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Fly
Korea
You
can fly nearly anywhere in South Korea from Seoul. Local and international
airports are available in Seoul. Domestic flights are inexpensive
and a good value if you have limited time and hate traffic. There
are a number of flying schools and private air fields in and around
Seoul if you have a pilot's license.
Domestic
Airports
For
all domestic flights, you use Gimpo Airport. Gimpo Airport is
located in the city of Gimpo, which is just west of Seoul. You
can reach the airport by bus, taxi, or subway.
Airport
Buses
No.
600, No. 600-1 and No. 601 are airport buses connecting the airport
with downtown Seoul. There are many others as well. It is possible
to take a bus from the bus station in the airport. They run every
10 minutes from 04:30 to 22:30. Use the airport bus the same way
as the urban buses. As of April 2002, the fare is 5000-5500 South
Korean Won.
International
Airports
There are three international airports in South Korea. Incheon International Airport, Gimhae airport in Busan and Jeju airport in Jeju-do. Domestic airports located in 13 cities connect with Gimpo Airport in Seoul.
Incheon International Airport is occupied with 35 airlines including Korean Air and Asiana Air. They operate both domestic and international flights and give passengers a choice of airlines.
For a complete listing of airports, visit Seoul Searching's online directory, the Airport Blue Pages.
To the
Airport by Subway
You can reach
Gimpo Airport by using Line 5 Stop #512. You cannot reach Incheon
Airport by subway.
Taxi
Using the taxi
is a great way to get the airport. Here are the rates depending
on which type of taxi. These rates are from downtown to Incheon
International Airport. They include toll, but may vary according
to traffic congestion.
Regular: 50,000 South Korean Won (20% increase between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m.)
Deluxe: 70,000 South Korean Won
Jumbo: 70,000 South Korean Won
Rental
Cars
There are several rental car companies at the airport conveniently located near passenger arrival terminals.
Usually, it costs 50,000 to 70,000 South Korean Won per day to rent a small car, 70,000 to 90,000 South Korean Won for a mid-sized car, 120,000 to 270,000 for a deluxe car and 90,000 to100,000 for a van (April, 2002 rough estimates). There will be an additional fee of 5,000 to 10,000 South Korean Won per hour when using a chauffeur.
Make sure you check out the insurance status of the car you rent. We also recommend that you determine ahead of time the location of the gas station nearest your destination or the place you are staying. You can reserve a rental car on-line with most rental car shops in Korea. To rent a car, you will need your international driver's license, your ID or passport and your national driver's license. Watch out for fake international drivers licenses being sold on the Internet as they'll get you in trouble overseas. International drivers licenses can be obtained in the USA at most AAA Travel locations and in Seoul at a number of locations. Ask any police station in Seoul.
For all domestic flights, you use Gimpo Airport. For all international flights, use Incheon International Airport.
Buses are a great a scenic way to get around Seoul. Although many are in Korean, more and more buses are using bilingual banners announcing major stops.
