Do tickets for these Korean trains have to be booked in advance?
I'm visiting Korea from 15th till 23rd of October. I want to go to Seoul, Busan and Jeonju.
Do I have to buy train tickets in advance for the fast trains (KTX, ITX) or can I buy it just before departure? I probably travel during the week from Monday to Friday.
Best Answer
Do tickets for these Korean trains have to be booked in advance?
Apparently not, according to The Man in Seat 61:
You can buy tickets at the station, but trains are busy on Fridays and Sunday evenings, so buying in advance is a good idea. Trains are also busy around the two main 3-day national holidays, the lunar new year and Chuseok (meaning harvest, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month) as people travel home at these times.
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Do I need to pre book my train ticket?
You must book in advance* of travel and fares are sold in limited numbers and so subject to availability. In general, the further ahead you book, the cheaper the Advance fare will be. You can mix and match Advance fares for a return journey.Do I need to book KTX in advance?
You can book your ticket 1 month before the departure if purchasing it at the train station, and 1 year in advance when booking KTX high-speed train tickets online.How do I buy a train ticket in South Korea?
How to Purchase Train Tickets in Advance in South KoreaHow do I reserve a ticket on KTX?
How to buy train ticket at Seoul Station ♡
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Answer 2
I've been to Korea with some friends two years ago and we could simply buy the tickets at the station. Most stations will understand English, and the ones you are going to should. Smaller/less touristic ones like the station in Mokpo will have some issues with English but nothing too big to not be able to buy tickets.
Be aware that:
- Normally you will get backwards facing seats
- Forward facing seats will cost (slightly) more
- Family seats (2 sets of 2 seats facing each other will also cost (slightly) more
Also, if you are going from Seoul directly to Busan or from Busan directly to Seoul do try to get the "direct" KTX. That will take about 1 hour of your travel time compared to one that stops at more stations.
Lastly, when you are leaving Seoul please do make sure that you have at least enough cash with you to get a return ticket and maybe some food. We made the mistake of not doing that to a couple of the smaller cities where the KTX stopped and had to walk back to the station get to an international ATM.
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