Getting between Incheon Airport and Seoul

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The airport railroad links T1 and T2 to Seoul Station. The all-stop train calls at every station; the express runs to Seoul Station without stopping.

The express journey times are in the operator's published timetable, and every weekday and holiday train agrees exactly. Express fares are the opposite case — they appear only on the booking screen, so this guide does not print them.

The all-stop fares are read straight off the railroad's published station-to-station tariff, for an adult paying with a prepaid or postpaid transit card.

Terminal 2 costs KRW 600 more to every station. AREX fares are charged by distance, and Terminal 2 sits further out.

The row worth a second look is Hongik Univ. If you are staying in Hongdae or Yeonnam-dong there is no reason to ride to Seoul Station. Hongik Univ. is cheaper and saves you a transfer.

Transit cards are sold at the convenience stores and vending machines in arrivals. You will use one for the rest of the trip, so buying it here saves queueing again in Seoul. The types and how to top them up are in the transportation card guide.

1. 1

   Follow the signs marked 공항철도 / AREX. From outside the arrivals hall, head towards the transportation centre.

2. 2

   Choose the all-stop or the express. If Seoul Station is not your destination, look at the all-stop train first.

   

   MNXANL (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

3. 3

   Sort out your ticket. The all-stop train takes a transit card straight away; the express needs a separate ticket.

   

   MNXANL (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

4. 4

   Go through the gates and down to the Seoul-bound platform. Check the terminus on the board once before you board.

   

   MNXANL (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

5. 5

   Get off at your destination. The all-stop train reaches Hongik Univ. and Gongdeok before Seoul Station, and each of those connects to the subway.

Airport buses run directly into Seoul's neighbourhoods and hotel districts. They are the better choice when you would rather find the stop nearest your accommodation than walk to a station and change trains.

The official Airport Limousine routes currently include 6001, 6002, 6005, 6007 and 6015 among others, and routes are revised from time to time. Route 6701 is a separate K Airport Limousine service linking City Hall, Gwanghwamun, Myeongdong, Gongdeok and Mapo with the airport.

That table is a set of representative routes. Do not board on the route number alone — check your accommodation's address against the day's actual services in the official search. Airport Limousine also publishes how tickets are bought and where buses leave from at the airport.

1. 1

   Get your accommodation's exact address. Hotel names repeat, so find the stop name on a map first.

2. 2

   Check the terminal and the route in the airport's official bus search. Confirm whether it runs, and where it leaves from, on the day you travel.

   

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3. 3

   At T1 use the first floor; at T2 the B1 bus terminal. Ticketing and boarding information are at both.

4. 4

   Check the number and the direction before boarding. The same number runs both to the airport and into the city.

   

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A taxi goes to the door with no transfers, which helps with heavy luggage or a group. The airport directs passengers to the designated ranks, and cars that approach you away from them should be refused.

The airport's official guidance lists the rank numbers at T1 and T2 along with base fares for standard, deluxe and large taxis and the late-night surcharge. Check it for current figures before you travel.

1. 1

   Work out which kind of taxi you want, and its stand number. Standard taxis and the deluxe or large ones board at different stands, and the signs around the terminal give the number and the walking distance together.

   

   Narubaru7 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

2. 2

   Join the queue at the designated stand. It is the one marked 택시 타는 곳 / Taxi Stand.

   

   Narubaru7 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

3. 3

   Take the next car in the queue. The airport asks passengers to use the designated stands, and a driver who approaches you away from one should be turned down.

Heading back to the airport

• 🚆Seoul Station, Hongdae, Gongdeok

  If an AREX station is close, take the train. From Seoul Station the express is also an option.

• 🚌Myeongdong, City Hall, Gangnam and so on

  If there is an airport bus stop near your accommodation, you can reach the airport without changing.

• 🚕Heavy luggage or an early flight

  A taxi goes door to terminal, but leave room for traffic.

Sean Young (@assanges) (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

From Seoul Station you choose between the express and the all-stop train. The express is the assigned-seat train from Seoul Station to T1 and T2; the all-stop calls at every station on the line.

If you want a seat on the day you fly, the express takes 43 minutes to T1 and 51 to T2.

hyolee2 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

If there is an airport-bound stop near your accommodation you can cut out the transfers. From Myeongdong, City Hall, Gwanghwamun, Yeouido and Gangnam in particular, start by finding the route closest to where you are staying.

Airport Limousine publishes operating hours and stop lists per route, and the airport-bound and city-bound directions have to be checked separately.

On the day you fly, confirm your flight's terminal first, then check that the bus you board goes to that terminal.

The advantage is going straight from your accommodation to the terminal. Seoul traffic can change the journey time considerably, so if your departure time is fixed, leave earlier than you think you need to.

The airport's official taxi guidance covers the ranks and fare information by terminal, but the actual fare leaving Seoul depends on where you start and on traffic.