holy cow you guys, i just landed at denver international and honestly, its a beast. i mean, literally, its HUGE. i knew it was big but like, until you actually get here and start navigating, you just dont realize how much walking is involved and how many layers there are to this place. so im sitting here waiting for my uber, which is taking its sweet time, and i figured id drop some thoughts for anyone whos a first-timer here because honestly, i wish someone had given me the heads up on a few things.
Getting your bearings
okay so basically, when you first get in, youre at the jeppesen terminal, which is the main building, and its where baggage claim is and where you check in for flights and everything, and its kind of this big, open space with those tent-like roofs which are pretty cool but also a bit disorienting. youve got concourse a, concourse b, and concourse c, and this is where it gets tricky because concourse a is technically connected to the main terminal by a pedestrian bridge which seems like a good idea but its a long ass walk, and for concourses b and c, you literally HAVE to take an underground train, there is no other way to get there. so dont even think about walking to b or c, just dont do it.
security is on level 5, and its usually a madhouse, and sometimes you can find shorter lines on the north or south ends, but its really a crapshoot. then once you get through security, you head down to the train to get to your concourse, or you can take that super long pedestrian bridge to concourse a if thats where your gate is. baggage claim is on level 5 too, and its pretty straightforward but again, its a big area so just keep an eye on the screens. for ground transport, like uber or lyft or even just being picked up by a friend, you have to go down to level 4, which is basically the same level as the parking garages connecting to the main terminal, and its kind of confusing the first time you do it, honestly.
- be prepared for some serious steps, like literally miles of walking, especially if your gate is at the far end of any concourse or if you decide to walk to concourse a from the main terminal.
- the pedestrian bridge to concourse a can be a good option if youre not in a rush and want to skip the main security lines and use the security checkpoint thats actually on the bridge, but its a solid 10-15 minute walk to even get across the bridge, let alone to your gate once you land on concourse a.
- for concourses b and c, the train is your only friend, and it runs pretty frequently, but it can get super crowded during peak travel times, so factor that in.
- sometimes, the security checkpoints at the far ends of the main terminal, or even the one on the concourse a bridge, are less busy than the main central ones, its worth checking the wait times if you can.
- and for real, dont try to walk between concourse b and c, or any of the concourses once youre past security, the train is the only way between them, its literally an underground automated people mover and its not like lax where you can shuttle between terminals on foot or by bus.
The peak hour survival guide
let me tell you, if you can avoid peak hours, do it. im talking like early mornings, between 5 am and 8 am, and then again in the late afternoon/early evening, from like 3 pm to 7 pm, those times are basically a zoo. security lines become absolutely epic, and youll see queues snaking around corners you didnt even know existed, and then getting on that train to the concourses, forget about it, its sardine city.
honestly, if youre flying during these times, especially if youre checking a bag or have an international flight, you should literally add another hour to your already generous arrival time recomended. so if they say arrive 2 hours early, make it 3. if you dont have pre-check or clear, you are going to suffer, im telling you. parking can also be a nightmare during these hours, with all the garages filling up and you scrambling to find an open spot, and then having to walk forever from the economy lots. ride-shares like uber and lyft also get slammed, and your wait times can be really long, and surge pricing will be through the roof, so just budget for that too.
its not a bad airport, its just a very busy and very spread-out one, and you just gotta be prepared for that. stay hydrated too, cause denver is at altitude and you can really feel it, especially after all that walking. the food options are decent but expensive, like any airport, and there are some cool art installations if you have time to actually stop and look, but honestly, most of the time you are just power walking to your next destination. good luck out there, folks!