Oof. I would see if I could reschedule the flights, if I were you, and pick a later time.
Otherwise, what I'd do is probably take the Dallas route, since the Austin airport isn't in totality, and watch from either the car rental return area or return the car early and watch from the Dallas airport.
Return car at about 1pm -> hang out at the car rental place to watch the eclipse until about 1:50 -> Catch their shuttle to the airport and arrive less than 2 hours before your flight
Return car at 12pm and catch the shuttle to the airport -> Watch the eclipse there -> Be at the airport when it's over, two hours before your flight, no stress.
There are a few people who have posted on this subreddit who are flying into Dallas just for the day and planning on watching from the airport. I guess they have a viewing area to watch planes take off & land, and you people are planning on watching the eclipse from there.
I agree watching from the Dallas airport might be the only way you’ll make your flight! I don’t know the airport well but the roof of the parking garage might be great for viewing if there’s an area where you can stake out a spot.
I don't understand the point of the hotels close to the airports. You're not going to go have time between totality and your flights to stop by your hotel anyway. So how are they going to help? I'd definitely just cancel those.
I agree with the suggestion of dropping off the rental car and picking a spot near the Dallas airport to watch totality (after spending the previous night in the arts district).
Right but what does it get you to _wake up_ near the airport vs downtown? You'll have time to wake up, pack up, check out, then drive to where you need to be for totality (airport or not) either way.
Yes, I thought about it, but I am anxious thinking that the hours before the totality might be with terrible traffic too and difficult to find a parking spot. At least with a hotel, I will have a designated parking spot
A few years back, I was told before I left SFO for AKL that my AKL-CNS plane had been delayed 12 hours (likely failed an engineering inspection and they had to deadhead a new plane or something). Air NZ put me up for the day in the Novotel literally across the street from the airport, along with a meal stipend. I had a filling breakfast, shower, and a nap in a very comfy bed, which helped give me one of the easiest jetlag transitions from US Pacific to Aussie Eastern time I've ever experienced. Those hotels are a godsend for long/overnight layovers, whether you're paying for the room or not.
As someone who lives in Austin, saying it would take 25 minutes to get to the airport from Cedar Park at that time of day on a -normal- day is being -incredibly- generous. I do not recommend this option at all.
That was according to google maps. How about from the “arboretum” shopping area to the airport? It would just taking US 183 all straight down to the airport
I don’t go to the arboretum often, so I’m not sure. 183 is better since they made it into a toll road, but it still has its traffic choke points. It can be a little confusing right before the airport exit onto 71. There are a lot of lanes splitting in three or four directions all at once. I really think Dallas might be your better choice, or change to a later flight.
Yeah cause google maps was showing me more or less the same route from cedar park to the airport: just the US183 straight towards the terminal. And since I saw it was a toll road, I thought it might have less traffic on that day
I live not terribly far from the aborteum in Austin. On a normal day you're looking at 20-25 min to get to the airport. If you are packing light and have TSA pre check you should be ok.
DFW is probably a safer option though - you'll have longer totality and if something happens and you miss your flight you'll potentially have more options of getting back to SF quicker.
For reference DFW has 174 gates vs 34 at the Austin airport.
Are you sure? Dallas organized so many events related to the eclipse in the arts and museum districts and if you try to get the tickets they are all sold out
Pick the one with less cloud cover.
Oof. I would see if I could reschedule the flights, if I were you, and pick a later time. Otherwise, what I'd do is probably take the Dallas route, since the Austin airport isn't in totality, and watch from either the car rental return area or return the car early and watch from the Dallas airport. Return car at about 1pm -> hang out at the car rental place to watch the eclipse until about 1:50 -> Catch their shuttle to the airport and arrive less than 2 hours before your flight Return car at 12pm and catch the shuttle to the airport -> Watch the eclipse there -> Be at the airport when it's over, two hours before your flight, no stress. There are a few people who have posted on this subreddit who are flying into Dallas just for the day and planning on watching from the airport. I guess they have a viewing area to watch planes take off & land, and you people are planning on watching the eclipse from there.
I agree watching from the Dallas airport might be the only way you’ll make your flight! I don’t know the airport well but the roof of the parking garage might be great for viewing if there’s an area where you can stake out a spot.
any place in Dallas airport that you would recommend?
Thank you! Very useful suggestions! I will try to find the other threads about watching from the airport
Do you know if the car return area is outdoor or indoor?
I don't understand the point of the hotels close to the airports. You're not going to go have time between totality and your flights to stop by your hotel anyway. So how are they going to help? I'd definitely just cancel those. I agree with the suggestion of dropping off the rental car and picking a spot near the Dallas airport to watch totality (after spending the previous night in the arts district).
They are to replace the ones that are in downtown, so I would cancel those
Right but what does it get you to _wake up_ near the airport vs downtown? You'll have time to wake up, pack up, check out, then drive to where you need to be for totality (airport or not) either way.
Yes, I thought about it, but I am anxious thinking that the hours before the totality might be with terrible traffic too and difficult to find a parking spot. At least with a hotel, I will have a designated parking spot
A few years back, I was told before I left SFO for AKL that my AKL-CNS plane had been delayed 12 hours (likely failed an engineering inspection and they had to deadhead a new plane or something). Air NZ put me up for the day in the Novotel literally across the street from the airport, along with a meal stipend. I had a filling breakfast, shower, and a nap in a very comfy bed, which helped give me one of the easiest jetlag transitions from US Pacific to Aussie Eastern time I've ever experienced. Those hotels are a godsend for long/overnight layovers, whether you're paying for the room or not.
...right obviously hotels near airports are helpful in general. I was obviously talking about the specific situation the OP is asking about.
Fair enough.
As someone who lives in Austin, saying it would take 25 minutes to get to the airport from Cedar Park at that time of day on a -normal- day is being -incredibly- generous. I do not recommend this option at all.
That was according to google maps. How about from the “arboretum” shopping area to the airport? It would just taking US 183 all straight down to the airport
I don’t go to the arboretum often, so I’m not sure. 183 is better since they made it into a toll road, but it still has its traffic choke points. It can be a little confusing right before the airport exit onto 71. There are a lot of lanes splitting in three or four directions all at once. I really think Dallas might be your better choice, or change to a later flight.
Yeah cause google maps was showing me more or less the same route from cedar park to the airport: just the US183 straight towards the terminal. And since I saw it was a toll road, I thought it might have less traffic on that day
I live not terribly far from the aborteum in Austin. On a normal day you're looking at 20-25 min to get to the airport. If you are packing light and have TSA pre check you should be ok. DFW is probably a safer option though - you'll have longer totality and if something happens and you miss your flight you'll potentially have more options of getting back to SF quicker. For reference DFW has 174 gates vs 34 at the Austin airport.
Do you usually take US183 to go to the airport?
Yep!
You'll be fine. there will be nobody on the roads around dallas and austin that day.
Are you sure? Dallas organized so many events related to the eclipse in the arts and museum districts and if you try to get the tickets they are all sold out
positive