AREX Express Train Review: ICN to Seoul Station

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Incheon Airport to Seoul Station

AREX Express Train Discount Booking & Review

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Landing at 4:00 AM after a long flight, I quickly realized the first airport bus wasn't until 7:00 AM.

The thought of waiting around the terminal for three hours sounded miserable,

so I decided to hop on the AREX Express Train for the first time in a while!

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It's about 20 minutes faster than the standard All-Stop train,

and it's incredibly convenient if you're using the Seoul Station City Airport Terminal.

Personally, it saved me so much time and the ride was incredibly comfortable.

I will absolutely be taking it again for any future early-morning arrivals.

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1. How to Book AREX Express Tickets

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You can definitely buy tickets in person at the station, but

booking online is about 10% cheaper.

I highly recommend grabbing your tickets in advance to save some cash.

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* For reference, the standard All-Stop commuter train costs ~$3.50

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You can buy discounted tickets on Klook, WAG, or KKDAY.

The price is identical across all platforms, so just use your favorite one.

I had some extra points saved up, so I booked through Klook.

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Incheon Airport AREX One-Way Ticket - Book on Klook

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Here is a quick walkthrough on how to use your ticket (based on the Klook app):

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When purchasing, you'll enter your intended travel date.

Once bought, it will show up in your bookings tab.

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Next, you need to activate the ticket to get your QR code.

You can do this at the kiosks in the station, but doing it on your phone is much easier.

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I activated mine online: just click

Activate Ticket -> Select Departure Date -> Select Departure Time.

It takes about 10 seconds. Super simple!

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A quick warning: Once activated, the ticket cannot be refunded or changed.

If you're heading from Seoul Station to the airport, it's fine to do it early.

But if you're going from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station, I highly recommend

waiting until you actually land and deplane before activating it,

just in case your flight is delayed.

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Once activated, a QR code is generated.

Just scan this QR code on your phone at the orange AREX gates,

and you're good to go!

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2. Express Train Timetable

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Check out the timetable below for the latest schedule.

Trains generally run at 30 to 60-minute intervals.

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Traveling between Incheon Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2

takes about 8 minutes by train.

If you take the airport shuttle bus, it usually takes 15-20 minutes,

so the train is definitely the faster option here.

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Honestly, whenever I travel to Japan, I always book the express train tickets

instead of the regular subway to save precious vacation time.

I'm not sure why it took me this long to apply the same logic in Korea!

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I noticed a lot of international tourists on my flight

were also opting for the Express Train

rather than the standard All-Stop commuter train.

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3. Where to Board the AREX at Incheon T1

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If you're landing at Incheon Airport Terminal 1,

it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk

from the arrivals hall to the train station.

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Head towards the right side of Exit 5,

and you'll spot the escalators leading down to the Airport Railroad.

Take the escalator down one floor,

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and continue walking straight to the right. You'll see signs for both trains.

Follow the blue signs for the All-Stop Train,

and the orange signs for the Express Train.

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The boarding gates are separated by color.

Since I arrived before the very first train of the day, the station was still a bit dark!

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The lights flicked on about 10 to 20 minutes before departure.

All I had to do was scan the QR code I activated earlier

and walk right through. It was completely hassle-free.

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The platform looks just like a regular subway or train station.

Find your designated car number, wait a few minutes,

and the train pulls right up.

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One of the biggest perks of the AREX Express Train is the comfort.

If you take the standard All-Stop train during rush hour,

you'll be packed in with daily commuters, making it a nightmare to manage heavy luggage.

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The Express Train, however, has dedicated luggage racks

and guaranteed seating. It's rarely crowded, so you can actually

relax and recover a bit from your flight.

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In my specific car, it was literally just me and one other passenger!

I didn't even bother putting my suitcase in the luggage rack;

I just kept it next to my seat, and it wasn't in anyone's way.

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4. Seoul Station Transfer Tips

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My travel route was:

Incheon Airport > Seoul Station > Suwon Station (via KTX train) > Taxi home.

Even with all the transfers, it ended up being way faster than the airport bus.

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The transfer instructions for Subway Lines 1 and 4 at Seoul Station

are clearly written in the brochures on the train, so I read up on the way.

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You'll get off the Express Train at floor B7. To transfer to Subway Lines 1 or 4,

you simply need to take the elevators up to floor B3.

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However, if you're catching a KTX or regional train like me,

you need to go from B3 all the way up to the 2nd floor (above ground).

From there, head to the main concourse on the 1st floor to reach the train platforms.

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I actually managed to make a tight 7-minute connection to my KTX train!

Granted, that was thanks to perfect elevator timing and a bit of sprinting.

While a 7-minute transfer is technically possible in an emergency,

I highly recommend leaving at least a 10 to 15-minute buffer.

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The AREX Express Train was clean, comfortable,

and noticeably faster than the subway. I will 100% ride it again!

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Instead of waiting three hours for a bus, I was already home and in bed

by the time the first bus would have departed. If you value your time and comfort,

this is the absolute best way to travel from the airport.

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Incheon Airport AREX One-Way Ticket - Book on Klook