Miss the Last Subway in Seoul? A Taxi Can Cost 6,700 Won, the Night Bus Just 2,500

Many foreign travelers who stay out late around Hongdae, Seoul's university nightlife district, head for the subway only after midnight. Walking into the station as usual, they instead find the shutters down and an empty, dark platform. Because Seoul's subway lines end their service at different times depending on the line and day of the week, the assumption that you can always catch a train before midnight often turns out to be wrong.

At a glance: last-train times vary by line, station and day (generally around midnight to 1 a.m. at the terminal station), taxi night surcharges apply from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. at 20 percent (10-11 p.m. and 2-4 a.m.) and 40 percent (11 p.m.-2 a.m.), a standard taxi's daytime base fare of 4,800 won rises to 5,800 won under the 20 percent surcharge and 6,700 won under the 40 percent surcharge, the Owl Bus night service runs from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for a flat 2,500 won, and Seoul's Dasan Call Center can be reached at 120.

According to the timetables published by Seoul Metro and other operators, the last train generally finishes its run at the terminal station sometime between midnight and 1 a.m., but it passes through downtown stations earlier than that. Even at the same station, last-train times can differ by 30 minutes or more depending on direction and whether it is a weekday or weekend, so assuming a flat "midnight last train" can leave visitors stranded outside a locked station. Check the line's posted schedule or a subway app before heading out.

Once the last train is gone, a taxi is usually the only option left. Under Seoul's official taxi fare notice, the night surcharge runs from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., adding 20 percent between 10-11 p.m. and 2-4 a.m., and 40 percent during the busiest stretch from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. A standard taxi's daytime base fare of 4,800 won climbs to 5,800 won at the 20 percent rate and to 6,700 won at the 40 percent rate. Even over the same distance, the base fare alone can run up to 1,900 won higher depending on the hour, and the gap widens the longer the ride.

To save money, the city-run night bus service known as the Owl Bus is worth considering. It runs 14 routes with 140 vehicles from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., charging a flat 2,500 won by transit card regardless of the hour. That is less than half even the lowest night-time taxi base fare of 6,700 won, so if your accommodation sits along an Owl Bus route, missing the last train no longer means scrambling for an expensive taxi.