I am looking for advice on traveling from Seoul to Jeju Island. Obviously a flight is the fastest and easiest.

One thought was to take the train south to see the countryside, etc... and then a ferry to Jeju. It doesn't appear, though, that this is as simple as it may seem. Does anyone have any advice on this?

Thanks!

I had planned on a ferry from Mokpo, which is (I believe) on the high-speed rail line from Seoul ... but remember that the ferry might be cancelled. My ferry was cancelled, so I ended up flying from Gwangju. It's actually a rather funny story -- you might enjoy reading post # 58 of my trip report: 4 wonderful solo weeks in South Korea

That said, the scenery south of Seoul is often spectacular. FWIW, I enjoyed that part of the country MUCH more than I enjoyed Jeju-do.

That is very helpful. I will take a look at your post. I would be interested in your thoughts on Jeju versus the southern part of Korea as we had planned to spend our time in Jeju.

Thanks!

Perhaps my (long) trip report will give you some sense of the differences, but in brief:

Jeju-Do is a destination favored by young (late teens to eary-mid 20s) couples and much of what the island offers is targeted to that group of people. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but being substantially older, I found a bit too oriented to youth and romance. I don't regret going -- there are some things I thought worth seeing -- but I had almost a month to explore South Korea and so making time for Jeju-Do didn't force me to skip any of my other high priorities.

In contrast, the south of Korea includes Busan -- one of my favorite cities in the world. it is beautifully situated and offers everything from a mountain-top fortress to a temple nestled into seaside cliffs; vibrant city life and an amazing market. I found the scenery of Busan much more dramatic and breathtaking than the scenery of Jeju-Do. I'm not sure what else you would consider if you visit the southern part of Korea; I might be able to comment if I know more about your plans.

Hope that helps!

As kja mentions, Busan has a little bit of everything Korean. In some ways, it is the perfect destination. In Busan, the mountains plunge all the way to the sea. But is is a very spread out city, so even though you can tan take public transportation everywhere, those distances can be pretty far.

Here is a tourist map of Busan to give you a lay of the land:

I don't have the experience of kja and shelemm, but I would recommend Gyeongju above Busan. Gyeongju has a lot of attractive and interesting historical (1,000 year old) sights, whereas Busan is mostly modern.

And I quite enjoyed Jeju. That waterfall into the ocean that kja mentions in her trip report is also visible from the cliffs. And Seogwipo has an excellent museum of African(!) art housed in a reproduction of the Mud Mosque of Djenne. (OK, a modern fake, but it is fun--it even has a leopard lazing in the tree outside).

Trivia: Seoul to Jeju is the busiest air route in the world.

I agree the Gyeongju is well worth seeing.

Busan is a good place to experience the juxtaposition of the traditional with the modern. You could walk for miles from Jagalchi Fish Market down the outdoor fish market streets on up to Gukje Market onto Bupyeong Kkangtong Market in an almost unbroken string of market streets and think you were in Korea from decades ago when people sometimes sold there wares off the ground.

If you're looking for a mix of experiences, I'd suggest considering both Jeju and the southern part of Korea, like Busan and Gyeongju. Jeju offers beautiful nature, but Busan and the surrounding areas give a deeper dive into Korean culture and history. You could enjoy vibrant city life, stunning coastal views, and historical sites all in one trip.