If you are planning to travel from Seoul to Busan by KTX, you are choosing the most popular way to cross the country. Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city and its biggest port, famous for beaches, seafood, and a completely different vibe from Seoul.
Honestly, almost everyone takes a plane or a high-speed train for this journey. Driving takes over four hours and traffic can be terrible. Flying is fast, but by the time you travel to Gimpo Airport, go through security, and take a light rail from Busan Airport to the city center, the train ends up being much easier. The KTX takes you directly from downtown Seoul to downtown Busan in about two and a half hours.
On our last family trip, we took the KTX with our kids, and it felt surprisingly fast and easy. We stayed at the Lct Residence in Haeundae. Our room was on a very high floor with a massive ocean view, and it honestly felt like stepping into a completely different world. Instead of renting a car, we just used the local open-top double-decker tourist buses to get around, which our kids absolutely loved.
In this updated 2026 guide, I will share practical tips from our own experience down in Busan, focusing on how locals actually book tickets and choose the best seats.
1. KTX vs. KTX-Cheongryong: Which Train is Better?
When you search for tickets on the Korail Talk app, you will see a few different types of high-speed trains.
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KTX (Standard): The classic bullet train. It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. It is clean, reliable, and runs almost every 15 minutes. A one-way ticket costs around 60,000 KRW.
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KTX-Cheongryong (KTX-청룡): This is South Korea’s newest high-speed train introduced recently. It has fewer stops, making the trip in just 2 hours and 10 minutes. The seats are brand new and every single seat has a dedicated window, meaning you don’t have to share a window view with the person behind you.
If the KTX-Cheongryong fits your schedule, book it. It costs the same as a regular KTX but saves you 20 minutes and offers a much better cabin experience.
2. Practical Booking Tips: Avoiding the Weekend Sell-Out
The Seoul-to-Busan line is the busiest rail route in Korea. Locals book these tickets constantly for business trips and weekend family travel.
Tickets open 30 days in advance. If you plan to travel on a Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, or Sunday evening, you need to book at least one or two weeks ahead. If you wait until the day of travel, the good seats will be gone, and you might have to buy a “standing-only” ticket.
🚂 First Time Riding Korean Trains? If you want to understand the general rules of the Korean rail network—including how luggage storage works, onboard Wi-Fi limits, and how conductors check tickets digitally—read my master [How to Travel by Train in Korea: KTX Guide for Foreigners]before you purchase your tickets.
3. Choosing Your Seats: Window Views and Power Outlets
When booking through the official LetsKorail website or the Korail Talk app, you can manually select your coach and seat number. Keep these simple points in mind:
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Seat Direction: Regular KTX trains have seats facing forward (순방향) and backward (역방향). If you get motion sickness easily, avoid the backward-facing seats. The booking app clearly shows which direction the seats face with small arrow icons.
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Charging Ports: On older KTX trains, power outlets are located on the walls between the windows, not on every individual seat. If you need to charge your laptop or phone, look at the seat map and choose a seat that aligns with the wall pillars between the windows. On KTX-Sancheon and KTX-Cheongryong trains, every seat has its own outlet under the cushion.
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The 4-Person Center Seats: In the middle of regular KTX coaches, there are four seats facing each other with a shared table. Korail sells these as a discounted bundle for groups. When our family of four travels to Busan, we always pick these. My kids love it because it feels like a mini picnic, and they actually enjoy sitting backward.
4. Arrival at Busan Station: Connecting to Your Hotel & Getting Around
Busan Station is a massive modern transport hub. When you step off the train, you have three main choices to reach popular hotel areas like Haeundae Beach or Gwangalli:
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The Subway (Line 1): The subway entrance is directly connected to the train station. To get to Seomyeon (downtown), it takes about 15 minutes. To get to Haeundae Beach, you need to take Line 1 and transfer to Line 2 at Seomyeon, which takes about 50 minutes total.
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Taxis: The taxi stand is right outside the station’s main exit. If you have heavy bags, a taxi to Haeundae takes about 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic and costs around 20,000 to 25,000 KRW.
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Busan City Tour Bus (The Double-Decker Option): If you want to explore the city like a true traveler without the stress of driving, I highly recommend the open-top double-decker city tour buses that depart near the station. It is an incredibly fun way for kids to see the coastal bridges and ocean views from a high vantage point.
Summary Checklist for Seoul to Busan by KTX
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Book tickets 1 to 2 weeks early if traveling on a weekend.
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Look for the KTX-Cheongryong train to shave 20 minutes off your journey for the same price.
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Check the arrow indicators on the app to ensure you get a forward-facing seat.
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Prepare a standard USB cable or charger; older KTX trains require wall outlet access.
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Consider the open-top double-decker tourist bus at Busan Station for an easy, scenic way to explore with kids.