South Korea Recap: Transportation

Our primary form of transportation during the trip was by taxi. Unlike the United States, taxis are very cheap in South Korea. We paid anywhere from $8-12 for a ride split 4 ways for an average of roughly 5 miles each way. 

TAXIS AND THE DIFFERENT KINDS

There are three primary types of cabs available: standard, deluxe, and jumbo. All images in this section were copied from the Visit Korea tourism website. 

Standard taxis are regular sedans that usually come in silver, white, or orange. They are the most common and fares start at 3,000 won, increasing in 100 won increments. The orange taxis can be international taxis where the drivers can speak another language: English, Japanese, or Chinese.

Deluxe taxis come in black and has more cabin space than a standard taxi. They supposedly offer a higher level of service, though we're unclear what that means. We didn't take any during our trip since we only needed transit from point a to b in the cheapest manner possible.

Jumbo taxis as the word implies, is a big taxi, though it really is more of a van.  Not to confuse with actual call vans which are different in pricing! We used one to and fro Gimpo airport. They come with wifi, very roomy, and comfortable. The first one we rode even had led lights inside the cabin. 

For more info on taxis, click here!

TRAINS AND BUSES

Trains and buses were typical to what you would encounter in Japan. They have their own IC card (like Clipper, Suica, or Pasmo) that you can even use to pay a cab. Since our cab fare would be split 4 ways, it was ultimately cheaper and more comfortable to take taxis than the crowded train system, especially during rush hour.   

Buses had less seating room, which Bee explained was on purpose in order to maximize the amount of people who can take the bus. The space one seat takes can fit two people if they stand close to each other.  

And finally, the most exciting part of this post... 

DRIVING IN SEOUL

Bee once joked during one of our visits to LA that her parents think Buns drives like a Korean driver. We thought it was a little exaggerated, but oh boy, were we so wrong. It's worse. Imagine driving aggressively in a metropolitan city, then add in complete disregard of traffic rules altogether.

Did we mention delivery motorcycles run red lights all the time and or drive on the sidewalk?  No? Well now you know. We found out that motorcycles can run through an intersection if there is 40% or less time left for pedestrians to cross. They're apparently not supposed to, but traffic laws aren't really imposed on them. 

The driving reminded me of Manila where driving is aggressive and insane compared to American standards.  We're just glad we weren't the ones braving the busy Seoul traffic. We're fine leaving that responsibility to the pros!