in the eveningtime. Jeonju is famed for its food, which most Koreans will tell you is the best in their country; of particular note is Jeonju’s own highly detailed take on bibimbap, which will put every one you’ve ever had in the shade.

Gyeongju

Capital of Korea for a thousand years, this is the country’s historic pride and joy. Its centre is dotted with grass-covered hills – these are actually burial mounds, created for centuries-worth of kings, queens, princes and nobles, and there are far more in the surrounding countryside, which just begs to be cycled around.

Busan

The KTX races from Seoul to Busan in just two-and-a-half hours, passing by rice fields and pine-covered mountains on its way to Korea’s second city. Busan is home to Haeundae, the country’s most popular beach, whose skyscraper-filled surrounding area is amazing for seafood, street food and nightlife. Here you’ll be able to join a day-trip taking in the 250-metre-high cliffs of Taejongdae, a “Sky Capsule” ride along the coast (sort of like a tiny tram on a monorail), and the coastal temple of Haedong Yonggungsa.

The West Coast

As well as KTX services, Korea has some highly entertaining tourist trains. Best of the lot is the West Sea Gold Train (also known as the G-Train), which has a couple of interesting additions – small groups can buy tickets for room-like berths in which you can either fall sound asleep or sit and picnic in true Korean style, while another carriage boasts what are surely the world’s only train-based foot-spas.

Tickets and passes

Fantastic though the Korean train system is, it does have a few niggles. The website of the national operator, Korail, has its last major update circa 2009, and remains full of flaws – at one stage the English-language page automatically put your keyboard into Korean text mode, and somewhat unbelievably, the same thing happened in reverse too. 

Secondly, ticket machines in Korean train stations are among the only places in the country that refuse to accept foreign cards (an issue in certain bus terminals too) – you’ll have to pay with cash, or queue up. 

For simplicity, you can book ahead on other websites – Klook has the best-priced Korail ticket sales from Seoul to Busan among major online ticketing agencies, as well as the highest ratings and review numbers. In addition, their Korail pass provides unlimited rides between over 600 stations. 

This bang-for-your-buck pass grants you unlimited train travel; it comes in two- to five-day validity periods, with the two- and four-day ones particularly useful, since they allow flexible travel within ten day periods, allowing you to stay in your favourite places for longer.