Planning to travel across the country? This step-by-step guide shares how to buy buys tickets in South Korea!
South Korea has some of the best public transportation I’ve ever experienced and it’s pretty affordable too. The country is pretty well connected by all sorts of buses and trains making it easy to see and explore new places. However, figuring out how to buy bus tickets in Korea for travel between cities can be a little confusing.
While the national train ticketing website makes it easy to find train routes, book and pay for tickets (even with a foreign card), and use in English, the bus sites aren’t quite up to this standard. Not to mention there are actually three different sites you can use to book and find bus tickets, and not all websites show all route possibilities. It’s a nightmare!
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Where to Buy Bus Tickets in Korea
The three websites you can use to buy bus tickets in Korea are Kobus, Bustago and T-Money Bus. It’s good to remember that not all of them show all available tickets to all the terminals across the country. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on one, one of the other two might have it, so be sure to check.
1. Kobus
Kobus is one of the main places to buy bus tickets in Korea. It’s the Integrated Express Bus website and has an English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean function. You can actually book and pay for your tickets online even on the foreign language pages, which isn’t true of the others.
However, the Kobus website only accepts Korean bank cards. They do have an option to choose ‘Etc’. in the dropdown card selection field, but the website requires certain pin and password information that is only true for Korean cards. If you have a Korean card, you’re good to go. If not – don’t fret! You can buy your tickets in person at the terminal and use the website to at least see the times and schedules.
2. Bustago
Bustago is the other main website to find and buy bus tickets in Korea and the routes aren’t limited to just the express buses. The site also has the ability to be switched to English, Japanese and Chinese from Korean. But on this website frustratingly enough, you can only pay for your ticket on the Korean website, on a desktop and with a Korean card.
3. T-Money
The T-Money site is very similar to Bustago in terms of where to buy bus tickets in Korea. They offer the same services of showing different national bus routes and schedules with the ability to change the language. You can purchase tickets on this website only with a Korean card, but you can pay for and make your reservation on the foreign language pages unlike Bustago.
For whatever reason, there are some routes on Bustago that you can see the information for, but that you can’t purchase online. The same goes with T-Money. When this happens, if it’s on Bustago for viewing but not for buying, it’s probably on this T-Money site for buying.
Why on earth do they need two different websites when most of the same routes show up on both sites? I’m not entirely sure. I think it may have to do with the private bus companies and who they are owned or managed by. T-Money and Cash Bee are two competitors in public transportation in Korea (Cash Bee seems to ‘sponsor’ Bustago) so that may be it. But this is pure speculation.
4. At the Terminal
When all else fails, you can always buy tickets at the terminal in person. Depending on the route and day, you’ll most likely be able buy your ticket as late as an hour before departure. For more popular days or routes, I recommend a few hours earlier or even a day or two to make sure the seats don’t sell out. When you pay in person at the ticket office, you can pay with your foreign card.
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How to Buy Bus Tickets in Korea Online
Since the T-Money and Kobus websites have the ability to purchase tickets online on the English page, I’ll show how to bus tickets on Bustago.
The process is basically exactly the same for each site. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to buy bus tickets in Korea on the Bustago Korean website.
Step 1: Visit Bustago’s ticketing reservation page here.
Fill out the first page with information about your trip. You’ll need to know the name of your departing bus terminal and the name of what terminal you’d like to arrive to. It’ll help if you know the Korean names, but nothing a quick Google can’t help with!
Tip: If you open the window in Chrome and have the Google Translate Extension downloaded, it’ll translate the entire page to English for you, making it much easier to navigate!
Korean Key:
- 편도 = one way 왕복 = round trip
- 출발지 = departure place
- 도착지 = arrival
- 가는일시 = departure date and time
- 버스등급 = bus rating, you can ignore this. This way you see all bus options
- 오는일시 = return date and time
- 성인 = adult 중고생 = students 아동 = child – here choose how many people need tickets in each category
- 조회하기 = continue
A screenshot taken from the Bustago website.
Step 2: After you hit continue, you should see a grid showing all the bus route options for what you filled out in the first step.
There are ten total columns. I have them numbered below to match the site and the information they share. Read over the information to choose which time and route works best for you. Then click the dark blue 좌석선택 (seat selection) button next to the route you want to continue.
