Tips on Detroit departure

[LLWDW]

We leave in 12 daysDoes any one have any tips on leaving through Detroit. How much time should we schedule for border crossing? Is it a lot of walking and standing in this airport? Parking? Any help is appreciated.

 

[CdnDisneyLover]

Where are you crossing? Windsor or Sarnia? Depends on the day and the time too. Also which airline are you flying with? We flew with Northwest and I found that we did a lot of walking to get to our terminal.

Enjoy your trip! Oh I wish we could go this year.....

 

[tgropp]

We leave in 12 daysDoes any one have any tips on leaving through Detroit. How much time should we schedule for border crossing? Is it a lot of walking and standing in this airport? Parking? Any help is appreciated.

Crossing at Sarnia is a lot faster than at the bridge or tunnel in Detroit. Since you clear customs at the border, if you arrive at the airport 1.5 to 2 hours ahead of your flight is plenty. What time is your flight? if it is early morning or early evening, you will have rush hour traffic to contend with. There are good park and fly packages at local hotels which might help you out. As far as walking etc, Mcnamara terminal is big, but easy and simple to get around. They also have moving sidewalks ( if that is what they are called) inside the termina lthat minimize your walking if that is a problem. Lots of seats at the departure gates to sit. There is parking at the airport for $24/day or right off of Hy 94 for $50-75/week. I once arrived at the airport at 12:30 PM for a 3 o'clock flight and they asked me if I would like to leave on the 1 o'clock flight for $20.00 more. (with NWA), so that should give you an idea how smoothly things work at that airport

 

[dopeyluvsgrumpy]

After a very close call at the border crossing, we now always go down the day before and stay in a hotel close to the airport. A couple years ago we were flying down for a cruise and there was a huge backlog at the border and came within minutes of missing our flight. Since then I have gone with the plan that you never know what will happen at the border.

 

[MikeJ]

I'm with dopey. (Uh, you know what I mean... ) We usually catch an early morning flight on NWA/Delta and always stay down the night before. Park and Fly rates are available from all of the hotels on Merriman and are typically US$90-100 with 8 days parking included. Given that parking alone will cost up to $75 for a week, it's worth the extra $15-25 (to us, anyway) to not have to worry about border backlogs and leaving London at 4am to catch a 9:00 flight. Check the Romulus hotels on tripadvisor.com; the two most highly rated are the Springhill Suites and Fairfield Inn. We've stayed at the Fairfield several times and are trying the Springhill later this month.

We usually travel carry on-only and find that getting there 90 minutes early is plenty of time. We leave the hotel 2 hours before our scheduled flight, park the car and are at the terminal with oodles of time to spare. Our flights often leave from the far end of the terminal, but you can walk it in about 10 minutes or else take the tram. We like to consider the tram ride our first attraction of the trip...

 

[Louiepipbgeeco]

It is a good size terminal. But moving sidewalks and a tram inside. Lots of seating and eating areas available.
Some gates even have little tikes play houses.
Border -- I can speak for the bridge at Windsor mainly. It varies --if you are leaving Friday after school(like everyone else) plan on a line up and a wait to get across. Factor in extra time for this. I always give myself extra time or try and leave school a bit early to avoid this. Last year we went over on the Sat. instead and it was VERY quiet. It was eerie actually.
Good luck. AS another posted--lots of good park, fly and sleep choices nearby. We always go with the Airlines Parking on Merriman. Good and safe place to book.
Enjoy. It is coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mickeymorse]

Ditto the other posters. We live across the border from Detroit and almost always Park,Sleep and Fly. The Fairfield is nice except it was booked for the 12th so we opted for the Courtyard around the corner. I figure for $89 its well worth it. Most lots are going to be $10/day anyway. You can also do some last minute shopping over on Eureka Rd (Target, Meijers, Dicks Sports, J.C Penney etc.) I don't like to take the chance at the border. I've been 10 minutes or over an hour trying to cross. Everyone is a terrorist these days. Homeland Security really make you feel welcome.

