By Kim Eun-young and Kim Young Shin

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, to be held in the Korean cities of Pyeongchang, Gangneung and Jeongseon starting Feb. 9, are just around the corner.

Your journey to the venues can be just as exciting as the Olympics themselves if you pick the right form of transportation.

If you can't wait to catch Olympic fever, hop on the non-stop high-speed KTX Gyeonggang train that will take you to the main host city from Incheon International Airport in just over two hours.

The KTX Gyeonggang takes 2 hours, 6 minutes from the second passenger terminal at Incheon International Airport straight to Jinbu Station in Pyeongchang, and then onward to Gangneung Station. The train makes eight round trips every day, leaving Incheon three times in the morning and five times in the afternoon. The earliest train leaves the airport at 10 a.m. The last train back to Incheon leaves Gangneung Station at 1:30 p.m. A one-way trip costs KRW 40,700/ $38.16 if you travel from Incheon to Gangneung, KRW 27,600/ $25.88 from Seoul Station to Gangneung, and KRW 26,000/ $24.38 from Cheongnyangni Station to Gangneung.

Phoenix Snow Park, the venue for the snowboarding and freestyle skiing, is the closest to Pyeongchang Station. The PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Sliding Centre, the Alpensia Biathlon, Cross-Country and Ski Jumping Centres, the Jeongseon Alpine Centre and the Yongpyong Alpine Centre are all closer to Jinbu Station. The Gangneung Curling Centre, the Kwandong and Gangneung Hockey Centres, the Gangneung Ice Arena and the Gangneung Oval are all close to Gangneung Station.

The KTX Gyeonggang high-speed train from the airport stops at 12 stations along the way, including Seoul and Cheongnyangni stations in the greater Seoul area. It reaches Pyeongchang, Jinbu and Gangneung stations all within three hours. The train runs 51 times a day during the Olympics. During the Paralympics, the train will run 22 times per day on weekdays and 30 times per day on weekends.

If you plan to stay in Seoul or the greater capital region during the Olympics, you should get a PyeongChang Korail Pass or a Korea Tour Card. These are exclusive cards solely for international tourists. The PyeongChang Korail Pass comes as either a 5-day pass (KRW 168,000/ $157.53) or as a 7-day pass (KRW 195,000/ $182.84). This pass allows you to take Korail trains, including the KTX, without any limits during the Olympic period from Feb. 1 to March 25. The pass can be bought at the Korail website (https://www.letskorail.com). The Korea Tour Card is a transportation card that offers discounts on shopping and on public transport.

If you want to take it slow and make some special memories during your trip to Korea, travelling by a bus is a suitable choice.

During your trip, you'll be able to enjoy the panoramic views of the tranquil and wintry scenery of Korea’s country side. The road will take you through the dazzling snowscape of Gangwon-do Province and, if you're lucky, you might be able to spot some icy waterfalls. Being able to enjoy some of the popular snacks at the rest areas along the way is another benefit of taking the bus.

If you're going to watch the Opening or Closing ceremonies, or the alpine, skiing, snowboarding or Nordic events, leave Seoul from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal. The Heonggye Bus Terminal, which is close to the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Sliding Centre, the Alpensia Centre and the Yongpyong Alpine Centre, is about 2 hours, 30 minutes from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal. The earliest buses leave at 6:35 a.m. and a one-way trip costs KRW 12,900/ $12.10. The last bus of the day from the Hyeonggye Terminal back to Seoul departs at 8:20 p.m.

If your destination is the Jeongseon Alpine Center, you need to get off the bus at the Jinbu Bus Terminal. It takes 2 hours to get there, and the earliest bus leaves Seoul at 6:35 a.m. A one-way trip costs KRW 11,500/ $10.78. The last bus of the day from Jinbu back to Seoul leaves at 8:40 p.m.

To get to the Phoenix Snow Park, please disembark at the Jangpyeong Bus Terminal. The bus takes 2 hours, and it leaves Seoul as early as 6:35 a.m. A one-way trip costs KRW 10,000/ $9.38 and the last bus of the day back to Seoul leaves at 9:03 p.m.

For skating or hockey fans, the Gangneung Intercity Bus Terminal is most likely to be your destination. From Incheon International Airport, it takes 4 hours, 10 minutes to get to Gangneung by bus. The first bus departs the airport at 7:30 a.m. It departs the airport 20 times per day, from Incheon to Gangwon-do Province. The last bus back to the airport is at 4 p.m. A one-way trip cost KRW 30,000/ $28.13 for this route.

If you're accompanied by family or friends, renting a car might be a great option. Events such as the Daegwallyeong Snow Festival and the Pyeongchang Trout Festival are held within 20 minutes of most Olympic venues. Having a car would also allow you to enjoy more festivals and to taste more delicacies from across Gangwon-do Province.

You can rent a car on the first floor of Incheon International Airport from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you're going to rent a car for one or two days, the cost is around KRW 100,000/ $93.75 for a compact car or KRW 160,000/ $150 for a midsized car. Please double check with your chosen rental company. To rent a car, you must have your passport and an international driver’s license. In the U.S., those are available from your local AAA office, or from the CAA in Canada. You can make car reservations at the Lotte Rent-a-Car website (https://www.lotterentacar.net) or at the AJ Rent-a-Car website (https://www.ajrentacar.co.kr).

If you're driving from Seoul or the greater capital region, you can make your way along National Road No. 6 and No. 69, both brand new roads that opened on Dec. 27 specifically for the Olympic Games. It will take you 2 hours to get to the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. You can also take these routes to travel between the main Olympic venues and other attractions, most of which are within 30 minutes of the Olympic host cities.

There are a total of eight giant parking lots at the Olympic venues: two parking lots in Pyeongchang (in Jinbu and in Daegwallyeong), one in Bogwang (Bongpyeong), one in Jeongseon and four in Gangneung (North Gangneung, Gangneung Station, West Gangneung and Kwandong).

You can also park at the Transfer Parking Lot at KTX stations and bus terminals and then take a free shuttle bus to the Game venues or to the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. A total of 432 shuttles will operate every day, 3 hours prior to an event and 2 hours afterward. Also, all city buses in the host cities will be free-of-charge during the Olympics. Finally, the mobile app “Go Pyeongchang” provides information on routes and transportation details to Olympic venues. It will be released at the end of January. The app will allow you to make reservations and to make payments for the high-speed KTX trains and for most major bus routes.

See you in Pyeongchang!

(All prices in Korean won. U.S. dollar equivalents are estimates.)

eykim86@korea.kr