Arrival by planeChances are that you will arrive in South Korea by plane and the likeliest airport entry is Incheon, near Seoul. The airport itself is midway through a grand project, due for completion in 2020, to build a mega-airport with 5 runways, 128 gates and capacity for 100 million passengers per year. The current phase was completed in 2008 and marks an approximate half-way point. As you would expect for a new airport, Incheon is efficient and easy to use. We flew out with Asiana in first, who use the airport as their home hub, and the experience was good though not overwhelming - there aren't any unusual benefits available, so temper expectations of superb lounges and top notch premium services. However, the airport is a pleasure to use and often scores well in Skytrax ratings, coming top in 2012. If you need an overnight stay before an early flight, we would recommend the Grand Hyatt Incheon, which is much more than a typical airport hotel.
|
Train travelTrain travel in Korea is affordable, efficient and comfortable with fast, clean trains linking major towns. The high-speed KTX service between Seoul and Busan offers first class seating with a 2-1 layout and rotating seats, so you can always face the direction of travel. Fares are reasonable at approximately £25 one way for second class or £35 for first class.
You can buy tickets online at LetsKorail up to one month in advance. Note that you will need to exchange the booking confirmation for the actual tickets at your starting station, so make sure you print this out and give yourself extra time before your departure. Rail passes are also available for various periods of travel and are good value at 10 days travel in second class for around £100. Unfortunately, passes are not available for first class travel. |