Transportation (교동수단 )

There are a variety of ways to get around Korea, most of them quite efficient.

There is, of course, the private car. While at rush hour in Seoul cars seen to spend most of their time stuck in traffic, on a trip to the far suburbs on a Sunday afternoon a car is most essential. But even then parking can be a problem.


Taxis (택시) share the same crowded streets as cars but are even less likely to obey all the laws and proceed safely. If they get you there, it's comparatively fast. Taxis are readily available, at stands and to be hailed on the streets, and are not excessively expensive. I've taken a cab three times since I've been here, once because we weren't sure of the precise location of the destination (the HP service center) and twice because I had a load of stuff and didn't want to walk even four blocks. The four block trip became about 10 as the driver had to go a few blocks in the wrong direction before being able to turn around; but it still cost less than 3,000 won (a little over $2.00 at current exchange rates), and tipping is not required. (Because it was such a short trip, I "spoiled" the driver and did give him some additional funds.) The pictured taxi stand provides cover and seats similar to bus stops.


Walking (걸어서) is a good way to get around, and I do it a lot. It allows me to see interesting sights and provides much-needed exercise. Since crossing streets involves either dodging vehicles (even with a green light, there's no assurance a car, particularly a taxi, won't decide to ignore its red light) or using underpasses requiring many steps down and up, there's a bit of adventure involved in any walk. The adventure is substantially increased by the motorcycle delivery people who ride on the sidewalks as frequently as on the road. But there's a lot to see and enjoy. I've run into a group of young men, dressed in jeans and sports shoes, practicing for the guard-changing at Toksugung Palace; apparently they're new hires beginning to learn the drill. Walking also allowed me to "discover" the homeless encampment under the street near City Hall and see, first, the skating rink on the City Hall plaza and then the flower planting in the same location less than a week later. I saw and heard a demonstration of some sort, signaled first by large numbers of police sitting around (waiting, I guess) and the sight of twenty-five police buses at the curb separating the demonstrators from the street. On one walk I serendipitously found a tourist office and picked up some information on possible tours outside of Seoul and on another ran into a poongmulnori group performing. So I enjoy wandering as well as moving toward a destination. Maps scattered around the city help one find the way; I'm always grateful for "you are here" arrows.


The mode of transportation I use most frequently is the subway (지하철). It goes everywhere (if one is willing to walk a bit after getting off) and is fast, frequent, clean, and cheap. All of the signs are in English as well as Korean as are the recorded announcements concerning stops. Maps are good and available, although the English versions may require a trip to a station near a major tourist site. My subway ride to school involves five stops, takes less than 10 minutes, and costs about 70 cents. To get to drumming class takes longer, involves a change of subway lines, and costs about 7 cents additional. The primary disadvantage of the subway is that it can sometimes be quite crowded. However, I generally travel at non-peak times, have identified the cars likely to have fewer people, and have no compunction about taking one of the seats reserved for senior citizens and the handicapped if one is available (and no "little old lady" is standing). The other disadvantage is the number of steps required to get down to the platform and back up. "My" station (City Hall) seems to have the most steps. The number I reported in a previous blog was a severe undercount. The actual number of steps from street level to platform level is 138!! I have, however, discovered an elevator which reduces that number to 56. I must admit I frequently take the elevator on the return trip when I'm climbing up; going down 138 steps is okay.


The bus (버스 ) system looks to be extremely extensive. I have ventured on a bus only when with a Korean who understands how everything works, what is the correct bus fare, and the protocal involved in getting on and off. While buses seem to go everywhere and might shorten some of the walks at the end of subway trips, I am not comfortable, so far, doing it on my own. The bus signs are in Korean only and even though I could probably recognize the name, I'm not sure I'd hear or understand the announcement concerning arrival at the stop I need. It's interesting that, although some pushing is common on the subway, at bus stops everyone queues up and gets on in an orderly manner.



For traveling out of Seoul into the rest of Korea, there are both buses and trains. I took a bus on a previous trip (when a friend put me on and had someone meet me at the other end) and found it comparatively (to Greyhound) luxurious. There was a TV playing some kind of Korean drama and a bus hostess who had refreshments. The trains (기차 ), particularly the KTX trains, are amazing. I'm told that the KTX trains are as fast as France's TGV trains, although on my trip to Daejeon I didn't feel I was going quite as fast as I did on the train from Paris to Avignon. The trains are sleek and well-appointed, well-staffed, and ON TIME. If the schedule says the train will leave at 2:59, the engines start up at 2:57, and the train leaves exactly on time. Because all seats are reserved and staff has a computer listing showing what seats have been purchased, there is no need to check tickets either at the gate or on the train. The train cars stop exactly at the place on the platform they are supposed to be so it is easy to find the car that matches the ticket. Announcements are made in English as well as Korean, and the information on arrival cities is displayed on television screens mounted on the ceilings throughout the cars. At a cost of about $17 and one hour for the approximately 100-mile trip, it was a bargain.

The train is very modern looking with the car hostess very traditional, bowing as passengers board.