How to get from Seoul to Busan: for every budget
Last Updated on November 8, 2024 by Alex
Are you planning a longer South Korean itinerary and don’t know how to get from Seoul to Busan? Or do you want to spend one weekend in Busan and are looking for the fastest way to get there from Seoul?
During our year spent in South Korea, even though we lived in Seoul, we absolutely loved Busan and went back as often as possible.
We tried several options depending on the time we had to spare on the road, and we are here to help you make the best and most informed choice.
How much does it cost to travel from Seoul to Busan, what is the fastest way, and how long does it take? You will find all the answers here!
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Table of Contents
How to get from Seoul to Busan: the complete guide
Getting from Seoul to Busan by plane
PROS:
- Plane prices are often the cheapest among all the other transportation options on this list
- Airports are conveniently linked to the city center both in Seoul and in Busan
- The flight time is only 45 minutes
- Plenty of daily flights to choose from year-round
CONS:
- You must factor in the time spent on the road to the airport and the fact that you must arrive at least one hour before the flight’s departure
- Luggage costs extra when you travel for a more extended period
- When you travel with hand luggage only, you must comply with the packing restrictions and pay attention to any liquids you carry, etc.
On our first trip to Busan, we chose to travel by plane because we were going to spend only three nights in the port city.
Originally, the plan was to travel by KTX (fast train), but when we looked for tickets, the price for the train was double that of the plane ticket.
Internal flights depart from Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. The airport is easily reached by subway from Seoul Station.
The Airport Railroad (blue line) links Seoul Station to Gimpo International Airport and Incheon International Airport.
The train ride will last longer or shorter depending on your departure point and where you choose to stay in Seoul. From Seoul Station to Gimpo, the ride takes 23 minutes and costs 1450 won (1550 won when you pay cash).
Most companies allow online check-in when you don’t have any luggage to check-in. We always do that because we don’t want to waste extra time waiting in line at the airport.
If the company doesn’t have this option, you will find check-in machines at Gimpo Airport as soon as you enter the departure terminal. The process was fast and easy every single time!
How long does the flight from Seoul to Busan take
The flight is very short and takes less than one hour.
Once again, since we were leaving relatively close to the airport, the total time we spent on the road made it worth it to go with this option.
We strongly suggest we do a simulation from your hotel in Seoul to see how long it will take to get to the airport before you purchase your flight ticket.
How much does a plane ticket from Seoul to Busan cost
As we all know, the price of a plane ticket depends on several variables.
How far in advance do you purchase your ticket? Is it during the peak time? Are you leaving on a crowded day with high demand? What time of day do you prefer to fly out?
All this being said, and as mentioned above, in many cases, the plane ticket from Seoul to Busan will cost less than KTX or going by car.
To give you a rough idea, for our trip in May (outside of the peak season, but not a low season), we bought the ticket on May 10th and flew out on the 21st.
Only 11 days before the flight, hand luggage only, and we paid 170,400 KRW for two people for a return flight. That’s roughly 140 USD.
How to find the best flights from Seoul to Busan
We always check Skyscanner for the best flight options because, in some cases, flying out with one company and in with another might make more sense.
Jeju Air, T’Way, JinAir, and Air Seoul are all companies that operate flights between South Korea’s two largest cities.
We flew with Jeju Air, and our experience was just fine.
How to get from Busan airport to your hotel
Busan is operated from Gimhae International Airport, which is located in the northwestern part of town.
Getting from the airport to Busan city center or your hotel is easy by subway.
The purple line – Gimhae Light Rail Transit – links the airport to the Sasang subway station. From there, you can change to the Green, Blue, or Red lines, depending on your final destination.
Getting around couldn’t be easier. You can also use your TMoney card to pay here. You can buy single tickets or daily passes.
If you prefer to save time and get to the hotel as soon as possible, you can always take a taxi from the airport. We never had any problems in South Korea with taxi drivers trying to make us pay more than what the ride was worth.
Just make sure to have your hotel’s name and address printed out (or on your phone) in Korean characters—we often had issues with drivers who couldn’t find addresses written in English.
Even though the subway might take longer and require at least one change, traveling by car or taxi could sometimes be slower than expected because of traffic.
Getting from Seoul to Busan by KTX
This might be the fastest way to get from Seoul to Busan, but it depends a lot on your departure point in Seoul.
Of course, trains leave from Seoul Station, but from where we lived, it took roughly 45 minutes to get there.
However, if you choose a hotel in the central area, KTX will be the fastest way to get from Seoul to Busan. It is a bullet train for a good reason, after all.
