Seoul To Busan Train Ticket Price
Gordon Neal
A popular question for our readers is how to purchase KTX tickets for your visit to South Korea. The KTX fast train is a great option to get around South Korea and is a fun experience in its own right, so should definitely be included in your trip planning.
You can see the detailed Korean train map below which shows the KTX train lines, which are also used by other trains. There are also additional train lines for standard trains which are not shown on this map. Below is an overview of the different types of trains in Korea to help you better understand the options for Korea train tickets.
You can easily select departure and arrival points and dates and the number and type of passengers. Adults are people aged 13 years and older, and children are aged 6-12 years old. Children under 6 years old travel free. Then click on the Search Trains button to see the options. You can then easily book and receive your confirmation. You will pay the value of the tickets (I have tested and confirmed that the pricing is the same as on the Korail website, with only minor exchange rate variations) plus a small booking fee.
An example is to look for trains from Seoul to Busan on your specific date, as shown in the screenshot below. You can see all of the options to make the trip, including train options, bus, driving and flying.
Then go to the official Korail Website, and you will see the Ticket Reservation page as per the below screenshot. You can select the type of train, date of travel, departure and arrival point, type of train (select the train type you found when you searched earlier) and the number and type of passengers. Adults are people aged 13 years and older and children are aged 6-12 years old. Children under 6 years old travel free. Then click on the Inquiry button. You may need to scroll down to see the results.
On the far right hand side is a small magnifying glass symbol. Click on this symbol to see details about the cost of the fare for each service, and a popup box will appear with the details in Korean Won. You can use a tool like xe.com to convert this price to your local currency and better understand the fare cost.
You can then click on the KTX Korea tickets you would like to purchase, and you will then need to add your personal information. Make sure you also select the checkbox that you agree with the terms and conditions. Note that your password can only be numbers, no letters or other characters. Now select your payment method (either Credit Card issued Overseas or Credit Card issued in Korea) and select the NEXT button.
You will then see a popup to enter your payment details, which requires 3D Secure Password. Tick the checkboxes at the top of the popup and see if you can finalise the transaction. I do not have that feature, so have been unable to complete my booking. It says to contact your bank if you have any issues completing the payment. As a result, buying KTX tickets for foreigners can be an issue.
If the above process does not work, your plan B can be to wait until you arrive in South Korea and plan to go to the counter at the train station to purchase your train tickets Korea. This option is fine as long as it is not a peak time when some trains can book out in advance.
A 2, 3, 4 or 5 day Korail pass (a special rail pass for foreign visitors) is a great option for tourists when travelling to South Korea, and can be booked using your normal payment methods. As a result, this is a great option to overcome the issue mentioned previously where people have had issues using their non-Korean Debit or Credit card to make payments on the official Korail website.
For us, the biggest benefit of purchasing a Korail Pass is that you can pre-reserve your seats before you depart on your trip and then easily change your reservations as required without needing to work out refunds or pay any extra money.
From a cost comparison perspective, you can also save money when you use a Korail Pass. For example (in Sep 2022), the cost for a single adult for a 2 day flexible Korail Pass through Klook is $US87. The cost for a one way Economy Class KTX trip from Seoul to Busan (purchased on the Korail website) is Korean Won 59,800, which converts to $US 43. Therefore a Seoul to Busan return trip using the KTX is also $US 87. If you add on any other train trips you will therefore be saving money.
You can choose either consecutive days or flexible days within a 10 day period when purchasing your Korail Pass. If you are travelling as a group you can also access additional savings for groups of 2-5 people. The Korail Pass can be used on all intercity trains, with the exception of SRT trains, and also includes tourist trains. The Korail Pass options are as follows:
Unfortunately a typhoon came through which was going to have a major effect on Busan, and we decided to instead return to Seoul early and hope that there would be less rain and wind in that location. We were able to easily change our reservations online and get on with our trip without any hassle.
