AREX train - ilivetotravel's travel log

Getting to Seoul from Incheon International Airport is quite easy. The airport is extremely modern, clean and well-signed. Very important for me as a new visitor into the city as I knew, based on my prior research, that I would find my way to my desired transportation method without an issue. Besides traditional services like private cars, buses or taxis, train service into the city is available. Going from Incheon to Seoul should not be anything you worry about when planning your visit to the capital of South Korea!

Very modern architecture

How to decide which way to go from Incheon to Seoul Station?

Incheon Airport is an hour away or so (by train) from Seoul’s city center (Seoul Station) so a taxi ride may be more than folks may want to pay for if they are traveling without lots of luggage. (There is a luggage service if you are flying with certain airlines to help with that if you take the train; read more about it here). Besides the extra cost of vehicle service, you would suffer, er, experience big city traffic, which would also be a concern with bus service. So, for me, nothing beat the train service with its generally uninterrupted movement towards the destination!

Is train service available from Incheon to Seoul?

Yes, indeed! Now, there are two train types available: the AREX express train or the AREX commuter line “all-stop” train. Let’s look at both options:

Option 1: The AREX all-stop train is cheaper (about half of the cost of the AREX express train). But it does not have dedicated storage space for luggage so you would have to be managing your luggage as people enter and exit the train car at the stops. This train option takes longer due to the stops the train will make between the airport and the Seoul Station (10-20 mins longer depending on which terminal you are landing/departing from at Incheon). However, if your destination is close to one of those stops, then the all-stop may make good sense.
Option 2: If you are heading into the city proper (as I was), you may want to use the AREX express train which connects the airport to Seoul Station in the heart of the city without any stops outside of the two airport terminals. When you buy a ticket (9,500 Korean Won as of this writing, about $9.50US;), it automatically assigns you to a train car and a seat. I am not sure if I could have picked my seat but was not paying attention both times I bought a ticket. The train has wi-fi for free and the seats recline, and even have footrests (the all-stop train is just a regular subway-like train).

Express train seats

How to use the AREX express train service

Once you clear immigration and customs, you will be on the lookout for “Airport Railroad” signage. This will take you to the area with both ticket vending machines or a staffed kiosk.

Signage at airport makes the direction stand out

AREX ticket kiosk

At the airport, there was plenty of help and it was all very easy to navigate. On the reverse, Seoul Station is quite big and the path to the AREX tracks varies depending on whether you take a subway line in or you walk into Seoul Station. More on this part later.

Once you get to the train area, they have done a good job of signing which way to the express train and which way to the all-stop train. The former is all signed in orange, and the latter all signed in blue.

The orange turnstiles are for the AREX express train

Using the AREX express train vending machines

After you have gone to the AREX express train area, you will see the orange vending machines or the staffed kiosk. The machines were super intuitive to use and took credit card or cash.

AREX express train vending machine

When you first approach it and see its touchscreen, you will see it all in Korean except, in a row of buttons, one that says “English.” That was the only European language available as far as I could tell. Once you press it, follow the menus. On the way into the city, there is no option. You are headed to Seoul Station. On the way into the airport, you will need to know from which of the two terminals your flight is departing from: Terminal 1 or 2. You will specify that, how many tickets and the time of the train you want to take.

You then proceed to pay and the machine will issue two items: one is your train time and seat assignment; the other is the single journey card you will use to get through the automatic gates in and out the train track area (so only ticketed passengers get to access the platform).

Seat ticket and single journey card coming out of the machine

AREX, Seoul airport, Incheon airport, AREX ticket kiosk, AREX ticket

The yellow (or orange) single journey ticket and the seat assignment receipt

There is no security or anything else. It will just take however long the elevator wait and ride down take. There are clear signs indicating where each train car will be so you can pre-position yourself by your car if the train is not already there.

Clear signage on where to find the right train car at Terminal 2

Once you get into the train car, put away your luggage on the racks (there is overhead space above the seats for carry-on sized items) and lay back for the next 45 mins or so – you are headed to Seoul! (Or the airport!)

Getting stuck in Seoul Station on the way to the airport

As I alluded to earlier, I had a glitch on the way to the airport before I even got to the AREX express train. I got “stuck” heading into AREX train area from the subway’s Line 4 at Seoul Station. But I will say Seoul Station was well-signed to get me from the regular subway to the AREX departure area!

Signs at Seoul Station directing passengers to the AREX train

Signage at Seoul Station even included floor signs (this one for the all-stop train)!

Signage at Seoul Station guides you to the right floor for buying tickets

In any case, my single journey card for the subway was not intended to allow me to enter the AREX train area just to exit the subway proper. I was not aware of that so I only had that one card. Why is this necessary is beyond me – it adds confusion to visitors.

I could not access the area where you buy the AREX tickets NOR to buy a new single journey card to let me through. I was at a loss of what to do. I spotted a man walking with an AREX ID card and asked for help – he used his ID card to let me in and I proceeded to buy the ticket. He got a nice “kumapsunida” from me and a smile.