Getting There

Although it's a major transportation hub, there is no airport in Daejeon. The nearest airport is Cheongju Airport (CJJ), 50-1, Ipsang-li, Naesu-eup, Cheongwon-gun (tel. 043/210-6114), about a 35-minute drive north of the city. Buses run from Daejeon's Dongbu Terminal five times a day. From the Incheon Airport, you can get a limousine bus directly to Daejeon. Catch the bus in front of gate 8. Regular buses cost W14,500 and the deluxe bus costs W21,400. The airport limousine bus stops at the Mokwon Daedeok Cultural Center, the Daejeon Government Complex, and the Dongbu Express Bus Terminal.

Daejeon is located at the junctions of the Gyeongbu and Honam lines. It has two train stations. The larger Daejeon Station, located in the center of town has trains to or from Seoul or Busan. Other trains travel to Pohang, Ulsan, Jinju, Masan, or Jecheon. The smaller Seo-Daejeon (West) Train Station is the first stop on the Honam Line. The trains make more frequent stops and run from Seoul through Daejeon, and south to Mokpo, Gwangju, Suncheon, Jinju, and Yeosu. A KTX express train from Seoul will get you to Daejeon in under an hour. From Seoul, train fares start at W19,500 for KTX, W13,900 for Saemaeul, and W9,300 for Mugunghwa trains.

Daejeon is on the Gyeongbu and Honam expressways. To make things more confusing, Daejeon has three express bus stations and two intercity bus stations. (But the two intercity stations are next to two of the express stations, so it's like there are three bus stations. Follow that?) The main bus station in Daejeon is the Dongbu Express Bus Terminal, located next to the Dongbu Intercity Bus Terminal. The Seobu Express Bus Terminal is right next to the Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal. The fifth bus station in town is the Yuseong Bus Terminal. Daily buses from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal go to Daejeon Dongbu Express Bus Terminal every 5 to 10 minutes between 6am and 9:55pm, costing W7,600 to W11,200 and taking about 2 hours; to the Yuseong Bus Terminal, buses run every 15 to 30 minutes from 6am to 9pm, costing W7,800 to W11,300. From the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal daily buses go to the Daejeon Dongbu Intercity Bus Terminal every 20 minutes, 6am to 9pm, costing W8,300 to W12,200; to the Yuseong Bus Terminal every 30 minutes from 6:30am to 9pm, costing W8,000. From the Sabong Intercity Bus Terminal, daily buses run to Daejeon Dongbu Intercity Bus Terminal nine times daily from 6am to 9pm, costing W8,200 to W12,000.

Getting Around

A major subway system (with a planned five lines) is currently under construction. The first section, subway line 1, is currently running daily from 5:30am to midnight. The short trains run every 5 minutes during rush hour (usually around 7-9am and 5-7pm) and every 8 to 10 minutes the rest of the day. With 22 stations, the line runs northwest from Wisa-dong in Banseok through the center of the city to Panam. You can connect to the Korean National Rail Line at Daejeon Station. The base fare is W900, W800 with a TrafficCard, for up to 10km (6 1/4 miles), and W1,000, or W900 with a TrafficCard, beyond that.

Line 2 will be a circular line that connects with line 1 at three different stations. Line 3 will run in a north-south direction, parallel to the existing rail lines. Line 4 will also run north-south, just on the far western side of the city. Line 5 will cross the city going in an east-west direction.

Daejeon has a good bus system that goes pretty much anywhere you want to go. There are two types of buses, one in which you stand, costing only W600, and a sit-down bus, where you may have to fight for a seat, that costs W1,200. Most buses in the city run through the downtown area and Daejeon Station. There are also regular city buses and express buses that make fewer stops. Fares for express buses are about twice those of regular buses.

Taxis are usually waiting outside of the bus and train stations and you can just flag one down on any street. Basic taxi fares start at W1,800 daily from 6am to midnight and go up to W2,000 from midnight to 6am.

Visitor Information

A tourist information center (tel. 042/632-1770) is located in front of the main express bus terminal. There is also another booth inside Daejeon Station plaza (tel. 042/221-1905). Another tourist info center (tel. 042/1330) can be found inside the Expo Science Park, which also has free Internet access and a souvenir shop. All are open 9am to 6pm daily.

Note: The city of Daejeon offers a bus tour that runs Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm. The tours depart at Donbang Mart at 10am, from Korea Express (near Daejeon Station) at 10:05am, in front of Save Zone at 10:25am, and from the Yuseong Hong-in Officetel at 10:40am. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the tour goes to the Daedeok Research Complex (via Expo Science Park), to the main office of Dosolcheon (Stream) and World Cup Stadium, to Ppuri (Root) Park, and to Uam Historical Park. On Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday the tour goes through Daedeok Research Complex, to the National Cemetery, to Gongsanseong (fortress), to the Tomb of King Muryeong, and to the Gongju National Museum and Donghaksa Temple. They also offer different tours if you make reservations in advance and have customized tours, such as one for those interested in science-related destinations, one highlighting cultural centers, and one "experience" tour that takes you to the Sangsin Ceramic Village. Tours inside the city cost W7,000; for those destinations outside the city, the tour costs W10,000. Contact either the Tourism Department of Daejeon City Hall (tel. 042/600-3563) or Baekje Tours (tel. 042/253-0005, or in Seoul 02/222-5901) for reservations and additional information.

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange & ATMs  -- Most major banks are located in the city center. They're open 9:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, with some having limited hours (usually 9:30am-1pm) on Saturdays. For changing foreign currency, your best bets are the Foreign Exchange Bank, the Chohung Bank, and the Shinan Bank, but most banks in the city will perform the service. Major hotels also have desks that exchange foreign currency and traveler's checks.

Internet Access  -- Most large hotels and even a couple of the lower-priced motels and youth hostels offer Internet access. If you don't have your own computer, your cheapest options are the PC bahngs (rooms) in town. Just look for the letters PC; most of them are found on the second or third floors above restaurants. You can also use the free computers inside the tourist information center at the Expo Science Center daily from 9am to 6pm.

Post Office  -- The main post office (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) is located behind Daejeon Station.

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.