5 hour lay-over in Detroit

I have a little over 5 hour lay-over in Detroit this coming June. I will be coming in from Tokyo, and flying out to Denver.

Do you think there is enough time for me to go to Greektown or downtown? I have never been to Detroit, and this might be my only chance to see a little bit of it.

Is there public transportation (light-rail) from the airport to downtown? Or should I just take a cab ride?

5 hour lay-over in Detroit

If you think it is worth $100 or so to see a bit of the city, taxi (about $41 each way, plus tip) or ';luxury sedan'; ($55 each way, plus tip) are the only practical ways to see Detroit, given the time you have. I%26#39;ve done those Asian flights many times and appreciate the interest in getting out of the terminal and stretching legs somewhere, so it might easily be worth the $100.

A somewhat closer alternative to downtown Detroit would be the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn. The Village gets my recommendation as an option for you. Pleasant outdoor place to stroll and only 15 minutes from the airport. Still would need to go by taxi.

CAR RENTAL. Renting a car and driving is a possibility, but it would take longer because you would have to wait for the rental car shuttle, get to the rental car lot and handle the paperwork all before leaving the airport property. You%26#39;d have to repeat the process on the return. In that same amount of time, a taxi could take you almost to downtown and, on the return, a taxi would drop you at the terminal.

LIGHT RAIL. There is no light rail at all in the Detroit area. What little public transportation (bus) exists would not help someone with a limited amount of time between flights. There is a non-express bus (Route 125) that would take you from the airport to downtown Detroit, though not to Greektown. It is slow and goes on a circuitous route and is not a practical alternative for you.

Is 5 hours the total amount of time between landing in Detroit and departure for Denver? If so, you will have to factor in the time for customs/immigration upon arrival and check-in for your Denver flight later. So the 5 hours easily could be reduced to 4 hours or less.

Also, if necessary to change airlines and terminals in Detroit, that will also require 20 minutes or so. The Northwest/Delta terminal is not connected to the North terminal used by most other carriers, nor is it within walking distance. There are no sidewalks, even if you want to be adventurous.

5 hour lay-over in Detroit

yes, I only have 5 hours and 17 minutes in my lay-over, so I will probably just go to Dearborn, or stay in the airport, depending how I feel. Thanks for your help.

You are welcome. Hope it works out for you.

Tough amount of time to fill, especially considering customs/immigration time on arrival and check-in time for your flight to Denver. It is tempting--if a little boring--to play it safe and just stay at the airport. There are a number of bars, restaurants and shops there and, if you have access to Northwest%26#39;s World Clubs, that also would be a good place to pass the time comfortably.

If your flight is on time (or even early) and the weather is good, you could get to Greenfield Village for 2 or 3 hours. The adjacent Museum is a good default in bad weather. Here is their website: www.hfmgv.org. Don%26#39;t know what time you get to DTW, but please note that both the Museum and Village close at 5 p.m.

Five hours is probably not worth the bother. You will easily lose one, maybe two hours in immigration and customs. Getting to your next flight and boarding will be 45-60 minutes, so you are down to 3 or so hours of downtime.

So, if I only have 3 hours of downtime, would it not be worth it to see Dearborn?

This probably is one of those subjects about which everyone has a different perspective. The Museum and Village are among--maybe they are THE--top tourist attractions in the Detroit area, so I would say to play it by ear and see how much time you have once you are through customs/immigration.

If you have 3 hours actually to spend in the Village (plus 15-20 minutes travel time each way from the airport and return), I think it would be worth it. If time gets very tight and leaves only 2 hours or so to see the Village, I personally would skip it. Bear in mind that two way taxi and tip, plus admission to the village will add up to almost $100. For a 2 hour visit, that is pricey.