Atlanta

TomAtAlki

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I know there are people from Atlanta on the forum so please some help.

I land in Atlanta at 5:30 in the morning and leave at 3:30 in the afternoon. Is there a great breakfast place and an art museum and transportation from and to the airport that would make a short visit to Atlanta worthwhile or should I stay at the airport?

Thanks,

T/
 
Atlanta has one of the most fantastic aquariums you will ever see. I don't know about transportation, but the aquarium is one of the best in the world if not the best in the world and would be a fun place to spend a few hours. You can touch see anemone and crabs, see fantastic wildlife in an underwater tunnel, and the beluga whales are nothing short of amazing.

Another option that everyone says is cool is the Coca-Cola museum. Haven't been there though.
 
A word to the wise:

TSA security checkpoints are woefully understaffed all over the country.
Yesterday had a spate of news stories about travelers arriving to the airport 3 hours early and then barely, if at all, making their flights. If you haven't seen it, you should.
The article I linked gave Atlanta's PreCheck line - NOT the standard one - as 45 minutes, and the regular line as 2 hours.

If you do leave the airport, you should really be back by noon if you want to avoid grief.
 
You can take MARTA from the Airport to Five Points and visit the main items: CNN- Coca Cola- The Aquarium. Going by car is risky because of the traffic jams and accidents on the highway. There is a shuttle going from the international terminal to the one for domestic flights where you can take MARTA.
 
I'd try to get an earlier flight on standby if that's possible to your next destination. For just a few hours of fun, it sounds stressful to possibly miss a flight just to see some old coke bottles and have to go through the circus that is the TSA all over again.
 
I'm in Atlanta now. There's a big difference between security lines in the domestic terminal and the international one. Less long in the latter.
Breakfasts in Atlanta are the best I the US IMHO and there are many excellent choices. But I have always had a wait so be aware of that. The High Museum is small but excellent but not worth missing your flight for. Breakfast maybe. World of Coke museum is actually far better than I imagined but not for such a short visit. Uber works great but traffic at rush hour is among the worst in the world
 
The long waits at the TSA lines in the US airports are becoming a SERIOUS problem.


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I would suggest visiting the Coca-Cola museum some other time... it's underwhelming, especially for a short trip where you'll only stay a few hours. Then again maybe my expectations were too high. The aquarium is great, though.

And as others have said, don't underestimate Atlanta traffic. :)
 
Tom, do you arrive into international and fly out of domestic? I did a similar escape from the airport a few weeks ago, no problem.
if arriving International, I'd suggest uber to pick you up at the curb instead of having to take the shuttle to domestic to then take Marta. you should be to the curb by 6:15 and be ahead of traffic.
head to Highland bakery for breakfast, you'll probably arrive before they open. another good options are Ria's Bluebird or West Egg Cafe, depending on where you're going after.
the aquarium is better than world of coke, buy your tickets online.
high museum is worth a visit, too, but check the hours on your day, open 12 on Sat. from there you can take the Marta back to the airport domestic terminal.
the hot spots right now are ponce city market & Krog street market. full of restaurants and some shops, these are converted older buildings with a cool vibe. probably more of lunch type food.
walk along the nearby beltline if it's a nice day.
another option is the zoo if you want to walk and be outside a few hrs after sitting all night.
I would suggest uber back to intl terminal as security is usually less than 15 minutes. you can take the internal train to domestic gates once you pass security if needed.
 
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