AREX Express vs All-Stop: Seoul Station or Hongdae?

For a hotel near Hongik University Station in Hongdae, take the AREX All-Stop train. The Express passes that stop and continues to Seoul Station. If Seoul Station is your destination, both services work: Express offers a reserved seat and a shorter ride, while All-Stop costs less. Choose the station you actually need before choosing the faster train.

By Kpop From Seoul · Official fares, rules and photo permissions checked October 10, 2026. Times below are station-to-station, not flight-to-hotel estimates.

Korea Travel · Part 2: Airport Arrival. Start with our first-trip city and route guide if you are still deciding where to stay.

Choose your stop · Compare fares and time · Understand the tickets

An AREX Class 1000 Express train photographed at Gyeyang, April 7, 2024. Photo: Takeshi Aida, Flickr original, via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0. Display size reduced; the photograph and any thumbnail adaptation remain under that license.

Choose the destination, then the train

AREX is the airport railway serving Incheon Airport. Seoul Station is one station, not a name for every hotel in Seoul. Check the station that works for your accommodation and the walk from its exit.

Our starting choices for three destinations

Where you need to go	Which service to consider
Hongik University / Hongdae	All-Stop takes you to Hongik University Station without a train change. Express does not stop there.
Seoul Station	Express for a reserved seat and shorter rail journey; All-Stop for the lower fare. Compare the next departures, too.
Gimpo Airport	All-Stop calls at Gimpo Airport Station. Express passes it; check your onward flight and terminal separately.

The operator’s route guide shows the different stopping patterns. The official English VISITKOREA guide also distinguishes the services and identifies Hongik University as an All-Stop station. Look for Hongik Univ. or 홍대입구 on your route, rather than expecting every sign to say “Hongdae.”

Compare the same terminal and destination

Use the terminal on your flight booking: Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2) have different journey times. These adult, one-way figures are for Seoul Station.

Incheon Airport → Seoul Station, checked October 10, 2026

From	Express	All-Stop
T1	About 43 minutes ₩13,000	About 59 minutes ₩4,750
T2	About 51 minutes ₩13,000	About 66 minutes ₩5,350

Journey times follow the VISITKOREA comparison. Express uses the adult price currently advertised on AREX’s introduction page. All-Stop uses the adult transportation-card fare; single-use cards cost extra as explained below. The All-Stop service page notes that some trains take another 2–6 minutes. Check your actual departure and fare before buying.

Compare the wait, not just the ride

The published onboard difference to Seoul Station is 16 minutes from T1 and 15 minutes from T2. That is only part of the decision.

Our illustrative calculation: suppose an All-Stop leaves T1 now and takes 59 minutes, while an Express leaves 20 minutes later and takes 43. Counting the wait, the Express takes 20 + 43 = 63 minutes, versus 59 for All-Stop. This is a worked example, not a real departure pair; it excludes walks to the gates and service variation. Compare the departures you can actually board, then add any transfer and hotel walk.

The tickets are different, too

On Korean signs, 직통열차 means the Express service; 일반열차 is the All-Stop service. Express requires its own ticket and assigns a seat. For All-Stop, use a valid transportation card or buy a single-use card from a station machine. All-Stop seats are unreserved, as specified in AREX’s transport rules.

The T1 All-Stop concourse, March 17, 2024. This archival photograph illustrates the service distinction; follow current station signs for your train. Photo: MNXANL, own work, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Display size reduced; the photograph and any thumbnail adaptation remain under that license.

Fare versus refundable deposit: a Hongdae example

The adult All-Stop transportation-card fare to Hongik University is ₩4,650 from T1 or ₩5,250 from T2. The operator’s fare table adds ₩100 for an adult single-use card and a refundable ₩500 deposit.

For T1 → Hongik University, that means ₩4,650 + ₩100 + ₩500 = ₩5,250 at purchase. After reclaiming the ₩500 deposit at your arrival station, the net fare is ₩4,750. This calculation explains why a machine total can exceed the transportation-card fare without the whole difference being a higher fare. Return the single-use card to recover the deposit.

Book around your arrival, not just your landing time

Allow for immigration, baggage collection and the walk to the railway before choosing an Express departure. The official reservation page currently allows online reservations until 20 minutes before departure. It says gates open 30 minutes before departure and passengers should reach the Express platform at least 3 minutes before the train leaves. Those are separate deadlines.

For a late arrival, check the operator’s current timetable and the last service that reaches your intended station. If the rail journey is unavailable or does not fit your destination, the official airport transport guide also explains buses and taxis.

Once the airport transfer is planned, our Korean café ordering guide helps with your first drink stop. Find this installment and the city-planning guide together under Korea Travel.