ATL Atlanta airport questions
April 11, 2015 11:29 AM Subscribe
LAX to ATL. Need tips from expert travelers.
I'll be visiting friends (a couple) who recently moved to Atlanta to raise their baby. I've never been, and I'm landing at midnight. My friends live in the North Druid Hills neighborhood and said they can leave their door unlocked for me, but I'm not totally comfortable with this. First of all I'd be worried about disturbing them and the baby, second of all if the airport is as big as people say, getting through and finding a cab or shuttle might take an hour, not to mention what if the flight is delayed, so by the time I get to their house I may only get a couple hours of sleep if any before the baby (17 months old to be exact) wakes me up. I think they said he usually wakes around 6 or 7am, and they don't have a guest room so I'd be sleeping on the couch in their front room.
So my question is, would it be worth it for me to spend the night (morning really) at an airport hotel?
If so, any recommendations for $100 or less?
Also, for a couple days my friend and I (the mom and I, leaving baby with the dad) will visit Savannah (neither of us have been). I know its about a 4 hour drive so I was wondering are there any places of interest along the way? Just for a quick stop to stretch our legs.
And last question, I'll be heading back on a Monday, a noon flight. How much time should I account for traffic and getting through the airport?
Thanks!
I'll be visiting friends (a couple) who recently moved to Atlanta to raise their baby. I've never been, and I'm landing at midnight. My friends live in the North Druid Hills neighborhood and said they can leave their door unlocked for me, but I'm not totally comfortable with this. First of all I'd be worried about disturbing them and the baby, second of all if the airport is as big as people say, getting through and finding a cab or shuttle might take an hour, not to mention what if the flight is delayed, so by the time I get to their house I may only get a couple hours of sleep if any before the baby (17 months old to be exact) wakes me up. I think they said he usually wakes around 6 or 7am, and they don't have a guest room so I'd be sleeping on the couch in their front room.
So my question is, would it be worth it for me to spend the night (morning really) at an airport hotel?
If so, any recommendations for $100 or less?
Also, for a couple days my friend and I (the mom and I, leaving baby with the dad) will visit Savannah (neither of us have been). I know its about a 4 hour drive so I was wondering are there any places of interest along the way? Just for a quick stop to stretch our legs.
And last question, I'll be heading back on a Monday, a noon flight. How much time should I account for traffic and getting through the airport?
Thanks!
So my question is, would it be worth it for me to spend the night (morning really) at an airport hotel?
It would be worth it to me. Couches aren't generally conducive to a good night's sleep, might as well get one last one in (and a good long shower in the morning) before you have to start roughing it. Not to mention the time difference. I don't have any specific hotel to recommend, just that any hotel would be better than fumbling around in the dark of a strange house late at night trying not to wake anyone up, and then trying to sleep through all of the 'not my bedroom' unfamiliarity + people getting up in the morning while you're still on LA time and fighting jet lag.
I agree that getting through the airport itself shouldn't take long. It's big, but, there's a tram that takes you from the gates to the baggage claim area, so, I don't think it takes longer than any other big airport.
posted by oh yeah! at 12:25 PM on April 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
It would be worth it to me. Couches aren't generally conducive to a good night's sleep, might as well get one last one in (and a good long shower in the morning) before you have to start roughing it. Not to mention the time difference. I don't have any specific hotel to recommend, just that any hotel would be better than fumbling around in the dark of a strange house late at night trying not to wake anyone up, and then trying to sleep through all of the 'not my bedroom' unfamiliarity + people getting up in the morning while you're still on LA time and fighting jet lag.
I agree that getting through the airport itself shouldn't take long. It's big, but, there's a tram that takes you from the gates to the baggage claim area, so, I don't think it takes longer than any other big airport.
posted by oh yeah! at 12:25 PM on April 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
If it's not a huge financial burden for you, I'd definitely do the airport hotel thing for the first night. Just pick something in your budget from hotels.com or similar that doesn't have terrible reviews.
posted by ktkt at 12:47 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ktkt at 12:47 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I recently learned that for the last few years, ATL has had a Minute Suites location right out on the concourses. Their 8 hour rate looks to be just outside of your $100 price range though.
posted by radwolf76 at 12:55 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by radwolf76 at 12:55 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you want to try the international terminal option, I'd check and see if they still let you just wander in there without a ticket for a flight from there. Because 9/11, you know. (There used to also be some domestic flights from the international terminal, and it was just like any other terminal as far as access, but that was years ago.)
