Airport Information
Gimhae International Airport (PUS) is located at Daejeo 2-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan.
Incheon International Airport is in the Seoul area. If you connect here, you can either take a train to Busan or fly into Gimhae Airport.
Most flights will have a connection; there are not many options for direct flights into Busan and many will have to go through Seoul.
Travel within South Korea
Transportation Cards
T-money is a transportation card as well as a device used to pay for taxi fares and, in some cases, transactions at convenience stores. The T-money function is often added onto various payment (credit/debit) and discount travel cards. T-money can be used on public buses and subways in several different metropolitan cities and locations including Seoul-si, Gyeonggi-do, Daejeon-si, Incheon-si, Daegu-si and Busan-si. When using T-money, the public transportation fare is 100 won cheaper than paying with cash, and, unlike cash fares, T-money can be used when transferring from one bus to another, one subway line to another, or from bus to subway or vice versa (within a transfer time limit) at no extra charge. Also, T-money does away with the hassle of purchasing single journey subway tickets, and when you are finished using your T-money card, the remaining balance can be refunded after a 500 won service charge.
For further details regarding transportation options, you can visit this website.
Korea Train Express
This is an option for traveling between Busan and Seoul. The major train stations are Seoul Station, Yongsan Station, and Yeongdeungpo Station.
One Way Fare Prices
| Adult | Child |
|
1st Class: ~$70 ₩82,300 |
1st Class: ~$45 ₩52,900 |
|
Standard Class: ~$50 ₩58,800 |
Standard Class: ~$25 ₩29,400 |
The Korea Rail Pass (KR Pass) is exclusively for the use of foreign travelers. Travelers may purchase a KR Pass voucher (e-ticket) from overseas distributors or from the Korail English homepage. Travelers booking the KR Pass online will receive an e-ticket via email, which must be exchanged for a KR Pass upon arrival in Korea. Each KR Pass may only be used within the designated period of time specified by each ticket type.
KR Pass holders can travel for free on all trains managed by Korail (including the high speed KTX trains). There are no limits on the frequency of travel or the travel area. Please note, however, that the KR Pass is not eligible for use on subways or touring trains.
Buses
Buses can be boarded from both the domestic and the international terminal. For a list of destinations and times, please visit this website.
Taxis
They can be found at taxi stands in most busy city areas or hailed on the streets. While virtually all taxis operating in the Seoul area accept credit cards or pre-paid public transportation cards (T-money card), it is possible that some taxis in outlying or isolated regions may request cash only. Fare from the airport in Busan to the city center is about 15,000 KRW.
Tipping
Tipping is not required nor expected in Korea. Taxi drivers will appreciate it if you tell them to "keep the change" (or jandon gajiseyo in Korean), but this is not expected and they will have trouble understanding if you want to give them anything more than change (like "keep 1,500 won and return only 2,000 won to me".)
Car Rentals
There are locations available in the airports to set up a rental car. Fees range from about $40 per day to over $500. You must have an international driving permit if you are not from Korea which will be obtained in the location of your current drivers license.
Express and Intercity Buses
Due to the lack of an integrated reservation system, visitors are advised to buy their tickets directly from the bus terminal ticket counter. In most cities, bus terminals are located in the downtown area. You can find further details on the buses here.
Busan City Tour Bus
The Busan City Tour is comprised of a variety of one-day courses that cover some of the area’s major attractions (Haeundae Beach, Taejongdae Resort Park, BEXCO, Jagalchi Market, Dalmaji-gil Road, etc.). For the circulatory tour course, visitors can purchase an all-day ticket to get on and off a bus at any time throughout the day. Visit the City Tour Bus website for further details.