How do I get around Seoul?

The subway is your default. Lines 1 through 9, plus the Shinbundang, AREX, and Gyeongui-Jungang extensions, cover roughly 340 stations across the metro area. Base fare sits at 1,400 KRW (under a dollar) for 10 km, then increments of 100 KRW per additional 5 km: you can cross the entire city for under 2,000 KRW. Trains run from about 5:30 AM to midnight, with 2-3 minute intervals during rush hour. The T-money card scans on every subway gate, every city bus, and most convenience store payment terminals. Pick one up at any CU, GS25, or 7-Eleven near your hotel. That said, the transfer system is the real trick: tap off the subway, tap onto a bus within 30 minutes, and the connection is free. Most visitors never figure this out and overpay for days.

Taxis here are cheap by developed-world standards but not as cheap as visitors expect. Flagfall is 4,800 KRW (about $3.25 USD), with the meter ticking roughly 100 KRW per 131 meters. A cross-town ride from Hongdae to Gangnam runs 15,000-20,000 KRW depending on traffic: maybe $10-13. The catch: Seoul taxis are hard to hail after 11 PM on weekends. Drivers can see your destination on the app before accepting, and short rides to unpopular areas get declined repeatedly. Download Kakao T before you land. It is the dominant ride-hail app: Uber technically exists but drivers are scarce and fares run 30-40% higher. Kakao T shows the fare estimate upfront, driver arrives in 3-8 minutes in most districts, and you can pay through the app with an international card registered in advance.

Buses are powerful but honestly confusing for first-timers. The color coding helps: blue buses run long trunk routes, green buses circulate within neighborhoods, red buses connect to satellite cities, but route numbers mean nothing without Korean literacy, and the LED displays scroll fast. Worth noting: the late-night owl buses (marked with N-prefixes) run 11:30 PM to 5 AM on major corridors when the subway has shut down. The N37 runs Gangnam to Myeongdong, and the N15 covers Hongdae to Dongdaemun. These are packed on Friday and Saturday nights with the post-drinking crowd, standing-room-only, slightly beery in the air. But they cost the same 1,400 KRW base fare and your T-money works.

Walking works well within individual neighborhoods but Seoul is spread across a wide basin between mountains. Insadong to Gyeongbokgung is a pleasant 15-minute walk along stone-paved streets. Hongdae's club district is entirely walkable. But Hongdae to Itaewon? That is a 40-minute subway ride, not a walk. The city rewards exploring on foot once you arrive somewhere: the narrow alleys behind main streets in Ikseon-dong smell like sesame oil and grilling meat, the Cheonggyecheon stream path is flat and shaded for 6 km through the centre, but don't plan to walk between major districts. You will burn daylight and energy fighting hills and highway overpasses that were not designed for pedestrians.

One thing that trips people up: the AREX express train from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station takes 43 minutes and costs 9,500 KRW. The AREX all-stop version takes 56 minutes and costs 4,150 KRW. Same platform, same train line, easy to board the wrong one. The express has wider seats, luggage racks, and no standing passengers. The all-stop is a regular commuter train that fills up at Gimpo and Digital Media City. If you are arriving jet-lagged with bags, the 5,000 KRW difference buys you a guaranteed seat and 13 fewer minutes of standing among rush-hour commuters. Mind you, both options beat the 70,000+ KRW taxi fare from Incheon to central Seoul.