hmathis

What will 5 hours there be like..I heard they have nice rocking chairs and a fair selection of food....Is there time to take a txi into town and explore.....probably not...we will probably stay put (a stopover before we go on to London) we have a smilar length stopover on our way back at Pittsburgh airport..I heard there is more to do there!

soccr

I wouldn't risk leaving the airport -- it's at some distance from the downtown area and cabs aren't available downtown the way they would be in larger cities, so the problem isn't just getting a cab and going downtown, it's getting BACK from downtown in good time and order. If you are connecting to an evening flight to UK, you'd find yourself messing with outbound rush-hour traffic anyway.

And, I'm afraid, there isn't that much to see within a small radius of the airport itself, either (although someone who lives there may have a secret place to suggest -- again, remember you have to be able to get back and go through security).

There are a few shops and restaurants and, yes, the rocking chairs are nice. Use the time to pick up last-minute snacks and entertainments, walk around briskly, etc.

bob_brown

I have been held over in the Charlotte airport for several hours more than once.

My advice: take few good books, or load up on your favorite CD's. There is precious little to do at the Charlotte airport. Yes, the rocking chairs are there, but 4 hours in one?

As described already, going into town has some difficulties.

GoTravel

It is a nice airport. Not too big, fairly new, and not a huge distance between concourses. I'd rather fly in and out of Charlotte than any other airport in the country.

gail

We spent an entire day at the Charlotte airport becasue of flight delays at our northern destination city due to storm. Agree with above - not a bad airport, food better than some, but it is an airport - so not much in way of interest or excitement. Five hours will not get you anywhere outside of airport and back, especially for overseas flight.

Gretchen

Resident here. You could take a cab to the uptown Mint Museum of Craft+Design and have a very pleasant 2 hour tour of an interesting small museum. There are cabs on the uptown streets or there is a phone# to call. Or you can walk a few blocks up from the museum to a hotel to get a cab. Since you will not have luggage security will not be bad. Allow at least an hour to get back through security after getting to the airport.

mdtravel

Resident as well and the cabs suck. They don't meter and they don't take plastic in my experiences. The cars are all like 1970's left overs from stunt cars from movies it seems. You might be better off trying to find a hotel shuttle bus and hop on that.

Litespeed_Chick

If you land at the US Air Express terminal and have to walk to the US Air regular terminal, it will actually take you 5 hours. Just kidding.

Not much to do in the airport but read. I had a 5 hr layover in Pitt on the way to Paris and there was NO WAY I would have left the airport and risked missing the connection.

If you are a shopper you can kill your 5 hours in Pitt pretty easily. Bookstore, Sunglass Hut, Vic Secret,etc.

EmilyC

You could take the free shuttle over to the Renaissance Hotel and have a meal there. I would buy a day pass to the US Air Club for waiting in relative comfort.

artchik

Try to get a shuttle to the Hampton Inn at Phillip's Place on Tyvola road, roughly 10 miles from airport.(shuttle info 589-7744.) If shuttle times work out favorably you can spend a very pleasant couple of hours browsing the interesting high-end shops, and get a great meal or snack at Dean & Deluca or PF Chang's. Should be able to coordinate schedule to have ample time to return to airport & get through security, or perhaps take cab one way. There is also a Courtyard by Marriott adjoining the shopping center; perhaps you could get a shuttle or cab from there as well. Have flown into Charlotte many times; the airport is clean but extremely boring - if you must stay there bring a book.

ccolor

I've only been in the Charlotte airport once for a short time and didn't notice one, but in Atlanta they have an area that rents videos for long layovers. Any chance Charlotte has the same arrangement?

MikeJ

I've always said that someday, someone is going to open a bar/high class billiards hall (small one) in an airport, and make a ton of money. If you're travelling with a friend, what better way to kill a couple of hours.