The closest MARTA station to that part of town (assuming you don't mean near North Druid Hills Road, not the neighborhood Druid Hills near Emory University, which is closer to the Edgewood/Candler Park station) is Lindbergh.
posted by thelonius at 1:37 PM on April 11, 2015
The closest MARTA station to that part of town (assuming you don't mean near North Druid Hills Road, not the neighborhood Druid Hills near Emory University, which is closer to the Edgewood/Candler Park station) is Lindbergh.
posted by thelonius at 1:37 PM on April 11, 2015
I'd check and see if they still let you just wander in there without a ticket for a flight from there. Because 9/11, you know.
There's a new standalone terminal building for arrivals/departures, but Concourse F and the international gates don't have any additional security checks while you remain air-side -- at least not when I was there in December on a longish layover and chilled out for a couple of hours on the couches upstairs near the shiny Delta Club and interfaith chapel.
posted by holgate at 3:12 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
There's a new standalone terminal building for arrivals/departures, but Concourse F and the international gates don't have any additional security checks while you remain air-side -- at least not when I was there in December on a longish layover and chilled out for a couple of hours on the couches upstairs near the shiny Delta Club and interfaith chapel.
posted by holgate at 3:12 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
There is a marriott on the car rental train stos ( taken after leaving the atl airport and picking up your bags). That might be the best place to crash as you literally step out of the lobby into the and train to go get your rental car in the morning
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 4:30 PM on April 11, 2015
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 4:30 PM on April 11, 2015
It will be easy to get to the cabs at ATL. Getting to rental cars is a lot harder, you have to take a second intra-airport train.
At midnight there shouldn't be much traffic - I'm speaking from a few flights I've taken that landed there around 11pm or so. I'd figure half an hour for the cab ride; with time in the airport you should be at your friends by 1am at the latest if the flight's on time. Not sure if you could easily get a cab from a nearby MARTA station if you're interested in cutting the cost that way.
I'd recommend not staying in a hotel, but maybe keeping that as a backup plan if you have travel difficulties.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:54 PM on April 11, 2015
At midnight there shouldn't be much traffic - I'm speaking from a few flights I've taken that landed there around 11pm or so. I'd figure half an hour for the cab ride; with time in the airport you should be at your friends by 1am at the latest if the flight's on time. Not sure if you could easily get a cab from a nearby MARTA station if you're interested in cutting the cost that way.
I'd recommend not staying in a hotel, but maybe keeping that as a backup plan if you have travel difficulties.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:54 PM on April 11, 2015
1. Taking MARTA after midnight might be tricky - the last train leaves the Airport Station at 1am, according to the MARTA website. If your friends live on N Druid Hills Rd, then you'd probably want to aim for the Brookhaven/Oglethorpe Station. Even still, you need to get a cab from the station to their house.
2. I would suggest an airport area hotel - there are tons. Here's the Trip Advisor page for Atlanta airport area hotels. Pick one with an airport shuttle. If you have a smartphone, you might try the Hotel Tonight app to find a cheap deal.
3. The drive from Atlanta to Savannah is mostly rural, though you will skirt around part of the city of Macon. Otherwise, save your money and time for Savannah!
posted by tmharris65 at 6:40 PM on April 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
2. I would suggest an airport area hotel - there are tons. Here's the Trip Advisor page for Atlanta airport area hotels. Pick one with an airport shuttle. If you have a smartphone, you might try the Hotel Tonight app to find a cheap deal.
3. The drive from Atlanta to Savannah is mostly rural, though you will skirt around part of the city of Macon. Otherwise, save your money and time for Savannah!
posted by tmharris65 at 6:40 PM on April 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
ATL is a crazy-busy airport, but most of the crazy is from people changing planes who never leave the terminal, or the immigration lines, or the wait to get through security at departure. Arriving on a domestic flight and leaving the terminal is fairly speedy.
Are you checking bags? If not, it's going to take perhaps 20 minutes or so to get from whatever terminal you land at to the baggage claim and exits. You walk purposefully from your gate, go down the escalator, jump on the train, get off at the end, leave the airport. At midnight, it's going to be quiet compared to the middle of the day. If you have checked bags, then you're somewhat at the mercy of the baggage handlers.
If you're seriously delayed, one option might be to go to the international terminal and find a quiet corner to rest, then take the MARTA once it opens at 5am. Work out what the nearest station is to your hosts' house and arrange a cab from there.
How much time should I account for traffic and getting through the airport?
Mid-morning's not the worst time for Atlanta traffic, but there is no good time for Atlanta traffic, and an accident can snarl things up very quickly. If you can, take MARTA. So much less stress. Certain metro-Atlantans treat MARTA as if it's cursed, but if you are anywhere near a station (and North Druid Hills isn't too far from the Gold Line) it is the best way to get to the airport. Give yourself a couple of hours. Track the wait times.
posted by holgate at 12:08 PM on April 11, 2015 [5 favorites]