Don’t you have any romance about traveling by train? Especially, seeing landscape in train would be nice when it is snowy. However, to travel all around Korea, the price of train tickets would be a burden to you. Also, you should hurry to be just in time for train even if you want to stay there a little bit more. Fortunately, there is a travel package to solve these discomforts. It is “Rail-Ro” (내일로).
Rail-Ro is a travel package sold by Ko-rail. It is different concept with existing travel package. There are no guides, no fixed plan and no fixed date to travel. It can be explained as season pass. There are two options of Rail-Ro. 5-days pass and 7-days pass. You can take any trains among ITX-새마을호 (ITX-Saemaul-ho), 새마을호 (Saemaul-ho), 누리로 (Noori-ho), 무궁화호 (Mugungwhat-ho), 통근열차(Commuting train) at any times during 5 or 7 days. Also, Rail-Ro is operated during vacation only. Therefore it is divided Summer Rail-Ro and Winter Rail-Ro. Usually Summer Rail-Ro is from the end of May to August and Winter one is from the end of November to February.
Source: Doosan Encyclopedia
The purpose of Rail-Ro is to develop youth’s great spirits and to tell the joy of traveling by train. Because of purpose, Rail-Ro has age limit. Only Korean and foreigner who are under 25 years old can buy and use Rail-Ro. If your age is more than 25, don’t be disappointed. There are other packages called Hana-Ro (하나로) and Dasoni (다소니). But it is more expensive than Rail-Ro. The price for the 5-day Rail-ro ticket is 56,500 Won, and 62,700 Won for the 7-day pass. As for the Hana-Ro ticket, a 3-day pass is 56,000 Won for one person and 89,000 Won for two.
To buy Rail-Ro ticket, you can use internet or mobile. I recommend to using mobile. Because when you take a train, a crew will check your ticket. At that time, showing mobile ticket is more convenience. When you buy ticket, there are options to choose the region where you want to receive benefits. There are many benefits in each region. You can choose only one region for benefits. You can check benefits on the Korail website.
Rail-Ro is very famous package to Korean young people. It is cheap and it is a good opportunity to travel all around Korea. However, there are some discomfort things. Since this package offer train services at any time they are running, it is only standing room. Fortunately, there are some sits in train café and there are cabins for standing room user. Also, you can sit if it is vacant. However, during Rail-Ro season, there are too many young people using Rail-Ro. Maybe you need to stand when you come back to Seoul.
To get more tips about Rail-Ro and planning trip, search the Rail-Ro communities. There are many recommended courses and reviews. (Maybe you need Korean friend to get information because most of communities use only Korean)
It will soon be vacation. If you are exchange student for one semester, you will go back to your country. How about travel all around Korea by Rail-Ro? During Rail-Ro period, you can meet many Korean students or youths.
Source: Korail Website
Article by Yujin from Korea
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