Using the Subways and Buses
What method of transportation do you use? The subway and bus are often the transit of choice of those who are thrifty and who are not afraid to pound some payment.
The subway and buses are environmentally friendly, good for your health, fast, and convenient to boot. Their greatest advantage, however, may be in the savings they provide in transportation costs.
Subway and bus travel can save you quite a few pennies in themselves, but there are ways to maximize yoursavings. Let's take a closer look.
Save on the Subway and Bus!
Using a Subway Commuter’s Pass
The first way to be able to save up on your subway fare is by using a commuter’s pass.
The commuter pass allows you to ride the subway a set number of times in a given period of time and costs less than regular tickets. You might think of it as a reward for regulars in the form of lower rates. For someone who uses the subway every day, the hassle of getting this pass is worth it for the discount.
However, a commuter’s pass is only usable through a separate rechargeable pass that costs KRW 2,500, and is not usable on buses.
<Subway Commuter’s Pass>
※ For more information on the subway commuter’s pass in Seoul, see the <
Seoul Metro> and <
Metro 9> sites. For other regions, see the homepage of the region’s metropolitan rapid transit authority.
Choosing Your Bus
If you often travel between Gyeonggi-do and Seoul, you might find it cheaper to use the buses between the two cities. Public transportation payment schedules differ in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. It boils down to Seoul buses offering cheaper rates on intercity routes and Gyeonggi-do buses on intracity routes. When taking only one bus to your destination, Seoul buses will only charge the basic rate, while Gyeongggi-do buses will add KRW 100 for every 5 km after reaching 10 km, so you will pay less for a Seoul bus.
For instance, two intercity (red) buses, numbered 9401 and 9001, travel the route between Bundang, in Gyeonggi-do and Gwanghwa-mun, in Seoul. The two buses have very similar routes, but 9401 is a Seoul bus while 9001 is a Gyeonggi-do bus. It is cheaper to take bus 9401. It is more cost-effective to take the Seoul bus between Seoul and Gyeonggi-do instead of another bus with similar routes. The region marked on a bus's license plate indicates its origin.
Using a Mass Transit Discount Credit Card
Many credit cards offer discounts on transit costs these days. Consider your pattern of public transportation use and choose the credit card with the best transit deal that suits it.