 

[LLWDW]

Thanks for the replies. We leave on the Sat, mid afternoon, so I'm not worried about traffic just concerned about March Breakers. I'm thinking crossing at Sarnia might be a good idea. I'm also concerned for my sister who can not stand for long, maybe she'll have to use a wheelchair And I guess we'll park at the terminal.

 

[mkmommy]

Driving to Detroit airport from Guelph. Mapquest is showing that going via Sarnia is 40 minutes faster than crossing in Windsor, is that correct?

 

[MikeJ]

Driving to Detroit airport from Guelph. Mapquest is showing that going via Sarnia is 40 minutes faster than crossing in Windsor, is that correct?

Forty minutes seems like a lot, but we've found it's 15-20 minutes faster from London by going the Sarnia route. It does depend (a) on what time you cross the border, and (b) whether or not you hit rush hour in Detroit. If you're crossing at Sarnia you have to drive the entire way through Detroit which can be slow at the wrong times of the day. If you cross at Windsor you only have to get out of Detroit, not in *and* out. If you going at off hours then I would recommend Sarnia, FWIW.

- Mike

 

[KateBCanada]

We are flying out on Monday morning at 7:15 am and we plan to be at the airport for 5 am and the border for 4 just in case. I think we are crossing at Sarnia ( we are meeting my Mom and Grandma in Chatham). I hope it will be ok! I am so excited!!! Safe travels everyone!

 

[snickerboo]

We like to go out of Detroit and always cross at Sarnia. It's usually pretty fast. We have never had a problem @ that border crossing but I think time of day has a lot to do with it. Another thing I like about Sarnia for the airport is that it's so direct from Sarnia. You cross, you're on the 94 and you stay on til the airport.

The main terminal at Detroit is nice and bright w/ lots of seating. It is not tons of walking.

We always just park @ the terminal. I love that you can park right at the terminal and walk in at Detroit. It costs us about $100 for the week.

We stayed at the airport Fairfield Inn when dh flew out on business in the fall. It was okay but basic, even for a Farifield. Dh has stayed at Crowne Plaza there and preferred it.

Driving to Detroit airport from Guelph. Mapquest is showing that going via Sarnia is 40 minutes faster than crossing in Windsor, is that correct?

I don't think it's 40 minutes faster. DTW is about 2 1/2 hours from London, ON. It takes us almost 3 hours exactly and we live about 1/2 hr from London.

 

[mkmommy]

We are flying out on Monday morning at 7:15 am and we plan to be at the airport for 5 am and the border for 4 just in case. I think we are crossing at Sarnia ( we are meeting my Mom and Grandma in Chatham). I hope it will be ok! I am so excited!!! Safe travels everyone!

Is it not almost 2 hours from Sarnia to the Detroit Airport, so if you are at the border at 4:00 it will be later than 5:00 by the time you get to the airport.

 

[MikeJ]

Is it not almost 2 hours from Sarnia to the Detroit Airport, so if you are at the border at 4:00 it will be later than 5:00 by the time you get to the airport.

It takes us 2:15 to get to DTW from our house in west London, and we're almost exactly an hour from the Bluewater Bridge. Once you're across the border, and assuming you don't have traffic/construction issues getting through Detroit, it's about 1:15 to get to DTW from Port Huron.

- Mike

 

[MikeJ]

We are flying out on Monday morning at 7:15 am and we plan to be at the airport for 5 am and the border for 4 just in case. I think we are crossing at Sarnia ( we are meeting my Mom and Grandma in Chatham). I hope it will be ok! I am so excited!!! Safe travels everyone!

If you're meeting them in Chatham and then proceeding to the airport from there, cross at Windsor. Going to Sarnia from Chatham will easily add an hour to your trip. The Sarnia route works best (IMHO) if you're coming from the east and can easily access the 402 at London. Anything else will be faster to go through Windsor.

- Mike