I wanted to write about the Incheon Airport because our experiences in the Philippines, as well as in China, it has really made me appreciate what we have here. I was curious and looked up the best airports in the world, and was pleasantly surprised to see that according to this Business Insider article, Incheon ranks 3rd out of the top 15. We have also been to Singapore’s Changi Airport and have to agree that it definitely belongs on the list of best airports in the world.
“Why it’s awesome: Incheon maintains its place as once of the world’s elite airports with a third-place finish. Located on an island just outside of the South Korean capital, Incheon is home base to Korean Air and is the 24th-busiest airport in the world. It opened in 2001. Incheon’s highly regarded facilities feature an array of shopping and dining options, in addition to a bevy of cultural performances. The airport even has a Korean culture museum.”
– Business Insider
Here are my reasons why I think Incheon Airport is awesome:
Very Family friendly
Anyone traveling with kids knows the importance of trying to keep them entertained especially after a long, and exhausting trip. South Korea is a very family-friendly place with parks and plays areas (Kid’s cafes) everywhere. You just need to know where to look. Incheon Airport is no different.
There are 6 kids’ soft play areas around the airport, but the best thing that I liked over here is the kid’s skating area called the Ice Forest! There were children rollerblading here, while the younger ones had little tricycles that they were able to use in a separate area. I am sure there are many more things for kids to do here, but I wanted to make sure that you at least knew about this spot.
Oh yeah, did I mention that not far from the skating rink is a theater? With lots of restaurants, and coffee shops around just in case you get hungry or thirsty. There are also mini hotel rooms to rent on the floor above the theater, and a skating rink if you wanted/needed to catch some shut-eye too. If you don’t really look for it, it is pretty easy to pass by. I know we have a few times!
Traveler friendly
One of the biggest things that I am very appreciative of in Incheon is the amount of charging stations they have throughout the airport. I mean everywhere! Considering that everyone has a smartphone, tablet, game console, etc. this makes everyone happy that they have someplace to charge their toys before going onto the next leg of their trip. I mention this because, in Cebu, there was no convenient charging station in the terminal waiting area. If you were lucky, you MIGHT find a plug that worked. Might.
Temperature control. This is incredibly important! When we got stuck in Beijing for hours, we were very miserable. This was supposed to be a quick layover that turned into a torturous 6-hour stay in a freezing terminal. David had been able to scrounge up 3 thin, short blankets from an agent, but even with body heat, this was not enough! Cebu airport was the same way. We didn’t stay there too long, but the airport was freezing. I am happy to say that there are plenty of seats to be found at this airport. Some more comfortable than others. If you like massage chairs, you can find these around the airport as well, and they are free to use. You will really appreciate the comfortable seats while you can considering how uncomfortable airplane seats can be especially during long flights.
Experience Korean Culture
Want to experience a little of the Korean culture but don’t really have time to leave the airport? No problem. There is the Korean Culture center not far from where you go through the security checkpoint. Here they play traditional music on unique instruments while these presenters are wearing the traditional Hanbok. Sometimes there are processions of people walking around in vibrant and beautiful traditional outfits. Very nice experience for everyone.
There are also two programs that you can participate in free of charge here. One is making a jewelry box using traditional hanji paper or making a cellphone strap using the traditional sewing techniques to make clothing and accessories. There could be more programs that they are implementing, these just happen to be the 2 that I am aware of. They really made this spot tourist/traveler-friendly because they have translators there to help maximize everyone’s experience.
Just about anything you could possibly want or need and more are available here at Incheon Airport. This includes:
- Consul Public Service Center
- Business Centers
- 4 Internet cafes at Incheon Airport, 2 on the 2nd and 3rd floor.
- spas
- postal services
- on-site hospital/pharmacy
- laundry services
- Optometry
- Coat keeping
- Prayer room etc.
Just for smokers. There are 9 smoking rooms located throughout the airport. Just follow the link and it will show you what floor and where, as well as times.
Multiple modes of transportation to Incheon Airport.
Whether you live in or around Seoul, and need to make your way to the airport, getting there can happen a few different ways.
Go by train. Trains are an integral part of life in South Korea, making it easy, and affordable for people to get from point A to point B. When making your way to the airport via train, you simply have to choose whether you want to get there with minimal stops or not. Another great thing about traveling by train to Incheon is if you are flying through Korean Air, you can go through immigration and check your bags in before you get on the train to the airport! The Non-stop train to the airport is about $8 a person. This last time we used it, we paid about $24 for Gabe, David & I, while Lily was free. Seating is fairly comfortable and I don’t have to succumb to motion sickness due to constant stops and goes like on a bus or taxi.
Go by bus. This is another incredibly easy way to get to the airport. There are bus stops everywhere in the city, with a bus you cannot miss dedicated solely to taking you to the airport. It is called the Airport Limousine and costs about 15,000 won or about $15. There is also a digital bar on the upper right-hand spot of the bus stop that lets you know where the bus currently is and the ETA to you.
Go by taxi. There are tons of taxis here in South Korea. At least in Seoul. There are grey, black & orange, white, and yellow ones. I have even seen pink, & blue ones! The rates are actually not too bad. If you have a family or a lot of luggage you can even hire a taxi ‘limo’ which is just a van for about $80 from Seoul. Also called the jumbo taxi.
Lastly, there is always driving there yourself. On our recent trip to the Philippines, I had been contemplating just parking there and paying the fee for 6 days. Nope! It was way too expensive! It was so much better and just easier to use public transportation.
I hope that this information was useful to you or someone you know who might come to South Korea. If you did like this, please like our page and subscribe for more. If there is anything that you would like to know about South Korea or any place that you have wanted to see here, please let us know.
Here are some useful links with more information about Incheon Airport.
http://www.businessinsider.sg/incheon-international-airport-best-airport-layover-2015-11/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-reasons-celebrate-layover-south-koreas-incheon-airport-sarkis
