Seoul airport’s delights

If one has to have a long layover, I’m here to tell you that Incheon International Airport near Seoul, Korea, is the best place to have one. I flew from Siem Reap, Cambodia, to Portland, Oregon, via Incheon and Seattle on Feb. 18-19, 2014. The journey included a 13-hour layover (5 a.m. to 6 p.m.) at Incheon.

I was traveling with five other women, and we decided to use the time for a bit of sightseeing. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Incheon has a Transit Tour Desk and we could take a tour. We had a choice of six different itineraries, each from two to six hours long.

We opted for the 5-hour “Highlight of Seoul City Tour,” for which we each paid $13 for lunch and insurance ($16 if you’re over 70, apparently to cover higher insurance costs). There was no additional charge for the tour, itself.

We were loaded into a comfortable, heated bus (it was -2ºC, or 28°F, outside!) with an energetic, English-speaking guide for the hour-long drive to Seoul.

In Seoul, we visited two temples, Hongik University and, the city’s “antique alley,” Insadong Street, where we were taken to a restaurant for lunch and allowed time to browse before boarding the bus for the return to Incheon.

Once we were through security and passport control, we were able to enjoy the Incheon airport, which offered a “transit lounge” with a wealth of amenities, including comfortable lounge seats (with pillow and blankets, if needed), a computer area, a child-friendly play area and nursing mothers’ lounge, a video area with comfy lounge chairs and a large-screen TV, free showers and free massage chairs. 

There was also a snack bar and a spa, for which there was a charge.

If one preferred to use the long layover to sleep, a hotel offering rooms for six to 12 hours was just steps away.

My traveling companions and I, all very experienced travelers, agreed that this was the best airport we’ve ever seen for travelers with long layovers.

DEE POUJADE

Portland, OR