ATLAirport Guide

Atlanta airport during Dragon Con: MARTA, checkpoints and the holiday Monday

Dragon Con packs downtown. MARTA's Red and Gold lines leave the Domestic Terminal, but parade morning is crowded and holiday trains start about 6 a.m.

The Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel tower seen from the street in downtown Atlanta.
Atlanta Marriott Marquis

MARTA’s Red and Gold lines both leave from Airport Station, inside the Domestic Terminal between the North and South baggage claims. For Dragon Con, the train is the cheapest of the three ways downtown.

Three ways downtown, and what each costs

Way downtown What the pages print Starts at
MARTA Red or Gold line $2.50 standard fare Airport Station
Uber $33 average route price to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta or the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, per Uber’s page North Economy lot, via the escalators between doors N2 and N3
Taxi $37.50 flat fare for one person, plus $2 for each additional person Ground Transportation Center, Aisle A

MARTA’s stations page lists Five Points at 16 minutes and Peachtree Center at 17 minutes from the airport on average. Five Points is where all four rail lines meet, per Discover Atlanta. The Hilton Atlanta is joined by skywalk to Peachtree Center and its MARTA station. Our MARTA rail page lists the fare rules, including four free transfers within three hours.

If you’re hauling costume cases, a ride puts you at the hotel door, while the train leaves you at a station. Our Uber and Lyft guide walks the pickup.

Parade morning is the crowded one. Discover Atlanta warns that MARTA gets crowded as the parade’s 10 a.m. Saturday start approaches, and it tells riders to stake out a spot early. On a Saturday-morning arrival, a ride skips that train.

If your trip crosses Labor Day, Monday’s rail service changes

MARTA’s notice says buses, the Streetcar and trains run Saturday schedules on Labor Day, with trains starting at about 6 a.m. Its holiday table lists Sunday service for all three. Only the notice names a start time, so don’t count on a pre-dawn train.

On those Saturday schedules the Gold and Red lines run every 15-20 minutes. The airport asks you to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one. With trains starting at about 6 a.m., that puts a Monday flight before about 8:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. if it’s international) out of reach of the first train, so book a ride. MARTA’s special rail schedules page posts other service changes, including track work and special events, so it’s the page to check the day before.

Security runs hot from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and around the long weekend

The airport says the busiest times at the checkpoints usually fall between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. and on the days before and after holidays and long weekends. Passengers can reach every concourse and gate from any checkpoint.

Domestic checkpoint Hours
Main 24 hours
North 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lower North 3:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
South (PreCheck only) 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The airport’s wait times page shows each checkpoint’s live wait. Our security page lists every checkpoint, and our security wait times guide explains the color bands.

Parking, and where a bag can wait

The airport lists Park-Ride at $15 a day, Economy at $20 and Daily at $30 (our parking page has every lot’s rate), and it recommends pre-booking to avoid a full lot. ATL’s amenities page lists no left-luggage desk or lockers, so if you check out of your hotel early with hours to spare, our bag guide lists the off-site options.

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