DENVER —
Chances are, your family will stress you out enough this Thanksgiving, so we’re here to help make the traveling part of the holiday as easy as possible.
From optimizing your time at Denver International Airport (did you know you can get a free beer?!) to hopefully helping you navigate potentially big delays on Colorado’s roads, we put together this holiday travel guide.
Before you do any traveling (and yes, this is a shameless plug), download the 9NEWS app.
On the app, we’ll have the latest breaking news and weather, as well as live videos from our newscasts if you’re traveling but still need a little 9NEWS fix in your life.
Below, you’ll find some helpful links and tips for traveling by plane, train and automobile this holiday season.
Drive to your destination safely
According to AAA, 49.3 million people will drive more than 50 miles to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. With snow in the forecast for parts of Colorado on Black Friday and storms bringing epic amounts of accumulation to the mountains, it’s possible roads could be closed or at the very least, harder to drive on than usual.
Check out the 9NEWS Traffic Map before you go for the latest road closures and conditions:
Check out the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website to see where the state’s snow plows are: bit.ly/34jY8YX
While you’re there, you can also preview the conditions along your route via live traffic cameras: bit.ly/2OiBCKd
Planning when to leave is very dependent on weather. Yes, we’ll mention it again, but check the 9NEWS app for the latest travel forecast.
Another pro tip? Google analyzed the data for the best and worst times to leave for Thanksgiving travel. See what they had to say at the link below.
The train to the plane
If you want to take driving out of the equation entirely, one of the easiest ways to get to the airport is via the A Line.
This 23-mile commuter rail line extends from Union Station to DIA, with eight stations along the way. Trains run every 15 minutes for most of the day, and the fare is $10.50 each way.
It takes 37 minutes to take the A Line from Union Station to DIA — roughly as long as it takes to drive the same distance.
For a look at the A Line schedule and more information, click here: bit.ly/35tVLmk
What to do once you’re at the airport
Don’t want to wait in a giant line to check your bags? There’s a shuttle bag check lot at 75th Avenue for that! Just follow the signs.
And, if you opted to drive to the airport, you can find prices and information about whether the lots are full yet here: bit.ly/37v4ir4
Once you finally get inside the airport, don’t be alarmed: A heavily-delayed construction project has made it unrecognizable if you haven’t been there in a while. For a brief explainer on what’s going on with that, check out this link: bit.ly/2QLoZcu
One positive of the construction? These advertisements where DIA basically admitted it’s an Illuminati front.
RELATED: DIA basically admitted the construction is for Illuminati tunnels (and Blucifer is in on it)
At some point, you will have to go through security. Sure, there’s the Great Hall security, but there’s also a hidden delight called “Bridge Security,” which is especially convenient if your flight is leaving from Concourse A.
DIA has wait times for all the security checkpoints here: bit.ly/37EwfwA
Also, once you’re at the airport, it’s never a bad idea to check to see if your flight is on-time or not. Find that information here: bit.ly/2OGOA3H
Once you’ve been through security (if you’re a responsible traveler), you probably have some time to catch a bite or a drink.
If you pick up a beer passport at one of the airport’s breweries or an information kiosk, your fifth pint is free. Obviously, drinking five beers in one sitting before boarding an airplane is not a great idea, so be aware you can use this in multiple trips.
For more information about the food and drinking options at the airport, head here: bit.ly/2Dc5UIv
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