By Plane
The city of Busan is served by Gimhae International Airport (PUS; tel. 051/964-3114; www.gimhaeairport.co.kr), which is located about 35 minutes outside of the city, across the Nakdong-gahng. Busan is planning to build another international airport to handle the increasing demands, but there are no set dates yet.
Korean Airlines (www.koreanair.com) and Asiana Airlines (us.flyasiana.com) are the major national airlines that fly in and out of Gimhae. Flights from Seoul's Incheon Airport start from W55,000 and go up from there. International flights are available via Japan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Northwest Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, SAT Airlines, and Vladivostok Airlines. Note that when you leave the country from Busan, there's a departure tax, currently W12,000, which may or may not be included in your ticket price.
A standard cab to the city center costs about W15,000 including tolls. Deluxe cabs, which are black, cost twice as much (W30,000), but the drivers all speak English, accept credit cards, and will give a receipt.
Airport buses (tel. 051/972-8653) cost W900 to W1,500 and run daily every 10 to 40 minutes, depending on which line you take. There is no direct line on the subway to the airport, but you can take bus no. 307 to and from Deokcheon Station on Line 2. Limousine buses (tel. 051/973-9617) start at W6,000 and run daily every 30 minutes or so to most parts of the city, including the Lotte Hotel, Haeundae Station, and the Westin Chosun Beach Hotel.
By Train
Once Gyeongbu High Speed Rail line is completed in 2010, you will be able to take a train from Seoul to Busan in 1 hour and 56 minutes. Currently, you can take the KTX train from Seoul Station, which takes 2 hours and 50 minutes (which is still pretty darn fast), or the Saemaul train, which takes 4 hours and 10 minutes. The standard KTX fare is W44,800, while the first-class fare is W62,700 and the Saemaul fare is W36,800. Various discounts apply if you buy tickets in advance, and you'll get further discounts if you travel on a weekday. The Gupo Train Station (tel. 051/440-2497) is located in central Busan. From there, you can hop on the subway, take a bus, or catch a cab to your hotel or any other destination within the city.
To get to the train station from the city center on the subway, take line 1 to stop 13. Follow the signs to exit into the station plaza. The Gyeongbu Line travels north to Seoul and the Gyeongjeon Line goes west along the southern coast to Mokpo.
By Bus
There are two main bus stations in Busan. The major one is the Busan Bus Complex, which is in the same building as the Busan Dongbu Gyeongnam Intercity Bus Terminal (with buses that travel to the east) at Nopo-dong. From there, you can pick up subway line 1 to get into the city. The other is Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal (which has buses to the west), which is on subway line 2, stop 227 (take exit 1). Buses run daily about every 15 minutes to and from major cities throughout South Korea.
Buses from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal to the Busan Bus Complex start running at 6am and run daily every 15 minutes until 10:40pm, with ticket prices ranging from W20,100 to W29,900. Daily buses departing from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to the Busan Bus Complex start running at 6am and depart every 60 minutes until 6:40pm at a cost of W20,600 to W30,800.
By Boat
You can take a boat to Busan Port from cities in South Korea, China, and Japan (tel. 051/999-3000; www.busanferry.com or http://busanpa.com). The terminal is centrally located, so once you disembark, you'll find it very easy to get to your hotel. You can catch the subway, local buses, or a taxi from the port.
There is also a coastal pier (for domestic ferries) and an international pier. Both are located in Juang-dong. Ships from the domestic pier daily arrive from and depart to Jeju Island, Changsungpo, Geoje-do, Okpo, Gohyun, Haegeumgang, Hungmu, and Yeosu. You can also catch a tour boat to explore Jeju and the many islands of Hallyeo-sudo (Hallyeo Maritime National Park) along the southern coast. From the international pier, you can also catch ferries to Fukuoka (Hakata) and Shimonoseki in Japan and Yodai in China. Keep in mind that whether or not the ships actually sail is completely dependent on the weather, so make sure to confirm your reservations in advance with Busan Information for Coastal Tours 16, Jung-ang-dong 5-ga, Jung-gu (tel. 051/469-0116 or -0117). Japan doesn't require visas for short (less than 90 days) visits by citizens of the U.S., U.K., Canada, or Australia. China, however, requires visas even for travelers in transit.
The following ferry companies operate from Busan passenger port: Dongyang Express Ferry Co., Jeju (tel. 051/464-2266); Gukje Dae-ho Development Co., Jeju (tel. 051/464-6601); Gukje Tong-un Co., Jeju (tel. 051/464-2228); Semo Co., Changsungpo, Gohyun, Sungpo, Okpo, Chungmu, Yosu, Saryangdo, Samcheonpo, and Namhae (tel. 051/469-3851); Shimonoseki Ferry Co., Shimonoseki, Japan (tel. 051/463-3161); Koryo Ferry Co., Fukuoka, Japan (tel. 051/466-7799); Hanguk Express Ferry Co., Fukuoka, Japan (tel. 051/465-6114); and Chinsung Co. Ltd., Yunae, China (tel. 051/441-888).
To get to the boat terminal on the subway, take line 1 to stop 12 (Jungang-dong Station). It's one stop from the Busan Train Station. Bus nos. 8, 8-1, 11, 70, 88-1, 97, 101, 109, 135, 190, 309, and 507 all go to the port.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
