Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with incheon

Seoul layover trip

pravit — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:01:53 -0800

Making a trip to Seoul during my 10-hour layover. What should I see and do? I'm going to have a 10-hour layover in Incheon International Airport on my way to Beijing. I've always wanted to see Korea, so I figure this will be my first chance.

I did find another AskMe question asking the same thing, although there weren't many answers. I also found a great article online about squeezing a layover trip to Seoul into this timeframe, but I'd like to hear other opinions from people who know the city well.

I'll be landing in Seoul around 5:20AM - this should be right around sunrise according to timeanddate.com. I'd definitely like to see Gyeongbokgung, though it doesn't open until 9:30. I'd also like to visit the temple mentioned in the article assuming the monks wake up early enough. But if I get there around 6:30AM, I'm not sure if I could really spend three hours hanging out at a temple. I assume Insadong shops won't be open that early either. Anything else around Seoul you could recommend for the early hours?

I love Korean food, especially kimchi, so I'll want to try a lot of local food. I also enjoy Asian-style breakfasts(rice porridge, fermented vegetables, etc.) - where would be a good place to have a Korean breakfast? Do you think I could eat at the temple? I also want to have lunch in Seoul before I head back to the airport - any restaurants around that are OK with guests eating alone? I love eating all sorts of banchan, and I like all the things you usually find in Korean restaurants - bibimbap, kimchi soup, kalbi. Also, is there a lot of street food in Seoul? What are the specialties?

I only know a few words of Korean, so I'm not really counting on it to get me anywhere, but at least I can read hangeul. Every time I pass through Incheon airport I get mistaken for Japanese, though I don't speak it. I do speak fluent English and Chinese. Will the language barrier be any problem?

My flight leaves at 3PM, so I'm planning on having lunch around noon and heading to the airport, taking subway all the way back to Gimpo and then the bus or that new AREX express train back to Incheon. Think that's enough time?

Last thing - I have heard of a Kimchi museum, which I think is awesome. I visited their website, but there weren't many details on what's inside. Do they have actual kimchi exhibits or kimchi tasting? Anyone been there that thinks it's worth visiting?

Oh, and one more thing - when I first moved out I was obsessed with eating Shin Ramyun all the time. I've seen pictures on Google Images of a truck with huge Shin cups on the back. Is there any place to go to see this, or do I just have to be lucky and catch it driving around? Also, there is an amazingly cool Shin Ramyun pen, although the site doesn't seem to sell it anymore. Could I buy it in Seoul?

Thanks for your advice!

Can I leave Incheon International on a layover?

borkingchikapa — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 09:02:53 -0800

I have a long layover at Incheon Airport in South Korea. Can I leave the airport during that time? A friend I haven't seen in a long time lives near the airport, and she is planning on coming to meet me and take me around the area (I've never been to Korea). I have an American passport, so I assume immigration/emigration will just stamp and wave me through, but will my boarding pass be enough to get me back in through security? Time isn't really an issue here.

Why does my cough get worse at night?

BuddhaInABucket — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 18:48:26 -0800

Why do I only cough at night? I'm living in Incheon, which is a city west of Seoul. I've heard that most people, when coming here for the first time, catch a cold ("The Cold", I've heard it called), and that the air pollution causes coughing.

I'm pretty sure I cought The Cold, because the first two weeks I was here I was sick. But then after I got over it, I started with a really bad cough. I'll cough a couple of times throughout the day, but then at night, when I'm trying to sleep, it really gets going. It gets so bad that I can't sleep for hours.

I went to a doctor and in true Korean fashion, was given nine hundred different pills to take, including antibiotics. The cough has improved somewhat, but I'm still suffering at nights.

Why does my cough get worse at night?

Tell me about Incheon, Seouth Korea

BuddhaInABucket — Thu, 25 May 2006 14:12:49 -0800

I'm moving to Incheon, South Korea and I have some questions (and I'm soliciting generic Korea advice). I accepted a job teaching at a high school in Incheon, and there's a few particulars I'm curious about and am having trouble finding online.

Mostly, I guess, how long does it take to get into Seoul? How late does public transportation run (especially intercity)?

What are the big sights to see in Incheon? Cool places I should check out? On weekends, if I'm not heading into Seoul, what else is there within a couple hours that I should check out?

Other than that, at least until I think of other things to ask, what's some general advice to keep in mind to ensure that I have a happy stay in Korea?

Stuck in Incheon for 15 Hours

jasmeet — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 10:51:28 -0800

I'm stuck in a lay over for 15 hours in Incheon. From 6PM on a Monday till Tuesday around 9AM. What can I do? I'm not opposed to just staying in the airport. I'll have my laptop with me, and I'm guessing there's WiFi in the airport (hopefully not pricey).

But it's not often that I'm in South Korea for such an extended period of time. I've been told I could take a train into Seoul and I'm kinda curious to try it out. Not commited, as I've never done this before, and I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to try.