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11 hour overnight layover

11 hour overnight layover

Old May 24, 2015, 9:25 am
  #1  
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11 hour overnight layover

Hey all, I was hoping to get some suggestions about an up and coming trip I have in June. I'm flying Korean Air from Taipei to NYC and have an 11 hour layover in Incheon. I get in on a Monday night at 11pm and leave Tuesday morning at 10am. I know it's terrible timing, but I've heard Seoul is alive all night so I'm wondering if it's worth pulling an all nighter and getting out into the city for some drinks and food. Has anyone had any layovers similar in time to this and can suggest things to do? Or is it advisable to just stay in the airport and be bored for 11 hours? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers everyone!
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Old May 24, 2015, 10:10 pm
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Originally Posted by ethies
Hey all, I was hoping to get some suggestions about an up and coming trip I have in June. I'm flying Korean Air from Taipei to NYC and have an 11 hour layover in Incheon. I get in on a Monday night at 11pm and leave Tuesday morning at 10am. I know it's terrible timing, but I've heard Seoul is alive all night so I'm wondering if it's worth pulling an all nighter and getting out into the city for some drinks and food. Has anyone had any layovers similar in time to this and can suggest things to do? Or is it advisable to just stay in the airport and be bored for 11 hours? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers everyone!
Alive at night on Friday to Saturday. But, Hongdae is the student hangout area and MIGHT be busier than other places on a Mon to Tues. The biggest problem is getting there from.Incheon at such a late hour by anything other than taxi.
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Old May 25, 2015, 12:14 am
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Subway lines close at midnight, so it looks like if you want to get to Seoul, you will have to take a taxi. I wouldn't advise going into Seoul if it's your first time going into the city. There isn't going to be much going on on a Monday night, but you may be able to see a bit of the nightlife in Hongdae as the previous poster mentioned.
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Old May 26, 2015, 3:04 pm
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I'd get an airport hotel. The Grand Hyatt is very close, very nice and very convenient with frequent free shuttle service. It has a casino and nightclub, and there are other modest bars and nightclubs within walking distance. Be aware than Incheon (village) isn't all that close to the airport.

By June the new monorail around the island where the airport is located should be operational, so you could use your early morning time to explore a bit, although there isn't much of interest near the airport.
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Old May 26, 2015, 10:10 pm
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Unfortunately, for your short layover, like the others, I wouldn't recommend going into Seoul. By the time you get out of the airport and into Seoul, it will be roughly 12:30-1 AM. At that time, it's certainly not dangerous, but on a weekday just walking around aimlessly you won't see much. Sure, street drinking tents and certain bars might be busy, but these are not "western style" as in you can just sit down at the bar and drink. They're much more focused on two or more people drinking and eating, so it'd be a bit weird.

Hongdae is your best bet for busy nightlife, but again on a Monday as a first time visitor, I wouldn't expect too much.

Instead, for something Korean, why don't you try the sauna in the basement of the airport? It's called Spa on Air. You can try the Korean sauna experience AND get some sleep. If you get there around 12, sauna for an hour or two, then sleep from 2-7, you can wake up and check in for your flight at 8.
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