Reserving Train Tickets Online
Have you ever wanted to take a train somewhere in Korea, but hate the idea of going to the train station ahead of time or waiting until you arrive and unsure about getting a seat on that train?
I definitely have! I've also waited to get tickets and had to stand all the way to Seoul!
(Ok, so it's only an hour, but I want all that energy for walking around Seoul!)
I have found out how to buy tickets online for the train and want to share that info with you!
Change the language at the top of the page to “English”
Click on “Rail Tickets” and you will come to this screen:
Travel Category: Normal Type
Travel Type: Direct
Departure Time: Year, Month, Day
Time - This is a starting time for the purpose of your inquiry
For example: you want to
leave after 9 am so you enter 9 for the hour
(Time is in 24-hour format)
Departure/Arrival – Departure is “Pyeongtaek” if you are
coming from Camp Humphreys.
You can click
on the magnifying glass symbol to see all the station locations (shown in red
circles).
I don’t know the difference
between the KTX trains and others, but you can look at the trip times to gauge
how fast the train is for each trip inquiry. The Metro is different from the
train system by Korail. The metro stops a lot, takes longer, and does not
guarantee you a seat. It is best used for short hops like getting around Seoul.
Note: There are several locations in Seoul that you can
choose from (Ex. Seoul station and Yongsan station, which is a different place
than the Army base if you weren’t aware!) so check multiple ones to get the
best times and to get a seat. Some trains fill up faster than others. You can
always take the metro (using a T-money card) to get from one location to
another in Seoul. I will post more on that in another post.
I have only taken the train on the “Mugunghwa” line, but as
far as I know the others are fairly similar.
You will need to enter the correct number of passengers to
get seats together. Keep in mind that whoever registers for the tickets will
have to pick them up at the train station. You will only get a voucher to
reserve your spot by booking online.
I typed in “Pyeongtaek” for my departure location and “Yongsan”
for my arrival location and clicked on “Inquiry” at the bottom in blue.
Then you will come to a screen that looks similar to this:
The colors are to
emphasize the different train lines.
Under “Economy class” if the word “Select” is in blue, there
are seats available to be reserved.
Under “FARE” you can click on the magnifying glass to the
right to check the rates you will be charged.
Press “Select” for the train you would like to take.
[If the screen goes to an error message or won’t seem to go
through, those seats were probably taken before you got your reservation in.]
Then you will come to this screen:
It is important to put in the correct information, so your
reservation isn’t canceled.
I have had friends who entered “12345678” for their
passport number, it processed and was later canceled, so they did not get a
seat on the train. There is usually standing room, but for less than a dollar
more (for trips to Seoul) why wouldn’t you want to sit?!
Nationality: “America” (for Americans)
(Haha, this really made me smile for some reason.)
Important: Make sure you take your passport with you and
remember, you will still have to pick up and pay for the tickets at the train
station, so allow enough time.
For cancellations or changing your train ticket: go to “My
reservation”
Go to “Help” to see the rates for cancellation.
You can
still cancel your reservation if you miss the train to avoid being charged the
full amount.
Once you hit “Next” you will get a reservation number.
Make
sure to print out this page to take to the train station.
This is what mine looked like:
When you go to the train station, you will go
to the ticket counter, show them your voucher (shown above) and your passport, pay for
your ticket and take your receipt to the train.
Pay particular attention to your train number and departure
time.
These are the best ways to verify you are getting on the right train.
The
digital sign boards above the platform will show the train approaching or that
is there.
The trains do not leave early.
So if you are confused whether it is
your train or not, don’t get on if it’s not time for your train.
I learned this
the hard way by getting on the wrong train.
Thankfully, the train was still going to Seoul, so I just got off in
Seoul and took the metro to get back where I was trying to go. They did not
care since I still paid for a ticket. I
just didn’t have a seat of course. They
do not seem to check tickets unless there is a discrepancy about seats.
Now, I just show my ticket to someone around
me and they will nod or shake their head if I am on the right train or not J
Hope this helps! Enjoy traveling!
