Sleeping at Incheon Airport, South Korea

Sleeping at Incheon Airport - If you live in South Korea and are traveling out of the country, most likely you’ll be flying out of Incheon International Airport. Incheon is about 30 miles (47 km) west from central Seoul. If you live in the main Seoul city area, early flights may not be any trouble. But if you live outside of the central area, it can take an hour to two hours by subway to get to Incheon, and the subways don’t start running until 6:00am in some places. There are a number of Airport Limousines (buses) that pick up and drop off around the outskirts of Seoul, but sometimes that requires a 3:00am pick-up, and I’d just rather sleep at the airport. And as my grandpa would say before he took off from our house after a night of drinking, “I’d rather wake up where I need to be, than wake up and have to get there.” Taxis are risky because you never know what kind of traffic you’ll run into, especially in the morning during commuting hours. So, most people with an early flight out of Seoul will need to get to the airport the morning before their flight. If you’re one of those people, don’t despair, I have some helpful tips to make sure you get some rest before your next early morning adventure.

I’ve slept in a number of airports, including Germany, Ukraine, Honolulu, Dallas, England, and others, and I have to say, Incheon is one of the best. It’s as if they want to encourage sleeping, that they understand the transportation limitations for millions of travelers and want to make their experience as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Chairs

In the ticket counter area (which is huge and spread among multiple floors), there are chairs, three chairs together that make a nice, comfy bench with no armrests separating the seats. There are hundreds of these benches in the ticket counter area before you get to the secure area of the airport. While the benches are plentiful, get there early because they fill up. I got to the airport at 10:00 pm and was lucky to spot an open bench near the “G” ticket counters, most of them were already taken. Plop your things down and you’ve claimed that bench.

Safety

Korea is the second safest country in the world. The crime rate is low, including theft. While I don’t recommend leaving your laptop or cell phone out while you are fast asleep, your luggage and bags are safe being stored under the seat or in between the rows. I saw a policewoman make rounds twice in the few hours that I was awake. She was looking at people’s things, seemingly doing an inventory or what is there to recognize if anything is taken. Also, Incheon is not close enough to Seoul, or any other major city for that matter, so people are not coming in off the street to steal your shit. Sleeping at Incheon Airport I felt safe, as I have the whole time living in Korea.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms are extremely clean and well maintained. While peeing and getting ready that morning, I couldn’t tell whether I was in a resort bathroom or an airport bathroom. Large vanity mirrors with ample room to place your purse, make-up bag or water bottle while you’re freshening up. There are plenty of bathrooms and plenty of stalls to meet the needs of all the travelers staying the night.

Noise and Light

Like any airport, it is noisy and the lights stay on. But at Incheon, I didn’t hear the constant announcements throughout the night like I have experienced in other airports. The lights seem like they are dimmed at night, and the flashing lights and videos are turned off. Like I said before, it’s as if airport administration wants to make it as easy and as comfortable as possible for travelers to sleep at Incheon. I still recommend bringing eye shades and ear plugs for the best sleep.

Wi-Fi and Charging

Hello, it’s Korea, Wi-Fi is free and fast, and charging stations are plentiful. The Wi-Fi at Incheon is free and you aren’t required to register or provide any of your personal information. I’ve been in some airports or public places where you have to provide a phone number or email to sign up. At Incheon, you click on the connection and you’re connected to the world’s fastest Wi-Fi. You will remain connected to the Wi-Fi until you are out of range. It won’t kick you off if you sleep your device or if you are inactive for a period of time. You’re connected, so feel free to stream Netflix, download podcasts, listen to your favorite music or play games.