Korean Job Discussion Forums

gochubandit · Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:43 pm Post subject: reserving KTX tickets?

wanna make a trip to busan, but is it possible to reserve tickets via phone with an english translator? or do i need to go in person to make the reservation? places/phone number to go/call to do so?

maeil · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: Haebangchon

Try here:

http://english.barota.com/

gochubandit · Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:25 pm Post subject:

uh ok. how do u become a member? can't make a reservation without a login id.

Yesanman · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Location: Chungnam

You need to go to your local train station and fill in an application form. It was 20,000 won when I did it several years ago. They should be able to give you a number on the spot and then they will mail a card to you. The membership also gives you a discount when you book tickets on-line and you can collect points for free train tickets. I also like it because you get to use the Samsung lounge in Seoul station or Yongsan station.

excitinghead · Joined: 18 Jul 2005

When my parents came to Korea via Incheon, my wife and I wanted to book the KTX for them from Seoul to Busan where we live. In other words, we book and pay, my parents pick them up. No can do said the wonderful KTX service, because they don't have Korean ID numbers, and the person paying has to either have one or be the person travelling. When we pointed out that this meant that nobody in our situation or coming from overseas can reserve tickets, 2 seperate phone staff said (in Korean) that they couldn't care less, and that the reserve system was for Koreans only...in that wonderful tone of voice you get here that implies "Why should things be any different? Bloody picky foreigners complaining...or their wives..." (in this case).

My parents had the same luck with the website mentioned...all very cool and techno looking, but you can't do squat without logging in, and there's nowhere to register or anything, it's a Catch-22. Typical Korean globalisation if you ask me, it's all for show.

In the end, they arrived at the station at 6pm, and had to sit around the first available train at 10pm, arriving at 1am here. Fortunately I had a world cup game to watch on the big screens while waiting for them. But all this happened despite me wanting to get tickets 6 weeks earlier...couldn't do a thing about it.

Sorry, rant over. You can book no prob if you're picking them up and travelling yourself, but forget about booking for someone else if they're not Korean.