Taking the train in Korea

The KTX speed train reaches speeds of 300 kmp, thats 168 mph!

Taking the train offers great views of Korea, such as the Han river.

   South Korea has an amazing railroad system with a wide variety of comfort levels and prices. Once you figure out how to get around by train, exploring Korea will be a piece of cake. You can travel virtually anywhere in the country in about 2-4 hours thanks to the newly improved Korea Train Express (KTX) which will allow you to travel from Seoul to Busan in only 2 hours and 30 minutes. So sit back, relax, and enjoy great views of the Korean country side via the Korean railway.
    My first experience on the Korean railway was this weekend when I took a train down to Daegu to visit a good friend of mine. I took a Muganghwa class train which is an older train to save some money. I actually saved around 70,000 won by not taking the KTX, and it only took me an extra hour and a half. My ticket on the Muganghwa train was 22,000 won instead of the KTX price of 45,000 won, and my ticket back to Seoul was even cheaper at only 16,000 won because the train was booked and I could only buy standing class tickets. Yes, you can buy tickets where you have no seat reserved and they are even cheaper, therefore if all the seats are taken you could be standing. This happened to me on my train back to Seoul, but I didn't want to stand for 3 and 1/2 hours, so I chose to sit casually on the cozy carpeted floor of the dining car.

A view of a KTX train from a platform in Seoul Station.

     Two days before the trip, I used Korail's online booking service through their website. Luckily, this is one of  a few Korean travel sites that has an English page. Simply enter in your desired destination, select your train type, and provide your passport number, Alien Registration Card number, and your credit card info to book a ticket up to one month in advance.
    There are five different train types that will take you around Korea. They each have their perks and flaws, which are important to know before booking a ticket. Lets take a look at what each type of train has to offer:

KTX passengers are offered a luxury travel experience.

    The KTX (short for Korea Train Express): KTX is of course the fastest way to travel in Korea, but it is also the most expensive. For a one way KTX ticket from Seoul to Busan it will cost you about 52,900 won if you sit in standard class. The train runs at a top speed of 300 kph, which is about 186 mph!  KTX trains make fewer stops, but they also run to fewer locations. So they are good to take if you are traveling far distances in a short period of time. KTX makes it easy to plan any day trip from Seoul down to southern parts of the country. (Source: Wikipedia) 

    The Saemaeul-class (새마을): These trains used to be the fastest way to travel around Korea before KTX opened in 1992.  Saemaeul trains are just as nice as KTX trains, but they take a longer. A one way Saemeaul ticket from Seoul to Busan will cost about 39,000 won which is only about 12,000 won cheaper than KTX. This may seem like a high price to pay, when the train takes about 5 hours total. I think your better off taking KTX than Saemaeul trains because you don't save that much by taking a Saemaeu, but the total travel time is a lot longer.

Standard seats inside of a Mugangwha train.

    The Muganghwa-class (무궁화): Old Muganghwa trains are clearly the 3rd class train in Korea, however they are the most affordable. These trains also have giant seats and plenty of space which makes up for the longer travel time, but they are not as nice as KTX or Saemaeul trains. A one way ticket from Seoul to Busan will only cost you 26,500 won and will take about 6 hours. The train will make more stops to smaller cities and stations in Korea. If your willing to tack on some extra travel time, the low price can be a real incentive. I recommend booking this train at 5am in the morning, and then you can just sleep the entire ride!

Mugangwha trains have a more colorful exterior.

    The Tonggeun (통근): These trains are commuter trains, and only run a few specific routes. Most of the routes run to smaller and rural areas such as the northern Gyeonggi-do areas. This  includes the Gyeongwon Line (Dongducheon-Sintan-ri) and the Gyeongui Line (Munsan-Dorasan). But don't get confused this with the subway line of the same name. Keep in mind that you cannot reserve a seat on commuter trains.

    The Nooriro-class (누리로): this  is a new class of trains that will eventually replace longer route Mugangwha trains.  This train actually runs on the same line as line 1 of the subway system,  but it makes fewer stops than the subway does. You pay the same price as the Muganghwa-class train, but you only get there a little faster. So as an obvious result, they aren't very popular yet.

A huge Korail sign in Seoul Station.

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