Discount Card: Korea Pass Card

Korea Pass Card is a useful card that could be use for tourist to receive special discounts. This card is similar with T-Money, but this card could be use for shopping uses. Korea pass card could be use in places that allows you to pay with credit cards. Below here are some details and advantages of this card.

Korea Pass Card (only can be use in Seoul)

Advantages Korea Pass Card:

1. Allows you to receive 20% discount in 63 City
2. Allows you to receive 20% discount in Lotte World Theme Park
3. Allows you to receive 10% discount for entering Namsan Seoul Tower
4. Allows you to receive 10% until 30% at Lotte Hotel
5. Allows you to receive favourable exchange rates in Hana Bank (30-50% rate)
6. Allows you to receive 5-30% discount entering National Museum of Korea 
7. Allows you to receive 5-10% discount in Lotte Duty Free shops
8. Allows you to receive 10-30% discount in some restaurants (TGIF, Lotteria, Korea House)
9. Allows you to receive 10% discount in some beauty & health services (Zen Hair Salon, Bella Skin Care, etc.)

and many more...

Place to Purchase this Card:

You can purchase this card in airport, 7-Eleven Mini-market, and Lotte Mart in Seoul area. If you wish to recharge the amount of the card, you can go to 7-Eleven Mini-markets, subways, and also street kiosk that displays "CASH BEE" logo.

Cash Bee Logo

If you're interested and want to find more information about this card, you can proceed to the website, which is http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_5_1.jsp

About Subway in Seoul + Subway Map

Subway lines in Seoul are divided based on their colours. The subway map may look complicated, but the way to use subway is easier than its look. They provide automatic machine to let us purchase the tickets. All information and text are written both in Korean and English, which is suitable for tourist from abroad.

On the monitor of the automatic machine, click the departure station and the arrival station that you want to go. Then, check the route on the map and choose the fastest route. The fare is 1,000 Won and 900 Won if using T-Money.

To avoid taking the wrong subway, just read and look at the monitor in the subway. Don’t worry if you can’t reed Hangeul (Korean Character), they also provide the Romanization of it. If there’s something that are unclear, don’t hesitate to ask someone next to you or listen carefully to the announcement that will be announced both in Korean and English.

After you arrived and wanted to go out from the station, don’t forget to return the ticket card to obtain your 500 Won deposit.

If there are some information you want to know more, visit http://www.smrt.co.kr

Seoul Subway Map 

(click the picture for larger resolution)

Transportation in Seoul

 There are variety choices of transportation in Seoul, such as the city bus, subway and taxi.

So here are some comparison between city bus, subway and taxi based on my research:

     1.   City Bus:

        ·      All are written in Hangeul (Korean Characters).

        ·      Fare

   o   Basic Fare (for 1^st 10km) : 1,000 Won (Using T-Money: 7,650 Won)

   o   For every 5km after the 1^st 10km: 100 Won

    2.   Subway:

       ·      Based on some tourists’ experience, subway is the easiest transportation to use.

       ·      All are written in Hangeul (Korean Characters) and Romanization.

       ·      Announcement inside the subway are announced both in Korean and English.

       ·      Fare: 1,000 Won (with T-Money: 900 Won)

    3.   Taxi:

       ·      There are 2 types of taxi in Seoul, which are Regular and Mabeom (Deluxe)

       ·      Regular Taxi’s Basic Fare: 2,400 Won

       ·      Mabeom Taxi’s Basic Fare: 4,500 Won

Based on the data that I have compared above, Subway is the most easiest and convenient transportation to use and suitable for tourists because they also used English for their announcement and signs. 

[Cheapest Transportation Guide] From Airport to Seoul

The International Airport of Korea is located in Incheon City. This primary airport is near Seoul, the capital city of Korea, but we still need transportation in order to be in Seoul.

(Incheon Airport)

When you arrived for the first time in Seoul and had pass the immigration procedure there, you will need transportation if you wanted to go to the main city, Seoul. There are some choices of transportation which are AREX train, bus and taxi. Here are some comparison of the fare of taking the transportation (only until Seoul Station) based on my research:

1. Taxi - Fare: around 5,000 KRW (include highway toll fare and in normal traffic condition)
2. Deluxe Bus - Fare: 12,000 - 13,000 KRW 
3. Standard Bus - Fare: 7,000 - 8,000 KRW
4. AREX train (Commuter) - Fare: 3,8000 - 4,700 KRW

Based on the data that I received, I chose to make a transportation guide from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station using AREX TRAIN (Commuter). 

(AREX Train - Commuter)

AREX TRAIN GUIDE FROM INCHEON AIRPORT TO SEOUL STATION:

Duration: 76 minutes

Journey Route:
Incheon International Airport → Transer in Gongdeok → Transfer in Samgakji → Arrive in Seoul Station