Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

I want to visit some of my old friends in Hirosaki the week after next. I'm leaving from Busan. I toyed with the idea of taking the ferry over and then doing a rail pass to Hirosaki.

I've been looking at a flight as well but it looks to be a hassle with me leaving the night before and staying in a hotel, waking up at 6am to get to the airport. I'll also have to pay for a KTX ticket to Seoul. This will all cost at least $800 or so when all is said and done for about a week of holiday. I'm loathe to go on the $100+ a day vacation.

How early does KTX start anyway? Is it possible to catch the Sunday morning train from Busan and be at the Incheon airport by 7am?

I need a cheaper alternative. Suggestions? I can take the cheap overnight ferry to the Fukuoka area and then get a rail pass. But then it'll work out to about 2 days of transit both ways because I'll have to wait for the train to leave in the evening from Shimonseki or Hakata.

[soviet_man]

Some general ideas:

--- If you are crazy brave, I believe there is (or used to be) a "midnight excellence" bus that goes from Busan to Seoul (leave Busan somewhere around midnight and arrive Seoul in the early morning with nice-ish seats). eg. find out when the last bus departs.

--- As far as I know, Japan also has jjimjilbang sauna sleeping rooms along similar lines to Korea, so if you spend 1 or 2 nights there (eg. the first and last night), that will save considerable dollars.

--- Youth hostels. Goes without saying.

--- If you are only in Japan for 1 week, I personally would avoid the railpasses and just get 1 way tickets on slow trains. I think the general consensus is that railpasses are more suited for longer trips than 1 week.

--- With such an itinerary as yours, I would be leaning towards going ferry one way and flying the other. Keeps it interesting and you won't have to waste 1 or 2 days back-tracking.