For Hongdae, take the AREX All-Stop Train to Hongik Univ. Station (홍대입구). If you already have a T-money card with enough balance, use it at the All-Stop gates. Otherwise, buy a single-journey card at the station. The AREX Express runs between the airport and Seoul Station without stopping at Hongdae.
The decision comes before the ticket machine: do you need a ticket, or do you already have a usable transport card? The steps below separate those two routes.
Official information checked 8 November 2026. This is an official-source guide; it does not describe a newly completed ticket purchase at either airport terminal.
Do you need to buy a separate ticket?
| What you have | What to do for the All-Stop Train |
|---|---|
| A T-money card with enough balance | Use the All-Stop gates with that card. You do not need to buy an Express ticket. |
| A T-money card with too little balance | Top it up before entering. AREX lists station machines and Customer Information Centers for prepaid-card top-ups. |
| No transport card | Buy a single-journey card for Hongik Univ., or buy and load a prepaid transport card. |
| An AREX Express booking | Check it before entering. Express is the wrong service for a direct ride to Hongdae; ask staff about your ticket and the correct All-Stop option. |
AREX’s All-Stop ticket guide distinguishes single-journey cards from transport cards. For buying, checking and loading T-money, use our T-money guide.
Find the All-Stop area at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2
After immigration, baggage collection and customs, follow the Airport Railroad signs to the Transportation Center on B1. Incheon Airport lists that level for both terminals.
| You arrived at… | Go to… | Choose… |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | Terminal 1 Transportation Center, B1 | All-Stop Train / 일반열차 |
| Terminal 2 | Terminal 2 Transportation Center, B1 | All-Stop Train / 일반열차 |
Read the service name before joining a ticket queue. 일반열차 means All-Stop; 직통열차 means Express. You can start from your arrival terminal; you do not need to change terminals simply to board the All-Stop service.
The airport’s official transport guide is under Transport → Public Transportation → Train on the Incheon Airport website. Use its terminal-specific location diagram rather than another traveller’s photograph to decide which way to walk from your arrival hall.
Buy a single-journey card for Hongik Univ.
AREX lists station ticket machines and Customer Information Centers as purchase points. These are the items to confirm during purchase; button names and screen order can differ between machines.
- Choose the single-journey option. Use English if your machine offers a language selector. You are buying an All-Stop journey, not an Express seat reservation.
- Select Hongik Univ. / 홍대입구 as your destination. Hongdae is the neighbourhood name; Hongik Univ. is the station name to match.
- Check the passenger category and total. An adult single-journey fare is the transport-card fare plus ₩100. Another ₩500 is a refundable card deposit.
- Pay and collect the card and change. AREX’s payment terms allow credit-card payment for single-journey tickets as an exception to their general cash rule. They do not establish that your particular overseas-issued card will be accepted by the machine you use. Keep Korean won cash as a backup; buying a single-journey ticket and topping up a prepaid card are different transactions.
If the menu or payment option is unclear, stop before paying and show staff: 홍대입구역까지 일반열차 1회용 교통카드를 사고 싶어요.
“I’d like to buy a single-journey card for the All-Stop Train to Hongik University Station.”
Purchase and payment sources: AREX ticket guide and passenger terms. Exact touchscreen selections have not been checked on an airport machine for this guide.
How much should you pay?
These are adult, one-way prices to Hongik Univ. from AREX’s published fare table, checked 8 November 2026. A single-journey card’s deposit is money paid upfront and returned separately; it is not an extra fare.
| From | Transport-card fare | Single-journey fare | Pay upfront with ₩500 deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | ₩4,650 | ₩4,750 | ₩5,250 |
| Terminal 2 | ₩5,250 | ₩5,350 | ₩5,850 |
The two single-journey totals are calculated from AREX’s table: transport-card fare + ₩100 + ₩500 deposit. Check the amount shown for your passenger category and destination before paying. Official All-Stop fares.
Board, then keep your card until you leave Hongik Univ.
Use the All-Stop gates and keep the same ticket or transport card for the exit. Follow the platform signs for the city-bound service, then check that the train serves Hongik Univ. The operator’s route includes Hongik Univ. between Digital Media City and Gongdeok.
At Hongik Univ., follow street-exit signs if you are walking to your accommodation. If your journey continues by Line 2, follow the transfer signs instead. Our Seoul subway guide explains the difference between changing lines and leaving the station.
After leaving through the gates with a single-journey card, use a deposit refund machine to return the card and recover the ₩500 deposit. A reloadable T-money balance uses a different refund process; it is not a single-journey deposit.
Common questions before you pay
Can I take the AREX Express directly to Hongdae?
No. Express skips Hongik Univ. and continues to Seoul Station. Choose the All-Stop service for the direct airport-to-Hongdae trip.
Can I pay with a foreign credit card?
Credit cards are permitted for single-journey ticket purchases under AREX’s published terms, but overseas-card acceptance at a specific All-Stop machine was not verified for this guide. Check the payment options there and keep cash available. Do not use the Express service’s card-payment rules as proof for All-Stop, or assume that a ticket-purchase option also lets you top up a physical T-money card.
I bought an Express ticket online. Can I use it for All-Stop?
Do not assume the two tickets are interchangeable. Show the booking to staff before entering and ask about the applicable change or refund conditions. Buy or use a ticket valid for the service you will actually take.
What if I arrive after trains stop?
Check whether a remaining service reaches Hongik Univ., rather than following one generic “last train” time. If rail no longer works, our Incheon Airport to Hongdae after midnight guide compares the N6002 bus, taxi and waiting for morning transport.
Before leaving the airport
Keep Hongik Univ. / 홍대입구 and your accommodation’s Korean address on your phone. Save the building entrance too: arriving at the right station is only part of reaching the right guesthouse. Our NAVER Map saving guide shows how to keep the station and accommodation together.
Sources and verification
Reviewed 8 November 2026 using AREX’s All-Stop introduction, ticket guide, fare table and passenger terms, plus Incheon Airport’s terminal transport guide. The fare totals above were calculated from the operator’s published adult fares. No airport ticket purchase, foreign-card approval or newly completed terminal walk was tested for this article.
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