ok so i just landed at msp for the first time in a while and honestly its a pretty big airport like not lax big but definitely bigger than i remembered and i swear i nearly got lost trying to figure out where i was supposed to go especially with a tight connection and everyone else seemed to know exactly where they were going but i was just kinda wandering around staring at the signs hoping i’d magically arrive at my gate which clearly didnt happen so i figured id share some thoughts and maybe save some of you the panic attack i almost had trying to navigate this place becuase honestly its a bit of a beast and they really dont hold your hand much but the signs are there if you look hard enough and you dont get distracted by all the shops and restaurants which are pretty decent by the way i saw a surly girl bagels and was tempted but my gate was literally miles away so no time for carb loading sadly.
Navigating the maze
first things first msp basically has two main terminals and this is super important because if you go to the wrong one youre gonna have a bad time like a really bad time and its not just a quick hop skip and a jump its a whole thing so you gotta know if youre t1 or t2 before you even get out of your uber or if youre driving know which parking garage youre aiming for because theyre pretty far apart and switching involves the light rail which is great and efficient but it eats up like 10-15 minutes of your precious travel time just getting between them not counting waiting and walking so yeah check your ticket its either terminal 1 which they also call lindbergh and thats where delta is mostly and like united and american and a bunch of others or terminal 2 which is humphrey and thats where all the budget friendly folks hang out like southwest and spirit and sun country also icelandair and its a much smaller terminal which is nice for finding your way around but can be a bummer if you wanted more food options honestly and once youre in the right terminal the signs for gates and baggage claim are pretty clear but you still have to walk and walk and walk and sometimes its a bit of a labyrinth because everything kinda curves and there are multiple levels and its not just a straight shot to your gate which can be disorienting especially if youve had a long flight and your brain is mush.
The long trek between gates
ok so this is where it gets real because some of these gates are like in another zip code especially in terminal 1 and you literally feel like youre walking to another city and they have those moving walkways which are a godsend but only for parts of it so you still have to do a lot of actual walking but the good news is you can mostly walk between all the concourses in t1 after security even if its a pain but there are definitely some shortcuts or rather some ways to make it less miserable and avoid literally walking for half an hour just to get to a connecting flight.
- between terminal 1 and terminal 2: you absolutely cannot walk this its way too far and you are stuck waiting for the light rail which is pretty good but factor in about 15-20 minutes total to get from one spot to the other.
- within terminal 2 (humphrey): this one is easy peasy you can literally walk the entire concourse and its not that long at all you dont need any shuttles or anything its much more manageable.
- within terminal 1 (lindbergh) concourses: this is where it gets tricky but you basically have two options or a mix of both.
- walking: yes you *can* walk between virtually all the concourses (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h) airside after security but honestly some of those walks are brutal like concourse g is notoriously long and concourse c can feel endless especially if your gate is at the very end so while its physically possible you might be huffing and puffing and maybe even miss your flight if you dont budget like 20-30 minutes for some of those longer connections and those moving walkways are your best friends here use them whenever you can.
- the little underground train/tram (airport transit system – ats): this is basically your “shuttle” within t1 for the really long hauls and its a lifesaver and you definitely want to take it if youre connecting between the central security area and gates in concourse c or concourses f/g its super fast and saves your legs a ton of work and its basically a loop that hits the main terminal area where all the security checkpoints are and then goes out to concourse c and then swings back through to the g/f concourse junction so if youre going deep into c or deep into g use it its pretty well signed for where to catch it but you have to go down an escalator or two and its kinda tucked away and you dont have to wait too long for it usually its like a 2 minute ride compared to a 10-15 minute walk.
so yeah basic takeaway is plan your terminal know your concourse and dont be afraid to use the light rail or that little underground tram because your feet will thank you and your connection just might be saved but honestly it could be worse ive been to some airports where you literally have to go landside and re-do security just to get to another gate so msp is mostly fine once you get the hang of its little quirks but definitely be prepared for some serious steps no matter what.