PROS:
- Fast
- No luggage limit and no regulation with regard to liquids and cosmetic sizes
- It leaves you close to Busan’s city center
- You travel in clean and comfortable conditions and can get to do some work
- Various train options to choose from throughout the day
CONS:
- It is pretty expensive in general, and even more so when you buy the ticket from the train station
- Factor in the time it needs to get from your hotel to the train station
We always prefer taking the train whenever we travel to developed countries that offer great options (Italy, Germany, South Korea – only to name a few).
Trains are not only fast but also offer clean and comfortable conditions. You have more space for movement, so you can walk around, work, or stay connected to your friends and family.
Of course, it all comes with a higher price, but booking your ticket ahead of time can mitigate some of that risk.
How much does a KTX ticket cost?
As mentioned above, sometimes, train tickets can cost much more than plane tickets. However, when demand rises, expect to pay more for tickets during the weekend and peak seasons.
Another time you want to book your ticket in advance is when you are planning to travel during the Korean holidays. If that’s the only time you can make it, it is what it is, but if you can be flexible with your schedule, I strongly suggest you book other dates for your Busan escape—or at least book your tickets way ahead of time.
As with any place, there are ways to ensure you get the best deal, and in general, you can do that by booking in advance.
For example, if I were to look now (March) for a train departing in 4 days or even 10 days, I would get the following price for a one-way ticket.
It is also worth knowing that, for my searches, the website allows you to book trains a maximum of 10 days in advance.
Another thing worth knowing is that this price is not fixed and depends on the time of the year and the season. For example, I remember the KTX ticket was roughly 80.000 won for a person one-way when I tried booking it in May. I would expect the prices to go even higher during the summer season.
How and where to book your KTX Ticket
Korea Rail Website
On the official Korea Rail website, select the normal travel type, direct trains, and your departure date and time. You can either select KTX under “Type of Train” or leave it to “All.”
Plenty of KTX train options are popping up, marked in intense pink. A train departs roughly every 30 minutes.
Click on First Class or Second Class to select your train and time. You will be taken to another window from where you can enter your details, be allocated a seat and a car, and choose your payment information.
The good news is that Korail also accepts cards issued overseas. If you are not familiar with South Korea, that is something that doesn’t happen often with online payments. Most companies and shops only accept cards issued within Korea.
Select the first option and proceed to the payment.
Once you have your ticket confirmed, you will be asked to print it out and take it with you on the train. We had read about the Airport Express train on our first visit as tourists to Seoul, but truth be told, you can also have the ticket on your phone.
Have it saved in your virtual wallet or do a print screen, and you will be okay.
We know that printing the ticket would be complicated, especially when you are traveling on a South Korean vacation itinerary.
Trip.com
Even though the official site is in English, if you need to exchange the ticket or have any questions, we can’t be 100% sure you can contact someone in English.
After all, their hospital section for foreigners only had a robot answer in Korean…
However, suppose you want access to a website with multilingual customer support that accepts payment in multiple currencies and offers real-time updates via email. In that case, you should try booking through Trip.com.
Prices are shown in USD, and you can be assured that someone will be able to help.
KOREA RAIL PASS
Another great option for when you plan to take more train rides, want to book on an international site, and use your card is Klook.
They offer Korea Rail Passes for 2/3/4/5 days—the days don’t have to be consecutive. You can use KTX and KTX-Sancheon High-Speed Trains, along with other types of trains.
AT THE TRAIN STATION
If you would instead purchase your ticket in person, you can always go a few days before the trip and buy the ticket from the counter or the vending machine.
You can also purchase the ticket on the day of your trip, but that would be stressful, and you would need to be there at least 30 minutes in advance.
We always prefer to book everything online because it is far less stressful and allows us to organize our trips in advance.
How long does the KTX train ride from Seoul to Busan take
The train ride takes between 2 hours and 20 minutes and 2 hours and 45 minutes. All rides are direct, and you should not worry about changing trains.
Getting from Seoul to Busan by regular train
Of course, in South Korea there aren’t only fast train options, they do have “normal” trains as well.
PROS:
- fares are more affordable for the regular trains – sometimes as little as almost half the price of a KTX ticket
- you still get to travel in comfortable and clean conditions
- you still get to walk and work
- don’t waste time at the airport
CONS:
- Trains are also much slower, and you can expect to spend anywhere between 4 to 5 hours on the road
- There are not so many train options throughout the day
These trains will show up on the same websites mentioned above, and you can choose between the following two options:
- Mugunghwa is an intercity train that stops at many stations along the way from Seoul to Busan. It only has Economy Class options. It does offer free Wi-Fi and power sockets.