After you select your preferred pass and have added it to your shopping cart, when you go to finalise your payment, you will need to add extra information to enable your booking to be completed. You will need to add the specific information for each person, including name, passport number, gender, date of birth and nationality. Once this information has been added, you can also choose to add the Klook Flex Plus Flexible cancellation option for a small additional fee. Choose to add any loyalty or promo code discounts before making payment to finalise your booking.
Dedicated to providing reliable and practical travel advice, Anne ensures that every piece of content on koreatravelplanning.com is accurate, up-to-date, and useful for travelers at every stage of their journey. Her commitment to authenticity and her personal experiences traveling across Korea make her a trusted voice in the travel community.
For long distance train journeys, we recommend reserving your tickets at least a few days ahead of your travel date. Buying train tickets via our online booking system will allow you to choose and reserve the best Seoul to Busan tickets.
Travel time from Seoul to Busan is estimated to be about 2h 28m. Trains ensure the fastest time to travel by land. As normally there is no congestion, the speed of travel is more or less constant and stops at train stations are rather short, train is almost always one of the quickest and safest ways to get from Seoul and Busan.
The most important thing that may affect train travel time is the type of train. Ordinary trains travel at a speed of about 40 mph or 65 km/h to 65 mph or 105 km/h. Some intercity trains with shorter distances between stations run slower than 40 mph. Even with these low speeds, it can still be faster than commuting by car, bus or taxi.
Basic passenger trains which are often non-air-conditioned and have wooden, hard or old seats are normally cheap. Premium or luxury trains and coaches have a higher ticket price but are equipped with air-conditioning, toilets, and large soft seats with sufficient legroom to make train rides comfortable.
Trains are great for long-distance travel. Double-check your travel itinerary and use the Seoul to Busan timetable above with train departure times and arrival times to find the best train for your route.
Unlike buses or taxis which have numerous companies offering their services, train service is usually offered by just one major company in each country. As railway service requires a large amount of infrastructure, most railway companies are government-owned and are a part of the national transport system.
One of the best advantages of travelling by train is that railway stations are often conveniently located within or very near major cities and urban areas. Immediately on arrival to their destination, travellers find themselves in close proximity to important facilities like hotels, supermarkets, and hospitals.
Similar to buses, trains can provide a variety of amenities to make your travel more comfortable and enjoyable. Modern trains have WIFI service, a snack counter and a drinking bar. Onboard toilets can be a life saver for travellers with queasy stomachs.
When traveling to Korea, Seoul is where most will go, but many tourists are also adding a trip to Busan to their itinerary. The thing is, Busan is not very close to Seoul. It's on the southeast coast of the Korean peninsula, nearly 320 kilometers away from Seoul! Luckily, Korea's public transportation system is incredibly well-developed, so there are multiple ways to get to Busan. Let's check them out together!
The quickest and easiest way to travel from Seoul to Busan would be taking a train using the KTX. Many Korean locals choose to take an express train when they need to travel to Busan from Seoul. There are several types of train to Busan, so it can get a bit confusing, even for Koreans. If you choose to travel during the weekends, we highly recommend taking a train, since buses can get stuck in heavy traffic. There are 4 types of trains you can take, so we've sorted it all out for you!
If you plan to take the KTX to multiple cities, you can purchase the Korail Pass, which is only available to foreigners. Rather than buying individual train tickets, just get the Korail Pass to save some money! Check out the types of passes available below:
*Select Pass: Choose 2-4 days within a 10-day window from the date of purchase to take unlimited train rides.
*Consecutive Pass: Take unlimited train rides for 3-5 consecutive days from the date of purchase.
*Saver Pass: For groups with 2-5 passengers that will be riding the same train.
The Mugunghwa is the cheapest train that operates between Seoul and Busan, as it is not a high-speed train and has a long travel time. Since this train takes a long time, we only recommend this option if you are extremely short on budget or you are traveling in a group. If you are traveling with a friend, you can spend time with them on the train and enjoy the scenery of the Korean countryside. The KTX trains are too fast so you won't be able to enjoy the scenery that much.
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