Column 1: 출발시간 = departure time
Column 2: 출발지 = starting point
Column 3: 도착지 = arrival
Column 4: 버스회사 = bus company name
Column 5: 버스등급 = bus rating
Column 6: 총 좌석 = total number of seats on the bus
Column 7: 예매가능 = total number of seats still available for reservation
매진 = Sold out
Column 10: 좌석선택 = seat selection
If there isn’t the ability to click the button (it’s just not there), it’s all good. It just means that this particular route isn’t available for online reservations on Bustago’s website. You’ll want to try the T-Money site or may have to purchase in-person at the terminal.
A screenshot taken from the Bustago website.
Step 3: Choose your desired seat(s).
A graphic of the bus seating chart will pop-up and show the available seats left for reserving. Check which seat you’d like to reserve and click the button that says 확인 (confirm/agree).
A screenshot taken from the Bustago website.
Step 4: Confirm your trip.
Another pop-up window will appear, showing a summary of your ticket information; the route, terminal information, date and time, seat selection, total number of people and price. Click 확인 again to confirm or 취소 to cancel.
A screenshot taken from the Bustago website.
Step 5: Agree to all of the terms and conditions and fill out a few more fields of information.
Now you need to agree to their conditions and provide some ID info. They’ll ask for your birthday which they want in a 6 digit format like this: YYMMDD and then they will request your Korean phone number. You will need to know these numbers to print / retrieve your ticket from the machine at the terminal when you arrive.
Step 6: Enter your Korean payment card details.
They will ask for your card number, expiration date (month first, year second), first two digits of your card pin, and your birth date in the YYMMDD format.
Sometimes they will ask you for a 4 digit ‘password’ if you’re checking out as a guest. In that case, you can make something up. But you’ll need to remember it to retrieve it at the terminal. Click the continue button.
Step 7: After you pay, you’ll be shown a receipt of your payment.
I recommend taking a screenshot of this page just in case. This is not actually your ticket. You will need to print your actual bus ticket when you arrive at the terminal to board the bus. There are machines where you will be asked to input your phone number, date of birth, and password if it was requested. Then your ticket will print and you’re all set to ride the bus!
If you’re having trouble working the machines at the terminals (they have an English option in the upper right hand corner usually), you can always ask the ticket desk to print your ticket. Just show them a screenshot of your payment receipt.
And there ya go! A step by step guide for buying bus tickets in Korea! I hope this was hopeful 🙂
Helpful Tips for Buying Bus Tickets in Korea
- Come prepared with the city names you need in Korean.
- Use the translate extension in Google Chrome for translation of the entire website in real-time.
- If you’re having problems getting the website to work, try accessing it in Internet Explorer. A lot of Korean websites run better on that browser.
- If all else fails, visit the terminal in person for help.
- You can use mobile apps to buy bus tickets in Korea, but you have to download them first. However, some of the apps are only available in the Korean store, so you’d have to change your device location on your Apple or Android ID.
- If you don’t have a Korean card, you can still purchase tickets at the terminal at the desk with a foreign card.
- The self ticketing machines are specific to the website you booked through. If it’s not pulling up your reservation, try a different machine or ask the information desk to print your ticket for you.
- Not all bus terminals or stations are named after the city you’re going to. Use Kakao Maps to search and find other route possibilities.
- For more South Korea travel tips, check out my handy dandy guide.
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Main Bus Terminals in Korea
From my limited experience, it seems most Korean cities have an intercity bus terminal to get you all over the country. For the major cities of Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, I’ve gone ahead and shared the main terminals in each city.
Bus Terminals in Seoul
- Seoul Gyeongbu Express Bus Terminal (서울경부) / Center City Bus Terminal (센트럴시티(서울)) Map
- Seoul Nambu (South) Bus Terminal (서초(남부)) Map
- Dong Seoul (East) Bus Terminal (동서울) Map
- Gimpo Airport (김포공항) Map
- Incheon Airport (인천공항) Map
Bus Terminals in Busan
- Busan Dongbu (East) / Central Bus Terminal (부산동부) Map
- Busan Seobu (West) Bus Terminal (부산서부) Map
- Haeundae Beach Bus Terminal (해운대) Map
- Gimhae Airport (김해공항) Map
Bus Terminals in Daegu
- Dongdaegu (East) Bus Terminal (동대구) Map
- Daegu Seobu (West) Bus Terminal (대구서부) Map
- Daegu Bukbu (North) Bus Terminal (대구북부) Map
- Daegu Airport (대구공항) Map
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I hope this step by step guide for how to buy bus tickets in Korea has been helpful! If you have any questions or comments, please share below!
