T-money, taxis and the last train: getting around Seoul

Seoul's transport is cheap, clean and enormous. Three things will save you time on day one.

Get a T-money card before you do anything else

T-money is the tap card for every subway, bus and most taxis in the country. Buy one at any convenience store (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven) or from the machines in a station, then top it up with cash at the same machines — foreign cards usually cannot reload it. Tap in and tap out on buses as well as trains; that is what gives you free transfers within thirty minutes. Skip single-journey tickets; they cost more.

Use Naver Map or Kakao Map, not Google

Google Maps cannot route you on foot or by car in Korea. Naver Map has an English interface and live bus arrival times; Kakao Map is what locals use. Download one before you land.

Taxis are honest and everywhere

Hail a regular orange or white taxi on the street, or use the Kakao T app, which accepts foreign cards and shows the fare up front. Fares start around 4,800 won and a late-night surcharge applies after 10pm. Black "deluxe" taxis cost roughly a third more. Put the destination in Korean on your phone screen; drivers rarely speak English but the address is all they need.

Mind the last train

The subway does not run all night. Last trains leave central stations between roughly 11:30pm and midnight and reach the end of the line around 1am. After that it is taxis or the night buses (route numbers starting with N). If you are at a ballgame or a bar past eleven, decide how you are getting home before the last inning.