If you go around Korea for outdoor activities, you will take buses quite a lot. You can buy bus tickets on on-line site or on site but I personally use phone apps more. It's more quick and easy for me. Furthermore, in most cases, you will get the QR code tickets and tag it when you get on the bus.
Problem is bus ticket apps don't have English version like train ticket app. I found out that bus and ferry ticket pages usually don't provide good English version. I'll introduce 2 bus ticket apps. One of them is about express bus and other one is for intercity buses but not express one.
1. To buy Express Bus tickets : 고속버스모바일
This app is for express buses. If you want to go to small, not a main bus terminal in cities, you might not get tickets from here. In those cases, use the other app I write below.
If you click the buying tickets, you will go to the page for selecting destination and time. In this app, only terminals who have express bus line appear. If you can't find the result after you search, that means there is no available bus in the course. In that case, search other intercity buses.
When you buy tickets, most of the time you can check QR code on your 'check and change the reservation' tab. You can also change the bus ticket but the cancellation fee is different depending on time left from departure.
2. To buy Intercity Bus ticket : 버스타고
You can buy intercity bus tickets on this app. For example, you can buy from Seoul Central bus terminal to Busan ticket on express bus app. However when you try to go to the specific place, not from big city to big city, you sometimes can't find the express bus line.
If you want to hike Jirisan and you are living in Seoul, you can't get direct express bus from Seoul to Jirisan. However you can find the bus line from Dong Seoul Bus terminal to Baekmudong bus station which is the right starting point for hiking.
When you buy tickets through 버스타고 app, you may get the tickets on your phone or you need to get a paper ticket again in the terminal. It depends on line. When you need to get the paper ticket again on site, you need to use the same card you used to buy tickets on on-line. They don't charge you again but it's only for getting a ticket. I know this is inconvenient and I honestly don't know why they can't make it for app tickets. If you don't have your card which you used before, you can get the ticket on the terminal using your birthday and phone number.
Both apps I wrote about above, you can buy tickets on on-line too. I just introduced how to use cell phone app. I saw some foreigners who can't find the direct bus from one terminal to other terminal especially not in big cities one and went around long distance. If you can't find the direct bus tickets on express bus, you may find the right one on the intercity bus app. Intercity buses go more specific local areas so it's good to use when you do outdoor activity outside of Seoul.
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