Hi, I would like to ask for your help. I tried booking through Kobus but they are requiring a mobile number. I tried inputting my mobile number here in the Philippines but it does not work. Do I need a mobile number from Korea? I will highly appreciate your reply. Thanks!
Hi Elaine! If I remember correctly, technically you do need a Korean mobile phone number to proceed with checkout. However it’s not actually needed to get the ticket and board the bus. You could try making up a random Korean number and see if that helps! Usually something like 010-2751-XXXX. I sadly don’t have exact experience with this but I hope it helps!!
Hi! First of all thanks for your article, it’s really helpful. Now my question, since I don’t have a Korea card, I won’t be able to book bus online and I have to buy tickets in the terminal, right? Do you know if I can buy bus tickets from Chuncheon to Sokcho in Seoul terminal? Or do I have to buy the ticket strictly in Chuncheon?
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it useful. As of six months ago, the bus website did not accept foreign card. I do know however that they are trying to modernize their systems to be more tourist friendly so it may be worth a try! Hopefully soon in the future here they will have it set up to accept foreign cards if it’s not already. As far as the bus tickets, I do believe you have to purchase the ticket in Chuncheon, but again it’s worth asking someone at the station. I tried buying a ticket for a different route in one bus station and they’d told me no, but I do also know that every station is different. There is no consistency it seems!! I’m sorry, I know this wasn’t a clear answer. Good luck!
Hi can I check how early in advance before the departure timing will I need to reach the bus terminal to catch the bus? And am I able to buy the return bus trip from Busan to Seoul when I buy my Seoul to Busan tickets? Thank you so much for this!(:
Hi!! I recommend using kakao maps to check how long it will take you to get from where you to the bus terminal! Google maps doesn’t work in Korea!! I recommend always getting there ten min early so you’re not stressed or rushed. That way too if you hit traffic you have some buffer room. About return tickets – another person asked me this and honestly I think it depends on the bus company and bus station! One time I tried to buy the return ticket and they told me I had to purchase it at the station I was departing from…but that was over a year ago now and at a small terminal. Sorry!! I think it’s worth asking while you’re there!! And if you find out, please comment back here so I can get a good answer 😂 Good luck and have a safe journey ❤️
Hi, I have a question. Will they accept payment at the terminal by cash? Because I did not bring any card with me.
Yes! Cash is totally fine for payment at the terminal!! 😀
Super helpful article! Thank you so much! My question is about the tick itself. I’ve booked the ticket on the Kobus but I can’t seem to print the ticket. Can I print it out at the bus station?
Hi Jill!! Glad you found it helpful! You can just screenshot it and keep it on your phone! They’ll check the ticket after you’re seated and have left the station and a lot of the time they don’t check unless there is a seat discrepancy!! Hope you’re enjoying Korea 😀
Hello Brit! Thank you so much for this useful article. I would like to know how early can one buy express bus tickets in advance? Today, I went to several websites to buy tickets for express bus from Seoul to Busan for March 22 BUT they all said: no booking available. Also, I wonder if I could ask a Korean colleague who now resides in the US to buy the tickets for us.
Thank you,
Kym from Phoenix, Arizona
Hi Kym! Thank you for your comment! I would assume that the tickets may not be released until a month before your desired departure date! I recommend checking back after Feb. 22nd to see if the routes are now available. But if you have a Korean colleague who’s familiar with the ticketing system, I’m sure they could help you out as well! It’s always reassuring when you have someone who knows the language check everything over 🙂 I wish you safe travels!
Hi Brit, your information is very helpful! If I ask a friend to book a ticket for me using his Korean card, do you think the ticket desk person will ask for the card before printing the ticket for me?
Thanks!
Hi Danny! This is a great question. Honestly, I don’t 100% know the answer, but I don’t recall ever having to go pick up bus tickets at a ticket desk. If tickets are purchased online, I do believe you’re issued an online ticket that is then checked by the bus driver when you board, and not against any payment method. Sorry! I hope this helps!
Hello Brit, are we allowed to carry heavy luggage onto the buses that were shown on these websites? Or do they have a compartment below that travellers can store them? This is because I’ll be carrying one big luggage and a small one.
Hello! Buses typically have luggage storage under the bus! Your ticket will likely include luggage storage, and then there is usually a small compartment above the seats inside the bus for small bags. Safe travels!