Transport

Seoul has one of the densest metro networks anywhere, and actually riding it is not the hard part. Here’s the thing: what catches people out comes after boarding. You take an empty seat and feel eyes on you; you answer a call and someone says something. There is no rulebook, but a few unwritten lines that almost everyone observes—know them and you will blend in within a couple of days.

Should you rent a car in Seoul? If you are staying in the city, no. The metro and buses are dense, parking is expensive, and traffic is real. Here’s the thing: along the coast, in the mountains, and anywhere public transport thins out, a car decides what you can reach. The international driving permit comes from home before departure, carried with your licence and passport. Seoulog covers the insurance excess, fuel policy, driving on the right, map-app limits and parking.

Seoul’s metro finishes around midnight, but the city doesn’t. Here’s the thing: missing the last train leaves you four options—a night bus that costs far less than a taxi, a ride-hailing app that takes your destination as text (surcharge included), a walk if it’s close, or a 24-hour venue until the first train at around five. Seoulog sorted them by distance, hour and tomorrow’s plans.

Tap in with T-money or any tap-to-pay credit card; the base fare is ₩1,550, less than half of Tokyo or London. Here’s the thing: you only need three habits—T-money plus transfer discounts, “Station X, Exit N,” and skipping rush-hour Lines 2 and 9. Seoulog’s textbook runs from boarding to the hours after the last train.

Over Chuseok (24–27 September) a KTX seat is the hardest ticket in Korea. Here’s the thing: the pre-sale needs Korean ID verification, so foreign travellers are effectively locked out. It isn’t checkmate—leftover seats go on general sale from 11 September at 15:00, cancellations return in the final days, and buses and reverse travel remain. Seoulog lays out the four routes that actually work.

On 22 July 2025 Korea finally let the iPhone become a transit card. Here’s the thing for visitors: direct Wallet issuing needs a Korean Hyundai Card, and in-phone top-ups assume Korean payment methods. Issue through the T-money app’s Browse mode, top up with cash at station machines—that route, plus the honest answer for Android and short trips.

Hail from the kerb and you inherit three problems: a destination you can’t explain, a route you can’t judge, and late-night refusals. Here’s the thing: call from Kakao T and all three vanish. English interface, foreign cards accepted, and if the card fails, “Pay to Driver.” Setup on home Wi-Fi, Naver Map paste, the surcharge after 10 p.m.—in the order you’ll actually do it.