If you arrive at Seoul’s Incheon Airport there are four basic ways to get from there to the city center – the Airport Railway Express (AREX), Seoul Metro, Airport Limousine Bus or taxi. By far the most convenient for many tourists is the Airport Limousine Bus, as it’s quick, most likely stops near your hotel and only costs 10,000 KRW ($10). This is how we traveled to the city center and back again.
When you’ve passed through immigration and collected your baggage at the airport you’ll come out into the arrivals hall. Take any of the 14 exits and look for the Transport Information board right outside the exits. These will tell you which bus goes to which destination. Hopefully you’ll have checked with your hotel to find out which is the closest stop.
For example, we wanted to get off at Anguk Metro station, so the bus we needed was No. 6011. This left from stops 5B and 12A. It’s best to go to stop 5B, as it stops there first so you’ll have a better choice of seats. But the bus was only half full when we got it from the airport so it wouldn’t have been a problem.
You can buy tickets for the bus inside the arrivals hall, but you can also pay cash on the bus (10,000 KRW), so I don’t see the point of buying a ticket unless you arrive at a really busy time. I’m not sure, but it’s possible that passengers with tickets would get on first. The buses leave every 20-30 minutes from early morning until late at night.
The buses are modern and the seats are comfortable, with plenty of legroom. The buses are also equipped with seatbelts which it’s mandatory to use. When we got the bus the driver came around and checked that passengers were using them.
Journey time is around an hour, but may be a little more or less, depending on traffic. The bus crosses the Han River, and the journey is quite pleasant, as Seoul is a very clean and modern city.
Getting Back To The Airport
The journey back to the airport is just as simple. You’ll most likely get the bus from the same place that you got off, but across the road. Just wait at the bus stop and pay cash when you get on.
If you stay at the same Airnbnb apartment as us you can get the 6011 bus which stops right outside the building entrance. If not, just check with your hotel where the nearest bus stop is. There is sure to be a stop near your hotel if you’re staying in the city center.
Where To Stay In Seoul
As mentioned above, we had a great experience with Airbnb, but we also stayed at a fantastic traditional hanok guesthouse in the city center called All J Hanok Guesthouse. We can highly recommend it. For other hotels is Seoul, check out Agoda Hotels Seoul.
