Booking trains and buses in South Korea: the 2026 guide
In South Korea, the train comes first: KTX and Korail trains link the main cities, and tickets are sold on Korail's official website for foreigners. Intercity buses have their own official booking system, and Jeju is reached by plane. Here is which site to use for which ticket, with only the facts we could verify on 7 October 2026.
Compare flights and airport trains on 12Go →Which website for which ticket
| Ticket | Where to book | What we checked |
|---|---|---|
| KTX and other Korail trains | korail.com — Korail's official website for foreigners | English site; search by KTX, ITX-Saemaeul, Mugunghwa and ITX-Cheongchun; it also presents the KORAIL PASS, a rail pass for foreigners |
| Intercity buses | txbus.t-money.co.kr — official intercity bus booking system | Run by T-money Mobility; real-time online booking; in Korean |
| Incheon Airport ↔ Seoul train | airportrailroad.com (AREX official site) or 12Go | On 12Go: 56 departures at €7.73 on 24 October 2026, about 43 min |
| Flights to Jeju, Busan and Japan | Comparators such as 12Go | Seoul → Jeju from €32.13, Seoul → Busan from €41.82, Busan → Fukuoka from €106.14 (24 October 2026) |
Why no full price table on this site? Korail's website blocks automated reading, and 12Go sells almost no Korean buses or KTX trains. Rather than publish estimates, we only give the fares we could check — always confirm the price on the official site before you pay.
The fares we could verify
Offers listed on 12Go for a departure on 24 October 2026, per adult, taxes included.
| Route | Mode | Fare | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incheon Airport → Seoul | AREX train (56 departures) | €7.73 | about 43 min |
| Incheon Airport → COEX (Seoul) | Airport Bus 6103 | €11.07 | about 1 h 30 |
| Seoul → Jeju | Flight (63 offers) | from €32.13 | about 1 h 15 |
| Seoul (Gimpo) → Busan | Flight (15 offers) | from €41.82 | about 1 h 05 |
| Seoul → Jeonju | Train, first class (1 offer) | €23.28 | about 3 h 15 |
| Busan → Fukuoka (Japan) | Flight (47 offers) | from €106.14 | about 1 h |
For KTX fares between Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gyeongju or Gangneung, check Korail's official website: 12Go had no KTX train on sale for these routes on that date.
Booking a Korail train in 4 steps
Open Korail's site for foreigners
Go to korail.com and choose English: the booking form asks for departure, arrival, date and time, and number of passengers.
Pick the train type
Results can be filtered by KTX, ITX-Saemaeul, Mugunghwa or ITX-Cheongchun. KTX is the high-speed service.
Choose your seat and pay
Enter the passenger details exactly as in the passport and pay online.
Keep your ticket
Keep the confirmation on your phone. Korail's call center number shown on the site is +82-1599-7777 (08:00–20:00).
5 things to check before you book
Seoul has two airports. On 12Go, Seoul → Busan flights all left from Gimpo, while Seoul → Jeju flights left from Gimpo or Incheon. Check which one is on your ticket.
There is no bus or train to Jeju. On 24 October 2026, 12Go listed 63 flights from Seoul (from €32.13) and no bookable ferry from Mokpo.
From Incheon, the AREX train cost €7.73 (about 43 min) and Airport Bus 6103 to COEX €11.07 (about 1 h 30) on 12Go.
Check the K-ETA and e-Arrival card rules for your nationality before you fly. Read our entry, K-ETA and ferries guide.
Book trains on korail.com and intercity buses on txbus.t-money.co.kr. See our operators and stations guide.
Booking in South Korea: your questions
Where can I book KTX tickets in English?
How do I get from Incheon Airport to Seoul?
How do I get to Jeju?
Where do I book an intercity bus?
Ready to plan your trip in South Korea?
On 12Go: the Incheon airport train, domestic flights to Jeju and Busan, and flights to Japan.
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