- ITX-Saemaul is an express train. Before KTX, this was the fastest train option. This train also has only Economy Class, which has larger and more comfortable seats. It offers free Wi-Fi and power sockets.
As you can see, there are fewer options than on KTX trains, but these are good to have in mind when you are traveling on a budget or you have enough time to spare.
Where to buy tickets for the regular train from Seoul to Busan
As mentioned, you have the same options on the Korean Railway website or Trip.com.
How long is the trip by slow train from Seoul to Busan
That depends on the train type you choose, and it can be between 4 hours and 40 minutes (for ITX-Saemaeul), or even close to 6 hours ( for Mugunghwa).
How much does a train ticket cost
The train ticket can cost between 29.000 and 42.000 won depending on the train and time of day/week.
Where do you take the slow train from in Seoul
Both Mugunghwa and ITX-Saemaeul trains depart from Seoul Station and stop at many more stations along the way.
Getting from Seoul to Busan by car
PROS
- you are in (almost) complete control of your timetable and itinerary
- you can stop along the way and explore other destinations as well
- you can see South Korea from one end to the other and will have the car to explore Busan’s surrounding area further
CONS
- you will need to allocate at least 7-8 hours for the drive, with pit stops along the way
- traffic can get crazy during certain times of the day, especially in and around Seoul
- on top of the gas cost, you must factor in the highway fees as well
- speed limit in South Korea is of maximum 110 km/h on the highway, with most portions having a limit of 80 hm/h
On our second trip to Busan, we decided to travel by car since we spent one week in the city. We planned to go on several day trips from Busan. Thus, the drive made sense.
However, we wouldn’t suggest you drive for a vacation of less than one week. Any of the above transportation options would make much more sense when you spend only three to four days in Busan.
We chose to stay at a hotel that included free parking in the price, and we only took the car out for day trips outside the city.
Read here about driving in South Korea as a tourist.
How long is the distance between Seoul and Busan by car
Depending on your departure point in Seoul and destination in Busan, the distance is roughly 425 kilometers.
How much time does it take to go by car from Seoul to Busan
That also depends mainly on the time of the day you choose to leave Seoul. Most of the traffic will be in and around Seoul; thus, as soon as you exit the city, you will find the expressway much less crowded.
Travel early in the morning; you can be in Busan in roughly 5 hours. Start your drive later, and expect to be there in 6-7 hours.
Getting from Seoul to Busan by bus
PROS
- comfortable and clean travel option
- the most affordable way to travel from Seoul to Busan
- it offers you the flexibility to read, work, or do other things while you travel
- no luggage limitations
CONS
- the bus station is not close to the city center of Seoul
- the ride takes longer than KTX
- you don’t have the flexibility to stop on the way to Busan
- depends a lot on the traffic conditions
If you don’t feel like driving but would prefer a car over the train or plane, you can always take a bus from Seoul to Busan.
Buses in South Korea are very clean, have comfortable chairs that turn into beds, have plenty of room for luggage, and are great transportation options.
Moreover, as mentioned above, buses have specially dedicated lines on the highway, and they usually travel much faster and avoid getting stuck in traffic much less than regular cars.
Where does the bus from Seoul to Busan leave from
Buses from Seoul to Busan leave from the Seoul Gyeongbu Express Bus terminal (경부고속터미널). The terminal is on subway lines 7, 3, and 9, and you must factor in the time it takes to get there.
How long does the bus ride from Seoul to Busan take
That depends on the traffic, but a bus ride from Seoul to Busan should take roughly 4 hours.
Of course, you can expect delays depending on the time of day and traffic.
Where can you buy bus tickets and how much do they cost
You can buy your bus ticket online here, or you can buy it in person from the bus station.
We always suggest purchasing your tickets online because you never know how much time you will have left on the morning of your departure.
Change the website to English and do the following search:
All the available bus options will pop up and you can choose the one that suits you best. As you can see, prices range from 24.200 won to 56.100 won for late-night premium buses.
Traveling from Seoul to Busan in a nutshell
What is the fastest way to get from Seoul to Busan
That is, by far, traveling by KTX.
What is the cheapest way to get from Seoul to Busan
Traveling by bus is the cheapest way of getting from Seoul to Busan.
How far is Busan from Seoul?
Busan is roughly 400 kilometers away from Seoul, but the distance depends significantly on your departure and destination point.
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