Incheon International Airport

After all the fuss has died down the newly opened Incheon International Airport, dubbed ‘The Winged City’, is proving to be what the exhausted Kimpo was not; a contemporary, efficiently run facility which should more than adequately handle the huge influx of visitors that Korea is expecting for the 2002 World Cup.

After a huge land reclamation and construction project of over 8 years, the purposefully designed round-the-clock, state of the art facility is touted to become the travel hub of Asia.

While the convenience of catching the subway directly to the terminal has been put on hold until the new high speed rail line is completed (scheduled for 2007), the country’s bus operators have more than compensated with a bevy of coaches serving virtually every part of Seoul and its outlying provinces.

The buses cost 5500 won or 10000 won, depending on the proprietor, and this is a steep rise from the 800 won maximum that the Kimpo subway run used to cost. Nevertheless, these fares are typical of airports around the world and a world class airport brings with it parallel pricing.

Well sign-posted bus stops line the building outside the arrivals floor playing host to an incessant stream of transport. Many of the buses stop at subway stations along their route allowing travelers easy access to those parts of Seoul that the airport bus network doesn’t serve.

A little forward planning, involving identifying the closest subway to the ultimate destination and printing out a subway map (see http://www.escortmap.co.kr ) will prove invaluable on the stroll down the 1055 meter-long bus stop alley in the hunt for the right vehicle.

For those who reside in Seoul or are hiring cars it is worth noting that the one way toll on the new highway costs 6100 won. This fee and the extra distance from the city has also pushed up the prices of a taxi ride to the vicinity of 30000 (minimum) won into downtown Seoul. Those heading out to the airport via cab should be wary of drivers asking for an extra fee to be compensated for a fareless journey back to Seoul.

Unfortunately the bus services stop operating at about 10:30pm so those arriving later (or on early flights) have to make alternate travel arrangements.

The airport has a wide range of facilities including bowling lanes, a sauna, prayer rooms and the obligatory duty-free stores and eateries.

For transit passengers the airport houses a hotel on the fourth floor of the complex. The Sheraton Walker Hill run hotel houses 90 guest rooms and other facilities can be contacted on +8232 743 3000. Rooms are available on an hourly basis.

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