Get a T-money card on day one
The T-money card is a rechargeable transit card that works across the subway, city buses, most taxis, and even some convenience store payments. You can buy one at any convenience store (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) near a subway station or at the airport, then top it up with cash at machines in any station. It's not strictly necessary — single-journey paper tickets exist — but T-money is faster and slightly cheaper per ride.
Reading the subway map
Seoul's subway lines are numbered and color-coded, and station signage is in Korean, English, and often Chinese and Japanese. Each station has a number (line number + stop number) which is the fastest way to confirm you're heading the right direction, even if you can't read the Korean station name yet.
- Line 1 (dark blue) — old town, Jongno, Seoul Station, connects to national rail.
- Line 2 (green) — the loop line; hits Hongdae, Gangnam, and Ewha University.
- Line 3 (orange) — Gyeongbokgung, Apgujeong.
- Line 4 (light blue) — Myeongdong, connects toward Dongdaemun.
- Line 9 (gold) — sometimes called the "express" line for Gangnam-side trips; has express trains that skip stops.
Buses
Buses fill the gaps the subway doesn't reach and use the same T-money card. Blue buses run trunk routes across the city, green buses handle local/feeder routes, and red buses run longer commuter distances out to satellite cities. Bus stop signage in English is more limited than subway signage, so a maps app with live bus tracking is genuinely useful here.
Taxis
Taxis are metered, relatively affordable by international-capital standards, and easy to flag or book via app. Fewer drivers speak English than you might expect, so having your destination written in Korean (or pulled up on a map app) smooths things considerably. Late at night, when the subway has stopped running, taxis are the default.