Another transportation option is Uber or Kakao Taxi. Uber works in South Korea and can be a good alternative, especially when public transportation is less accessible. In late September, a few of my friends and I took a bus trip to Busan, a city about four hours from Seoul. Although I absolutely enjoyed the experience, getting around the city was not always easy. The buses we needed were less frequent and often more crowded than we expected. In those situations, taking an Uber enabled us to travel between destinations more quickly and visit all the places we had planned.
Still, I have two reservations about using Uber in South Korea. First, it can be considerably more expensive when traveling alone, since you cannot split the fare with others. Second, despite visiting places that are generally welcoming to international visitors, I had several drivers reject my ride requests. This can happen in South Korea, partly because some drivers may face communication difficulties with passengers who do not speak Korean. As a rule of thumb, buses and the subway are the best options for getting around the capital, but you may need other forms of transportation as you travel farther away from Seoul.
Overall, I feel very safe traveling around South Korea. The buses and subway system are well-organized, punctual and clean. In fact, eating and drinking are prohibited on city buses. However, since I am not the best with directions, I sometimes struggle to find the correct platform or subway exit. Additionally, when public transportation gets crowded, people may bump into you as they move through the crowd without stopping to apologize.
