Gimpo Airport is also more popular with travellers than Incheon due to its proximity to the city centre.
The airport has a large transfer station for several metro lines, which are the fastest mode of transport. However, there are also many bus lines to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Metro to downtown
Gimpo Airport is served by the conventional metro and the Arex airport train (Airport railroad), but this is also effectively just one of Seoul's metro lines.
The station is located on an underground level between the domestic and international terminals, with clearly marked corridors leading off from them for about 200 metres.
It takes less than half an hour to get to central Seoul, with services alternating at intervals of no more than 10 minutes.
Subway lines 5 and 9 as well as Arex cross with several other subway lines during the journey, so it's no problem to get to a hotel in Itaewon, Myeongdong, Gangnam, etc. with one transfer.
- Airport Railroad (AREX - blue All-Stop Train only) - a special subway line connecting Seoul Central Station, Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport. Only stops at Gimpo Airport. The express line runs non-stop from the main station directly to Incheon and avoids Gimpo. AREX runs once every 5-15 minutes.
- Last train from the airport to downtown: 0:16 (the 0:34 train only goes after the Digital Media City station)
- First train from Seoul Station to the airport: 5:20
- Line 5 (purple) - takes you to Seoul's historic area without changing trains, but the overall journey is slightly longer than the Airport Railroad subway with a transfer at Seoul Station to the dark blue Line 1. Metro 5 runs once every 5-10 minutes.
- Last subway from the airport to downtown: 23:59 (later services end earlier than downtown in the depots)
- First subway from Jongno 3-ga Station to the airport: 5:41
- Line 9 (beige) - takes you to the Gangnam area or the main bus station. It runs once every 5-10 minutes, roughly every 3rd service is express and only stops at stops that are marked in red on the maps posted in the station. All Line 9 express services also stop at Gimpo Airport.
- Last metro from the airport to the city centre: 23:44
- First metro from Sinnonhyeon (Gangnam) station to the airport: 5:40
The Gimpo Goldline also ends at the airport, but it does not go to downtown Seoul at all, only to the surrounding housing estates.
Tickets and prices
Each metro line has its own floor, all clearly marked. The station is entered through turnstiles. Just before them, you'll find machines for single tickets, T-money card top-ups, and machines for buying T-money transport cards directly, which will definitely pay off if you're travelling on more public transport in Korea.
The T-Money card is valid in all Korean cities and works by purchasing a plastic card for 4 000 krw, which you then top up with any credit you choose.
All ticket machines are cash only.
The price of the ticket depends on the final station you choose at the ticket machine.
For example, a ticket to the main station costs 1 450 krw if you use a T-Money or Cashbee transport card, respectively. 1 550 krw If you use a single ticket. To more distant parts of Seoul, prices are around 2,000 won.
Transfer to Incheon
From Gimpo Airport to Incheon Airport, use the Arex subway line. The route has 7 stations, with a total journey time of 32 minutes and ticket price 4 450 krw, or 4 350 krw with a T-money transport card.
When travelling from Incheon to Gimpo, please note that you can only use the "All-Stop Train" service. Express trains do not stop at Gimpo Airport.
Buses to and around Seoul
There are dozens of bus stops right outside both terminals, which will take you to various locations within downtown Seoul and around the airport. For 99% of visitors, however, it will always be more convenient and, more importantly, significantly more convenient to use the metro.
Just the fact that most of the descriptions at bus stops are only in Korean will put you off this mode of transport.
The exception to this is the luxurious and very comfortable Limousine Airport Buses, which run on direct lines into the city centre. However, the price of a ticket 7 500 krw far exceeds the price of a subway ticket.
Taxi
There are always a large number of taxis waiting outside both terminals. Payment is cash only and always by meter. The price is calculated by combining the distance travelled and the time spent waiting in the queues.
Therefore, for example, the morning price to the airport can be significantly cheaper than the afternoon price.
In Seoul, you don't have to worry about scams and overpriced prices for ignorant tourists.
It is common to pay between 25 000 krw and 32 000 krw to get to the city centre.
