What to do in Atlanta during layover?

[aandb]

We have a four hour layover (from 4 p.m. to 8.pm) on a Sunday in Atlanta. Can someone recommend a good place to eat very close to the airport?

 

Thanks!!!

[friend of Eeyore]

The Atlanta airport is off in the middle of nowhere, in south Atlanta. If you hit Marta (the train system), you might be able to get somewhere, but probably not. I'd just try to find one of the restaurants in the airport - it's a huge place. They have a website online, you could search the maps there to see what's there.

 

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/

 

restaurant listings are here.

[Adam185]

We have a four hour layover (from 4 p.m. to 8.pm) on a Sunday in Atlanta. Can someone recommend a good place to eat very close to the airport?

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

There really aren't a whole lot of places to eat very near the airport. Hartsfield is on the south side of the city. Downtown is about 10 miles away. You have a lot of restaurants inside th airport, although none of them ar "fine dining".

 

What weekend will you be here? Certain weekends create havoc on the highways.

[Cruising89143]

I wouldn't venture away from the airport. Not in the greatest part of town and nothing really close by. As stated above, there are places to eat in the airport such as Chili's and sports bar type places but nothing considered very nice.

[Gypsywych]

Atlanta is a nightmare to get in and out of. Just changing planes in Atlanta is a nightmare. I wouldn't try leaving. You could be stuck coming back through security for a couple of hours.

[jdbmga]

I agree with the others. I wouldn't try to leave the airport. 4 hours is not enough time.

[reallyitsmema]

4 hour layover at Atlanta? You might JUST have enough time to make it to your next gate.:cool: I don't think I have ever landed on time there or left on time. There are tons of places to eat at least.

[Sue L]

Just remember it doesn't matter if your destination is heaven or hell, you have to change planes in Atlanta. :D:p

[GaTechCruiser]

Hey now... I am from Atlanta and it is not that bad. :) No, I would not venture out of the airport. Security really is hit or miss as to how long it can take. There are a lot of restaurants and shops throughout the airport. You can easily go from concourse to concourse without any trouble. The 4 hours will go by quick.

[suezyq50]

I would not venture out either. Not much around. You have to back through security again. Too much trouble.

[cruisin4kicks]

I agree with everyone else. 4 hours just isn't enough time to leave the airport, find a place to eat, and come back. As far as sit down places to eat, I believe there is a Chile's in the middle of Concourse A and a Friday's in the middle of Concourse B. There are other sit down type places... I'm just not familar with them. All the concourses are inside the security check point.

 

Below is a link that might be helpful.

 

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Default.asp?url=sublevels/shops_n_restaurants/shop_page.cfm

 

Tim

[cruisin4kicks]

Guess I should have gone thru this thread a little more carefully. The very first reply has the link I just sent you. Sorry for the dupe information.

 

Tim

[CaribbeanKim]

I have to go along with the masses on this one. I live outside of Atlanta, and can tell you there isn't much in that area worth taking the risk for. You will find that there is more than enough to keep you occupied until your connecting flight...just find a decent place to eat and then do a little window-shopping or people watching. You won't have to get all stressed over watching the clock either!

 

Please remember that ATL is the busiest airport in America. I have to ask the previous poster that stated they had never landed or left on time from Atlanta-Hartsfield ... how much of a delay did you experience? I would never schedule a flight with a connection that gave me less than 2 hours between flights either. In my own personal experience, I'm always off on time, and have landed late by 5 minutes only once in the past 3 years.

[t-bonz]

We have a four hour layover (from 4 p.m. to 8.pm) on a Sunday in Atlanta. Can someone recommend a good place to eat very close to the airport?

 

Thanks!!!

 

As others have advised, it's probably safer to remain at the airport. There are a variety of places to eat at the airport from coffee shops to fast food to sit down restaurants. The airport website links will give you listings of places by concourse.

