How to get home from the Atlanta airport?

October 13, 2023 4:14 PM

Hello! tomorrow we are flying into Atlanta Georgia and will arrive about 3 p.m. After we collect our luggage, we will need a ride about an hour away to our home.

I am unable to find out if taxis will go out that far and I’m also concerned that if I book an Uber, they will only wait five minutes for you and it’s hard to know when you’ll get out there to meet them. I had surgery recently and will be in a wheelchair if that helps with an answer. Any advice would be appreciated.

posted by manageyourexpectations to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

Generally one goes to the ride share location at the airport and then books the Uber. So you won't miss them. There will be signs at the airport directing you to the Ride share location, analogous to the Taxi location.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 4:25 PM on October 13, 2023

If you are traveling with your own wheelchair, you might need to order a larger car and/or van to be sure that the wheelchair, luggage and passengers all fit. My daughter is a wheelchair user and sometime has had trouble getting her chair into the Uber without a lot of taking apart first even though it fits nicely into her relatively small Honda Fit. If you have full sized suitcases as well, there is a high risk that a standard Uber might not work out.
posted by metahawk at 4:31 PM on October 13, 2023

You can also google "ride service atlanta" to get some options that will allow you to make a specific reservation as well as maybe being able to meet you at baggage claim. Easy enough to compare the cost with Uber and Lyft and it might worth the extra money for better service and a larger car (see my note about making sure there is room for wheelchair plus suitcases if you travel with your own chair).
posted by metahawk at 4:35 PM on October 13, 2023

It is not my wheelchair. I’m using one of Atlanta’s airport chairs, and having an employee push me.
posted by manageyourexpectations at 4:40 PM on October 13, 2023

Where are you trying to get to?
posted by madcaptenor at 7:12 PM on October 13, 2023

Atlanta resident here. The Uber/ride share pickup place is a LOOONG way from the terminal. It’s pretty well organized but it’s a hike to get there. The taxi stand is right next to the luggage claim, much much closer. It’s also well organized and they will put you in a cab that is going your way. The prices are comparable so I’ve started taking taxis again and an hour’s trip is very doable. The cheapest alternative would be to take a Marta (our pitiful rapid transit system) to the last stop in the general direction you are going and then get a taxi from that station but avoid that if you can. The Marta system is pretty terrible for someone without mobility concerns so I wouldn’t recommend. Also, welcome to Atlanta!
posted by pearlybob at 3:40 AM on October 14, 2023

You could try one of the local/regional shuttle options -- those are typically large passenger vans, so they'd be likelier to have room for a wheelchair, and I've used those for longish ground trips because they tend to be cheaper than rideshare or taxis. You can find one going to your county on the ATL airport website.

I would second the recommendation to avoid Marta for anywhere that's not actually on the Marta rail line; it's not really saving you much money for the added hassle.
posted by fifthpocket at 7:58 AM on October 14, 2023

At least at SFO - Uber has a pick-up spot a ways away, but UberX will come get you at the curb, and tend to be SUVs that will fit more people and lugggage.
posted by dum spiro spero at 8:51 AM on October 14, 2023

Just because this thread took an anti-MARTA turn, I want to speak up for our actually can be pretty great transit system that has a station inside the airport instead of a long walk and shuttle ride away like virtually all other airports in the US. Depending on where you're going, and assuming your mobility is sufficient to get through and ride the elevator in the stations, riding MARTA for $2.50 to Indian Creek and then taking a Lyft to Tucker or to Sandy Springs and taking an Uber to Roswell or to Doraville and taking a taxi to Norcross could save you >$20. To me, as a now suburban DeKalb resident, that's totally worth it, as is not having to sit in traffic on the Connector/Perimeter in a taxi when you're exhausted.
posted by hydropsyche at 2:46 PM on October 14, 2023