The fastest train is not always the simplest way to reach your hotel. Before choosing an airport ticket, look at your final destination as well as the station at the end of the line.
AREX has an Express service and an All-Stop service. This comparison uses the operator’s published information, rather than a personal ride review. It helps you decide which service fits your route and budget.
In this guide
At a Glance
Choose Around Your Final Destination
Understand the Fare Before You Buy
Where to Board
Locate Seoul Station
Before You Travel: Check the Latest Notice
At a Glance
| Service | Published journey and fare information |
|---|---|
| Express: Terminal 1–Seoul Station | 43 minutes; adult fare displayed as KRW 13,000 |
| Express: Terminal 2–Seoul Station | 51 minutes; adult fare displayed as KRW 13,000 |
| All-Stop: Terminal 1–Seoul Station | 59 minutes; adult transport-card fare KRW 4,750 |
| All-Stop: Terminal 2–Seoul Station | 66 minutes; adult transport-card fare KRW 5,350 |
| Intermediate stops | Express links Seoul Station and the two airport terminals; All-Stop serves intermediate stations, including Hongik University and Gimpo Airport |
Sources: official Express introduction, official All-Stop introduction and official All-Stop fare table. These are train journey times, excluding waiting, airport formalities and travel beyond the station. The operator notes that some All-Stop trains take an additional 2–6 minutes.
Choose Around Your Final Destination
If your next stop is Seoul Station and you value an assigned seat, consider Express. Its operator-listed service includes reserved seating, and you need a separate Express ticket. Compare the departure you can actually catch, rather than judging only the minutes spent on board.
If your accommodation is near Hongik University Station, an All-Stop train can be the more straightforward choice because it stops there. Taking Express to Seoul Station first would add another leg. The same principle applies to other intermediate stops: check the station you need before paying for a faster train.
Understand the Fare Before You Buy
The Express introduction displays an adult fare of KRW 13,000 and also lists normal fares of KRW 18,500 for Terminal 1 and KRW 19,100 for Terminal 2. Check the final price, travel date and any discount conditions in the official booking flow; a displayed offer should not be assumed permanent.
All-Stop prices in the table are for adults using a transport card. The operator lists an additional KRW 100 for a single-use card ticket, plus a refundable KRW 500 card deposit. Subway journeys beyond the airport-railroad trip can change the total fare. Official fare conditions.
For two adults travelling between Terminal 1 and Seoul Station, the published transport-card All-Stop total is KRW 9,500. At the displayed Express fare, two tickets total KRW 26,000. Those calculations exclude card purchases, onward travel and any booking-specific price changes.
Where to Board
For Express, the operator lists customer centers on B1 in the transportation centers at both airport terminals and on B2 at Seoul Station. Follow the service name on current signs, and check that your ticket matches the service you are entering. Official boarding information.
All-Stop single-use tickets are available from station ticket machines. Prepaid transport cards can be purchased at participating convenience stores or card machines and topped up at ticket machines. Check the destination shown on the departure board before boarding. Official All-Stop guidance.
Locate Seoul Station
The map below shows the Seoul Station complex, the city endpoint for Express. It is a station-area map, not a map of a particular platform. Once inside, follow the AREX signs for the service you intend to use.
Choose your current location or enter your starting point in NAVER Map. You can also use the map service to plan the onward journey to your accommodation.
Before You Travel: Check the Latest Notice
In an October 13, 2026 announcement, AREX said it had activated a response system after union work-to-rule action began on October 12. It said any necessary operating changes would be announced on its website and at stations. This notice does not establish a particular train’s delay or cancellation.
Check the official passenger website for your travel date and departure time, especially for an early flight or late arrival. Leave a practical buffer for the full airport journey; the table above is not a flight check-in timetable.
Last checked: October 14, 2026. Fares and published journey times were checked on the operator’s pages; live departures and seat availability must be checked for your trip.
