Before anything else, let me tell you about this nifty
transportation card that they have in Seoul called the Seoul Citypass Plus. Not only does it pay for your transportation
fees, it can also double as a prepaid card for convenience stores, vending
machines, and some tourist attractions.
Actually, it is a variation of the T-money card which is a
public transit card for use in buses, subways, and taxis. Since it is a prepaid
card, you have to charge it first with an amount before use – up to 500,000 KRW
if you wish. Afterwards, it’s just a matter of monitoring how much money is
left in the card for spending.
I bought my card at a GS25 store located at the Arrival
Hall of the Incheon International Airport for 3000 KRW. I immediately topped it
up at the store since I have already decided to use the train towards Seoul.
Oh yeah, the card came with a set of discount coupons for several
establishments as well.
By the way, another nice thing about this card is that it
allows you to have 100 KRW discounts on public transportation simply by using
it – talk about getting value for money.
Other advantages I found by using this card for the
duration of my trip are the following: 1) No need to line up at subway ticketing
machines to buy a single journey ticket, 2) No hassles of finding small change
for the bus fare amount, and 3) Easy to recharge at multiple locations.
For a complete list where the card can be used, you can
refer to the table below:
 |
| courtesy of http://koreatour.wordpress.com |
 |
| courtesy of http://koreatour.wordpress.com |
To recharge, refund, or replace a defective card, you can
check out this reference:
 |
| courtesy of http://koreatour.wordpress.com |
*NOTE: Family
Mart is now rebranded as CU
I also found out that this card does not expire so I took
it home as a souvenir. Who knows, I might be able to use it again when I find
myself wandering the streets of South Korea.
Find this tip useful on your trip to Seoul, South Korea? Tell me about it by commenting below or by using the Contact button on the right.
Find this tip useful on your trip to Seoul, South Korea? Tell me about it by commenting below or by using the Contact button on the right.
Thanks a lot for your information. I actually now consider between this card and T-money card.
ReplyDeleteIf i use it for only transportation, is this card more valuable than T-money card?
hey there! thanks for visiting! the seoul city pass is actually a t-money card too. just that it has additional perks of coupons and discounts from stores. :) hope you have a great trip to korea!
DeleteHi, thanks so much for the info :)
ReplyDeleteThis was very helpful since I had a hard time deciding if it's T-money or M-pass, turns out Seoul City pass plus would be the best choice :)
Sure, no problem! Enjoy your vacation in Seoul! :)
DeleteOh my! I'm confused which card is better :) Seoul City Pass Plus or Korea Pass. I'll only be in Seoul for 6 days. My only out of Seoul trip is in Nami Island and Korean Folk Village. Also, I prefer Lotte World over Everland, they say one can get discount if he'll use Korea Pass and get inside Lotte World. Hope you can enlighten me.. thank you in advance
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for dropping by. I didn't spend a lot in travel expenses so I didn't opt for the Korea Pass. In any case, Nami Island stop and Korean Folk Village stop is included in the coverage of Seoul City Pass Plus. As for the discounts, each card has its perks so its your call. Enjoy your Seoul trip! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks letting me know it doesn't expire. I have the same Seoul City Pass Plus card like yours, visited Seoul in Dec2013 and next month be traveling again. Then I can still use the same card. ^^
ReplyDeletethanks for dropping by! happy to have helped. enjoy the next trip to Seoul! :)
DeleteHi, the 3000KRW that you paid when you got the card, was that amount loaded in the card that you can use up. Or was it the just the cost of getting Seoul Citypass Plus? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi! thanks for dropping by. the 3000KRW is just for the card without any amount loaded.
DeleteHi Daryl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great info!
Need your opinion on this, I will be traveling to Seoul for 5 days which mainly transport of choice would be bus and subway. How much should I reload for each day if I am using T-Money Card? Or better opt for this Seoul City Pass?
Hi Farahanani, thanks for dropping by. For reloading, it depends on where you will be going. If you already have the T-Money Card, it functions the same way as the Seoul City Pass so just use the T-Money Card on hand.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteIf I opted to buy t-money card over seoul city pass plus, how much shall I pay for the t-money card aside from the load?
Hi decryptedmind5! Thanks for dropping by. The regular t-money card costs 2500 KRW without the load.
DeleteHi! This page is really helpful.
ReplyDeleteI want to ask About the discounts, how does it work? Should we use the card for payment or we just need to show the card with the discount coupons (n seoul tower)? For the 5% discount for the Seoul City tour bus, does that mean we can take the bus and alight to our stop (use it like a regular bus)?
Hi! Thanks for dropping by. Use the card as normal for the Seoul City tour bus. For the attractions, you can independently use the coupons for discounts.
DeleteHi, thx for the useful information.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, can the Seoul City Pass Plus be able to use in Jeju as it is a T-money card as well?
Yup. You can use it for the public buses in Jeju Island.
DeleteHi...what is the meaning of replacement card? Is that only for changing card with tge new one? I'm going to stay in seoul for 2days only And will take city tour bus. Based on your experience, is it usefull to buy seoul city pass plus? Or it's better for me to buy single ticket? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi. Thanks for dropping by. Yes, it will be more convenient if you buy the Seoul City Pass Plus than buying a single ticket. It doesn't expire anyway. Replace the card if it is defective at those places mentioned.
DeleteThank you for the information. I will buy the seoul city pass plus then.
Deletehi there, if i buy the t-money, will i still get the discount coupons? do u have the list of attractions and restaurants of the coupons?
ReplyDeleteHi Jey, thanks for dropping by. I believe that for t-money there are no coupons attached. As for the list of attractions in the coupons, these might have changed over time. Some that I recall are the NSeoul Tower and a restaurant in Myeongdong.
DeleteI see. thanks a lot Daryl. it's really helpful.
Deletehey..
ReplyDeletei wanna ask about the seoul city pass card..
if we transfered from one subway line to other subway line in one day, how much should we pay?KRW1250 twice or only once?
just like the city pass which cost KRW15.000 for 20times ride only in a day
is is the same?
umm.. would u mind to explain to me?
thanks anw ^^
Hi Gita, thanks for dropping by. The fare is standard based on the distance that you take so tap out only when you are at the subway station of your destination. There is no limit to the number of rides per day since you pay the distance amount for each ride that you take. Hope it helps.
Delete