Getting around Seoul

The metro in Seoul is one of my favourite things about the city. But there are a few unspoken rules - and Seoul is bigger than it looks on a map.

Don't sit on reserved spots in the metro

The metro in Seoul is really nice and cheap, even when coming from the airport.

One thing I knew in advance was that you shouldn't sit on reserved seats. Those are usually on the sides for older people, and you also have pink ones for pregnant women.

It's clearly written in the metro, so you won't be able to miss them.

Don't make too much noise in the metro

This is the part I really miss from Korea. People are super quiet in the metro.

You'll see that everyone is on their phones, sleeping or just staying quiet. I really liked that calm atmosphere.

Follow the queue

You'll notice that Koreans usually queue when taking the bus, metro, escalators, everything.

Remember to follow the queue and don't try to skip the lines. It will be considered very rude.

Plan by neighbourhood

Seoul is huge, so I'd really recommend planning your days by neighbourhood.

Don't try to do Gangnam, Hongdae and Ikseon on the same day unless you really have to. It's much easier to group things together and avoid losing too much time in transport.

Don't underestimate how tiring Seoul can be

Even if the transport is very good, Seoul is huge and you'll still walk a lot.

You also go up and down stairs in the metro, walk through big stations and spend a lot of time moving from one area to another. So I'd plan some slower moments too, especially if you're staying for more than a few days.