[SadieQ]

Hey now... I am from Atlanta and it is not that bad. :) No, I would not venture out of the airport. Security really is hit or miss as to how long it can take. There are a lot of restaurants and shops throughout the airport. You can easily go from concourse to concourse without any trouble. The 4 hours will go by quick.

 

Well, if you're from there, you probably never have to change planes there, so it's probably not that bad for you :-)

 

Agree with what everyone says. There's really nothing to do but spend that time in the airport. One or both of your flights is likely to be late, so there's no telling how long you'll actually be there. If you're there at a reasonable hour, there will be a lot of restaurants, shops, etc. I got stuck there for a couple of hours really late at night once and that was harder. But in late afternoon/early evening you should be fine.

[3some]

E is the international terminal and has free wifi. The rest of the airport you have to pay. There used to be a decent sit-down restaurant in E called Passports, but the last time I was there, it was being remodeled. It's across from the center food court area.

[truffles2]

I agree that you should not leave the airport. I believe there is a nice restaurant in Terminal T (forget its name)--or the main terminal. All the other terminals have some form of "chain" restautant.

[mad-dog74]

We have never had any difficulities flying thru ATL.... The first time I was there, I thought... WOW! We are 40 minutes early... not realizing it took 45 minutes to taxi. It takes forever to get to the terminal once landed... and forever to takeoff after leaving the terminal. Four hours isn't enough time to consider leaving.

[shipshape sam]

We have a four hour layover (from 4 p.m. to 8.pm) on a Sunday in Atlanta. Can someone recommend a good place to eat very close to the airport?

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

Stay at the airport. There are some nice places to eat there and the risk of missing a flight by trying to go off the airport property is pretty good.

[ewheelock]

Yes, as someone said, we here in Atlanta don't have to worry about changing planes here. Sure does make it easier.

 

4 hours is not enough time.

[tonyr1988]

Is doing a layover in Atlanta really that bad? I've had several layovers in the past, but none in Atlanta, and have never had any problems.

 

We haven't booked anything yet, since we're not cruising until December, but the plane we were looking at had a 1 hour layover in Atlanta - is that too short of a time?

[logan1_2000]

in case you want to go outside security, but still staying inside the terminal (don't leave the airport), the atrium by ticketing can be peaceful, relatively speaking, to read and have something baked from the Atlanta Bread company, right there in the atrium, and I think the "gourmet" coffee place in the atrium is seattle's best (i don't drink coffee so if I am mistaken i apologize).

 

DS loves the Nathan's, I think that's on concourse B. Much more in the way of concourse choices on A & B than most other concourse, esp. C & D. I never fly much anymore, since a pain in the tush since 9/11, so apologize for not having more specifics--I now drive 500 miles trips instead of fly.

[suwaneedad]

First, note that ATL opened a 5th runway in 2007 which has dramatically reduced inbound delays. Circling the airport with 50-100 other planes waiting for your runway to open up just doesn't happen anymore. 3 runways handle landings now, instead of 2.

 

Don't go to the main concourse (the "Atrium") since you'll have left the secure area and get to "enjoy" TSA on a Sunday night...brutal in ATL. 45 mins.

 

The concourses have plenty of dining options. If you are intent on heading off property (outbound is late, etc) then check out the original ChikFilA Dwarfhouse in Hapeville (the town the airport is really in). It is as Atlanta as it gets, and 10 mins by taxi. This will not work for you in particular since ChikFilA is closed on Sundays, but other adventurous cruisers may want to make a note of it for ATL layovers on other days.

 

Also note that TSA security in offpeak times is frequently zero line at all. They are staring at you waiting for you to take your shoes off, I mean ZERO line.

[aandb]

We will definitely stay at the airport!!!

[krazyasaloon]

I work at the Airport and agree with everyone else. There are 6 terminals at the Airport with plenty of nice places to eat in each terminal. Plenty of shops to browes while you wait. If you leave the terminal area, you have to go back through security and that is where you run into trouble with the checkpoint lines, especially on Sunday afternoons. Have a good trip.