Originally Posted by
Soju
What cheap taxis? I don't consider taxis in Korea to be cheap anymore. 10 or 15 years ago, yes, but not these days. Certainly cheaper than some places but very expensive when compared to a lot of South East Asia for example. Maybe I'm missing out though on a cheaper alternative to the standard metered taxis?
A fourth reason why the train is really useless is the price. Even with all it's disadvantages, the express train is still priced much more than a more comfortable and convenient luxury limousine bus.
I also agree that taxis aren't so cheap in Korea any more. The base price is increasing almost every year and is now around 2 USD. A short trip could net you around 5 USD in Seoul. Of course, it's not as expensive as NYC, but it has definately gotten more expensive, especially with "free transfer" initiative of public transportation (bus and subway) in Korea.
I also think the train is useless because of its limited destination. Price is certainly a factor as well, but if they keep same 8000 KRW for Seoul Station, then it really isn't too bad (but this is not expected). Having this train connect to Seoul Station is extremely useful for people like me who normally arrive on UA flights in the evening and need to go to other cities in Korea such as Daegu. UA and NW flights arrive late from NRT that I would miss ICN-TAE domestic flight so I would need to catch KTX from Seoul station. The bus ride to the Seoul Station is quite long and is subject to traffic delay so having this train to Seoul Station can be a great addition.