Asia > South Korea > Seoul (ICN)
The Car or no Car advice for Seoul can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Seoul ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Seoul ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Seoul?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
📍 Getting Around Seoul — the Reality
Seoul is huge, but it is also exceptionally well connected.
-
The city stretches a long way east–west
-
Districts are dense and vertical
-
Traffic congestion is severe
-
Driving offers little time advantage
Despite its size, Seoul does not function like a car-first city for everyday movement.
🚇 One of the World’s Best Metro Systems
Seoul’s subway network is the backbone of the city.
-
Extremely extensive coverage
-
High-frequency, reliable services
-
Clear signage and multilingual support
-
Seamless transfers between lines
For visitors, the metro is faster, cheaper, and far more predictable than driving.
🚌 Buses That Actually Work
Seoul’s bus system complements the metro rather than competing with it.
-
Colour-coded routes
-
Dedicated bus lanes on major roads
-
Strong night and late-evening coverage
Together, buses and metro make almost every part of the city accessible without a car.
🚶♂️ Walkable Districts — Linked by Transit
Individual neighbourhoods work well on foot.
-
Hongdae, Myeongdong, Insadong
-
Gangnam’s core areas
-
Riverfront paths along the Han
You walk locally, then move long distances by train.
🚕 Taxis Beat Rental Cars
If you do need a car occasionally:
-
Taxis are plentiful
-
Ride-hailing is straightforward
-
Costs are reasonable compared with car hire
Using a driver is almost always easier than driving yourself.
🚄 KTX: High-Speed Rail as Everyday Transport
One of the reasons Seoul works so effortlessly without a car is the KTX high-speed rail network. This isn’t an occasional, premium service — it runs at very high frequency, with departures throughout the day from Seoul Station and Yongsan. Trains are fast, reliable, and deeply integrated into everyday travel, turning journeys that would once have required overnight stays into routine trips. For visitors, KTX feels less like long-distance rail and more like an extension of the metro system — just operating at 300 km/h.
🗺️ Day Trips That Suddenly Become Easy
Because KTX is so fast, day trips from Seoul become genuinely realistic.
-
Busan can be reached in around 2½ hours
-
Daegu and Daejeon are well under two hours
-
Gyeongju (via Singyeongju) opens up Korea’s historic capital for a long but feasible day
-
Gangneung on the east coast brings the sea within easy reach
These are distances that would normally demand a car or a flight elsewhere — in Korea, they’re simple train rides.
⏳ Day Trip or Longer Stay — Your Choice
Just because a place is reachable in a day doesn’t mean it should be rushed. Many travellers use KTX to sample a city on a day trip, then return later for a longer stay. The key point is flexibility: Seoul’s rail connections remove the pressure to plan everything in advance. You can stay central, car-free, and still reach much of the country at speed.
🚗 When a Car Might Make Sense
There are very limited scenarios where renting a car helps:
-
Travelling far outside Seoul
-
Visiting rural areas not served by rail
-
Multi-day trips into the countryside
Even then, most travellers rent after leaving the city.
⚠️ Why Driving in Seoul Is a Bad Idea
-
Heavy congestion at most hours
-
Complex junctions and expressways
-
Expensive and limited parking
-
No advantage over public transport
Many visitors who rent cars quickly regret it.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Seoul?
No — almost never.
Seoul’s metro and bus systems are among the best on the planet. They make driving unnecessary, inefficient, and stressful for visitors.
💡 Rule of thumb:
Subway Seoul. Taxi when needed. Save the car for outside the city. 🚇🚕🚫🚗
