Cheongju Travel Guide

Getting There

The Cheongju International Airport (CHN), San 5-1, Ipsang-li, Naesu-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do (tel. 043/210-6114; http://cheongju.airport.co.kr), has limited flights. There are flights three times a week to and from Shanghai, a couple of flights to/from Shenyang, and irregular flights to/from Taipei and Kaoshung. There are 10 flights (five to and five from) Jeju-do run by Korean Airlines (tel. 043/213-2106) and Asiana Airlines (tel. 043/210-6504). There are no flights to/from Seoul or other domestic airports. Buses to downtown Cheongju run 25 times daily, costing W1,100 ($1.20/60p). Other buses that run much less frequently go to Chungju, Cheonan, and Daejeon. From Incheon Airport, you can catch a bus to Cheongju in front of bus stop 9D. Buses run irregularly (every 20-60 min) daily from 6:30am-10:40pm and cost about W16,000 to W19,000 ($17-$20/£8.60-£10) with a travel time of about 2 hours.

Cheongju's train station is located about 20 minutes west of the city and not very convenient. Only about 10 trains pass through the city daily terminating at Daejeon and Jecheon. There is one train that goes from Seoul to Cheongju on the way to Andong. If you want to catch a train to destinations on the Gyeongbu line, it's best to take a bus to Jochiwon Station and get a train there instead of transferring between rail lines.

Express buses from Seoul cost about W12,000 ($13/£6.50). Buses from the Dong Seoul Station run every 15 to 20 minutes, daily from 6am to 9pm. Taking about 90 minutes, fares range from W6,500 to W9,300 ($7-$10/£4- £5). From Seoul's Sanbong Bus Terminal, there are seven buses a day from 6:10am to 8:10pm, with a running time of about 90 minutes and costing W6,300 to W9,100 ($6.75-$9.80/£3.40-£4.90). There are buses from Busan every 80 minutes, daily from 7am to 6pm. Buses cost W14,200 to W21,100 ($15-$23/£7.65-£12) and take over 4 hours. Express buses are only available from Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju. More frequent intercity buses go to most major cities, including Buyeo, Gongju, Daejeon, Jeonju, Chungju, and Suwon.

Getting Around

Cheongju has an extensive and efficient bus system, and it's the cheapest way to get around. However, drivers don't speak English and the stops are written only in Korean. If you know how to say where you're going in Korean (or have it written down -- ask for help at your hotel), you can ask the driver to let you know when your stop is.

Taxis are inexpensive and usually waiting in front of all bus and train stations. You can also flag a taxi down from any street. Most taxi drivers don't speak English either, but if you have an address or name of a destination, they'll get you there in no time.

Visitor Information

The tourist information center, 1449 Gagyeong-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si (tel. 043/1330; Daily 9am-6pm) is next to the Cheongbu Bus Terminal.

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange & ATMs -- There are plenty of banks in the downtown area of Cheongju, many along the pedestrian street near Jung-ang Park. They're open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm. Most major hotels will also exchange foreign currency and traveler's checks at their currency exchange desks.

Internet Access -- Most large hotels and even a couple of the lower-priced motels and youth hostels offer Internet access. If you don't have your own computer, your cheapest option is the PC bahngs in town. Just look for the letters PC; most of them are found on the second or third floors above restaurants. There are some easily found ones in the Chungbuk University (Chungdae) area. The tourist info center outside the intercity bus terminal also offers free Internet access.

Post Office -- There are a number of post offices (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) in town, but the most convenient one is in Sajing-no in the heart of the city.