What map app should I use in Korea?

Use Naver Map or KakaoMap. Google Maps has limited walking and driving directions in Korea, so local apps work far better for navigation and transit.

How do I pay for public transport in Korea?

Tap a rechargeable T-money card on buses and subways. The same card gives transfer discounts between buses and subways.

What's the best way to travel between Korean cities?

The KTX high-speed train is the fastest option between major cities, while express and intercity buses cover a wider network, often at lower cost.

Getting around Korea

Subway, buses, taxis, trains — and the apps that actually work

Korea's public transport is fast, clean, cheap, and mostly English-friendly. The main thing to know upfront: Google Maps does not do walking or driving directions well in Korea. Download a local map app before anything else.

Maps: use Naver Map or KakaoMap

Both have English interfaces and full public-transport routing.
They show real-time bus arrivals, subway exits (crucial — exits can be far apart), and the fastest transfers.
Google Maps is fine for finding a place's location, but use Naver/Kakao for how to get there.

Subway

The subway covers Seoul and other big cities extensively. Tap your T-money card on the way in and out. Signs, announcements, and station names are in English. Line colors and numbers make transfers easy once you've done it once.

💡 Tip: Pick the right exit number before you surface — large stations have 10+ exits and choosing wrong can mean a long detour. Your map app tells you the exact exit.

Buses

Buses reach places the subway doesn't. Tap T-money when boarding and when getting off (the second tap gives you the transfer discount). Bus-stop signs and app arrival times are reliable. Colors roughly mean: blue = main routes, green = local, red = express/intercity.

Taxis

Use Kakao T to call one — it avoids language issues and shows the fare estimate.
Regular taxis are metered and reasonably priced; you can pay by T-money or card.
Late-night and long-distance may add surcharges.

Intercity: KTX & buses

For city-to-city travel, the KTX high-speed train is the fast option (e.g., Seoul–Busan in about 2.5 hours). Intercity buses are cheaper and reach smaller towns. Book KTX in advance during holidays. Full booking walkthrough and pass math: KTX & Korail Pass guide.

Late at night: know the cutoff

Subways stop around midnight (roughly 24:00–01:00 depending on line and day, earlier on weekends/holiday schedules) and restart about 5:30am. Check your last train in Naver/Kakao Map — it shows exact times per station.
After the subway closes, options are taxis (expect a late-night surcharge and higher demand around 11pm–1am in nightlife areas) and Seoul's late-night "Owl" buses (N-numbered routes) on major corridors.
Kakao T at 11:50pm on a Friday in Hongdae is a battle — walk a block away from the main drag to get matched faster.

T-money leftovers: get your balance back

Leaving Korea with money on your card? Balances under ₩20,000 (minus a small service fee) can be refunded at convenience stores — hand the card over and ask for a refund ("환불"). Larger balances go through the T-money service center (Seoul Station area). Or simply keep the card: it stays valid for years and works on your next trip.

Check the weather before you head out

Rain changes everything about getting around Seoul. Live forecast by city:

Next: Incheon Airport → Seoul → · Money & payments →

Riding etiquette locals actually notice

Nothing on this list will get you in trouble, but a few habits separate blending in from collecting side-eye.

Priority seats stay empty — the marked seats at the ends of each car are left free for elderly, pregnant, and disabled riders even in a crush. Standing next to an empty one is completely normal.
Let people off first — riders wait at the sides of the doors and board after everyone exits. The floor markings on the platform show exactly where to stand.
Keep it quiet — subway cars run library-quiet by most countries' standards. Phone calls happen, but hushed and short.
Backpacks come off in crowded cars — hold yours low or use the overhead rack.
Eating on the subway is frowned on — a drink with a lid passes; a meal does not.

Express trains and other small traps

A few subway quirks reliably catch newcomers, and each one is avoidable with a two-second glance.

Some lines run express and local trains on the same track — an express will sail past your station. Your map app tells you which train to board, and the platform screens label each arrival; check before stepping on.
Some stations split the two directions behind separate fare gates. Read the terminus name above the gate before tapping in — entering the wrong side means flagging staff to let you cross over.
Transfers can be genuinely long walks — a "transfer" between certain lines is a ten-minute underground hike with stairs. The app's route time already includes it, so don't mentally shave that buffer off.
Some trains terminate mid-route and everyone files off at a depot station. Nothing is wrong — just step off with them and board the next train on the same platform.

Moving with luggage or a stroller

Every station has elevators, but often only one per exit area, usually at the far end of the platform — follow the wheelchair signs rather than the crowd. During weekday rush hours, a big suitcase on the subway is misery for you and everyone around you; move your luggage legs to mid-day, or take a taxi for that leg alone and ride trains the rest of the trip.

Major stations have coin or card lockers, which neatly solve the classic last-day problem: checkout at 11, flight at night. Buses are the hardest mode with luggage — steps, no racks, brisk stops — so when in doubt, it's subway or taxi.