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If you're going to ride MARTA at all, take it to or from the Atlanta airport. It is quick and easy and you don't have to deal with traffic or parking. Plus, the train station enters right into the terminal with a convenient self check-in kiosks for Delta and AirTran.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when traveling to the Atlanta airport:
- A few MARTA stations offer overnight parking, ranging from $5-$8/day, which is cheaper than airport parking (cheapest airport rates are $10/day). See the list of your MARTA parking options here.
- Hang on to your breeze ticket or card (which you can purchase at vending machines at any train station). The Breeze tickets are no longer reloadable, so be sure to put enough one-way fares on the ticket if you plan to return to the airport or make additional MARTA trips (fare is $2 each one-way). Otherwise, hang on to your Breeze card and reload it as necessary.
- Try to place your luggage under your seat or in the designated luggage areas, which are usually at the ends of the train, and in some cases, in the middle. Look for the suitcase sticker or otherwise empty space not taken up by seats
- Plan your trip accordingly. From Five Points it is about a 16 minute ride to the airport, 26 from Lindbergh, 43 from North Springs and about 40 minutes from Doraville. On the east/west line, it is 20 minutes from Indian Creek to Five Points, and 9 minutes from H.E. Holmes to Five Points.
- After exiting the through the fare gates, the Delta kiosks will be on your right, and the AirTran counter on the left and through the sliding doors.
When traveling from the Atlanta airport:
- The train station is located at the very far end of the terminal, past all the baggage claims (see terminal map). When you come up the escalator from the people mover train, if you were to keep walking staight ahead you'd run right into the station. However, there is a a wall there. So you can turn right or left at the top and walk around the rental car stands/restrooms to get to the station. There are signs as well to point you in the right direction.
- You can buy a new ticket or a Breeze card at the station. You can't refill the paper tickets, so if you are visiting and plan to return to the airport at a later time, be sure to put multiple trips on your ticket. Each one-way fare is $2. Once you have your card, tap your card on the blue circle to enter.
- If there are two trains there and you can decipher which train is going where (either North Springs on the red line or Doraville on the gold line), then you can get on the appropriate train at the Airport Station. Sometimes the trains aren't labelled. However, all trains go to Five Points, Peachtree Center, Civic Center, North Avenue, Midtown, Arts Center and Lindbergh Center. If any of those stops are your destination, just get on the train that is first to leave.
- If there is only one train at the Airport Station, please get on the train that is available. Especially if you are riding after 9pm, you can ONLY get to a North Springs train (Buckhead, Medical Center, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Springs) at Lindbergh Center. You don't want to be stuck waiting for a train that never arrives and you can always transfer at Lindbergh if necessary.
- Remeber to place your luggage under your seat or in the designated luggage areas
For more info: See hotels near MARTA, Top 5 MARTA Station to Park and Ride and Top 10 Easiest Destinations to Get to on MARTA
Comments
Great tips, Sara. Now if they can only help with those irritating flight delays.
What are directions on MARTA from Airport to the Georgia World Congress Center?
Thanks a lot for the tips Sara! very useful !
:-)
How to get to the parking lots should be available and easy to find on via your maps on your site! The site is hard enough to find
HOW DO I GET TO THE GEORGIA DOME FROM THE AIRPORT OR A HOTEL LOCATED DOWN TOWN
Hi DPRICE,
Sorry, just now seeing your comment.
From the Airport to the Georgia Dome:
Take any northbound train to the Five Points Station. Exit the train and follow the signs to the WESTBOUND platform. Get on the first westbound train and ride one stop to the Dome Station.
Depending on where you are staying downtown, you could walk to the Dome, or again, go to Five Points on the train and transfer to a WESTBOUND train. You can use Google Maps online to get directions -- type in your start and end address and click on the train transit button for public transportation routes.
Sarah, I've never taken the train to the airport. No mention of what train to catch to get there. is it the westbound train or south bound, from five points. this would really be helpful!
Hi Gwen! Sorry, just saw your comment...no notification alerts! Well, what train you take depends on what station you start at. It is best to look at a rail map so you can see your starting point and determine which direction or directions you need to go. Most stations do have signs labeled on the platform for the airport as well. More specifically:
If you start on a red or gold line station (such as from North Springs, Buckhead, Doraville, Midtown, Five Points), you always go southbound.
If you are coming from Indian Creek/Decatur/Inman Park, etc., you go west, then exit at Five Points and take a southbound train.
If you are coming from H.E. Holmes, Bankhead, etc. you go east and then exit at Five Points to go south.
From Five Points, the southbound train.
Just a note of caution - each passenger needs their own breeze card. When visiting last year from Chicago, I bought 1 card and loaded it up for my daughter and me, only to have to buy another card and add more on. Chicago, New York, and London transit systems allow you to share cards, Marta does not!
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