mikesaidyes

Trust me, you can sit anywhere. It may not be the proper rule but everyone does it: Don't move until you're asked by someone with ticket proof. There have been many a fiesty old lady or three that think you don't know what you're doing because you're white, when they're doing the same thing you are.

At the most, the conductor goes through and has his seat chart. I've seen him tell others that they can sit there until XXX stop when someone has reserved the seat. Nothing serious happens.

PradoC

Any thing major in late August?

Jay71

Apologies for tagging onto this thread with a tangent question.

What's the luggage space situation like on the trains? I've read you can leave larger luggage by the doors. Wanted to confirm that's acceptable and get feedback how safe that is. Or if there are good alternatives like shipping the luggage via takuhaibin in Japan. We're currently targeting to travel from Seoul to Busan in the early evening on a Sunday.

TIA.

Aventine

Be there early and get the luggage rack space. They're usually between the even cars. If your stuff is carry on then you can put it on the shelves in the main car. I'd say generally safe. Never heard of luggage going missing and mine has never either.

Aventine

Korean kids should be going back to school and family vacations should be at an end. That being said, weekends can still be busy because people like to go into Seoul then people need to go home on Sundays.

yul36

Travelling next week between ICN and Busan, is it worth the uptick for first class on the train.

Aventine

Yes and no.

Free water, more space to stretch out and snooze and less chance of someone next to you. They have standalone seats.

However, the Korean government gives some inane discounts for 'disabled' people and this brings in weirdos sometimes. In my experience.

I would do it since the cost isn't too much higher.

yul36

Thanks Aventine,

Do you know the answer, If I buy my tickets on the KRsite from the States
are they refundable if I need to change or changeable for a later or earlier train.

mikesaidyes

They are 100% refundable. While I'm not sure about the foreigner website, I know you can cancel any ticket for up to an hour after the train departs for a very small fee (like 5%). What I mean is that the foreigner website is very simple and does have a cancel button, but I'm not sure if you can cancel it online after departure (you might have to do that at the station). I know that before departure it will be fine to cancel online no problem.

To change your ticket, you simply have to cancel the old one and just buy new ones.

Aventine

If the train already leaves then it's hard to get a refund on that. You could probably show the print out to the desk person at ICN if you want to change it up sooner. I don't know either about the foreigner website online. I use the Korean app.

Khanh Nguyen

Hello, my 2 kids and I will be in Seoul on July 4th and its our first time there. We will land around 3 o'clock p.m at Incheon International airport and we would like to take the train from the airport to Busan for couple days. I don't know how to get train tickets...what is the best way to get round trip tickets?
Thanks!

B407

I recommend buying it online and then picking them up at the airport. Avoids any language barrier issues. Sometimes the Korail employees don't speak the best English.

mikesaidyes

Trains to Busan on July 4 are at 4:30 and 6:30. You simply won't have time to catch the 4:30 train with two kids, bags, etc. You'd have to hussle quickly even as a solo traveler. Also, at 3 PM, that's when a lot of flights from Europe and America start to land, so immigration starts to get busier then.

Buy the tickets online and pick them up at the airport train station. Take time to grab some food somewhere in either the airport or the train station.

I know that it may seem incovenient to have to wait at the airport, but it would be much more difficult to go to Seoul Station, transfer, carry bags up and down escalators, get tickets, etc.

If something does happen and you miss the train, they are refundable minus a very small fee, something like 5% of each ticket after departure.

nme7

Here is the link to purchase the tickets online. On the site, under the selector "Train" make sure you pick KTX. The other ones are much slower and sometimes not so nice inside.

A few tips. First class is really not that much more expensive. Maybe $20 more than economy. But I highly recommend it, especially if you have luggage. Also free small water bottles for passengers in first. Nice to have during the warm summer and just getting onto the train can be a bit of a workout with luggage.

The seats in First class (cars 2-5) are arranged in a 1-2 seating layout. So "A" seats are by themselves and "B" and "C" are together. If it's just you and your two kids, the system most likely will give you the whole row to yourself.

As for the actual ticket, you only need to have it in case something goes wrong. From the airport onto the train, literally you can just walk on. No ticket machine or anyone checking tickets. Make sure you go to the KTX entrance! But once onboard, if you are not in your seat they will know. Specifically if someone is sitting in a vacant seat, someone will come by and check. So, if you know your specific ticket information (KTX train #169, Car 5, Seat 5A for example), then you can just walk onto the train and sit in your seat.

Also, if you are taking the KTX back up to Seoul, I recommend booking the return ticket also online. Although there are trains running back and forth every 30 or 40 minutes, it is one less thing to worry about. I don't think a round trip ticket is possible. I've always bought two separate one-way tickets. I don't think there is any difference in price.

While the 4:30pm train is possible, the stars will have to line up that everything goes smoothly on arrival. If the plane lands late, or there is a massive line in immigration. I would take the later 6:35pm train. Only downside is it does get into Busan just after 10pm. Good thing is you won't have to worry about getting off at the wrong station. You get on from the beginning and exit at the end of the line.