Cheap Transportation in Seoul

My recent trip to Seoul Korea proved just how low the fares really are. The minimum fare is 900 won or about 90 cents at today's exchange rate. That gets you around to most of the local stops. When I went to Incheon with my wife the trip cost 1400 won or about $1.35 at the current exchange rate. Compare that to a train ride I took in Japan for a similar distance that cost about $15. Taxis are also relatively cheap starting about 2000 won, but a local trip will still cost you four or five times what a subway ride would. The trains arrive every few minutes, and stop precisely at set points on the platform for easy boarding so you never have to wait very long if you miss a train. The cars are comfortable and large enough to hold plenty of riders, so you rarely have overcrowded cars.

Unlike the Metro system in Washington DC where transferring from one line to another means going upstairs or downstairs, in Seoul it could mean walking a fair distance before you find the right line. It isn't handicapped friendly as there are very few elevators and just a handful of wheelchair climbers available.

I can't believe that the system is profitable with the low fares, but I guess the government feels that it is better to subsidize riders who might otherwise take to driving cars in an already traffic choked city. I shudder to think what it would be like if that were the case. Plus many of the drivers of taxis and buses in Seoul drive like maniacs making a difficult situation worse.

So if you are in Seoul go underground. It's fast, it's cheap and it's safe.