World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation (SMSC) (tel: (02) 520 5000 or 1577 1234; website: www.subwayworld.co.kr), Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRT) (tel: (02) 6211 2200; website: www.smrt.co.kr) and the Korean National Railroad (KNR) (tel: 1544 7788; website: www.korail.go.kr) operate Seoul’s subway. July 2004 saw the inauguration of Seoul’s new bus routes. Yellow buses serve the city centre, green buses operate on local routes, blue buses serve suburban routes and red buses connect downtown Seoul to the metropolitan area.

Taxis
Taxis can be caught at stands or hailed on the street. Red lamps on the roof indicate that a taxi is available for hire. Most taxi drivers don’t speak English. Premiums are charged for hire between 2400 and 0400, and for Deluxe Taxis (tel: (02) 3431 5100), which are black and have ‘Deluxe Taxi’ written on their sides. Mini-van taxis (tel: (02) 992 7000) and visitors guide taxis are also available. The latter have drivers who speak English and Japanese and are available at the airport, hotels and major tourist attractions.

Car Hire
Over 21s who have held a driving licence for at least a year can hire cars. Foreigners also need to present their passport and International Driving Licence. Major providers include: Avis (tel: 1544 1600; website: www.avis.co.kr), Car For You (tel: (02) 588 6333 or 1588 1006; website: www.carforyou.co.kr), Kumho (tel: (02) 797 8000 or 1588 1230; website: www.kumhorent.com) and Rits (tel: 1588 7746; website: www.ritscar.com)

Bicycle Hire
Travelling around the city centre by bicycle is not recommended, however a cycle path runs 37km (23 miles) along the river between the metropolitan areas from Yanghwa and Gwangnaru. Bikes can be hired at various points along the route. For more information, check www.visitseoul.net.