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Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport Guide

USATODAY
A plane takes off from Denver International Airport at sunrise, Sept. 12, 2010.

Contact information and flight status

Checkpoint savvy

Busiest times: Sunday evenings and Monday mornings. The north and A Bridge checkpoints are often less crowded than the south checkpoint.

Workarounds: All gates accessible from any checkpoint, including the A Bridge checkpoint. A train to all gate areas (A, B and C) is accessible from the north and south checkpoints. Or walk to the A gates from the A Bridge checkpoint and get on the train from there.

Expedited TSA PreCheck and CLEAR lanes available. TSA Pre-Check application center in main terminal, near south checkpoint. Although recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado, Denver International Airport does not allow pot anywhere on airport property.

Parking

Parking information: 303-DIA-PARK or 303-342-7275 (24 hours).

Most convenient: Valet, $33/day, on both east and west sides of Jeppesen Terminal, Level 4. Garage, $24/day. Reserved parking (reserve up to one year in advance), $28/day.

Least expensive: East and West economy lots: $13/day. Pikes Peak and Mount Elbert satellite lots, $8/day. Buses to terminal every 10 minutes.

Cellphone lot: The Final Approach cellphone lot is about three miles west of the Jeppesen Terminal on the north side of Peña Boulevard. (Signs are posted along the access routes.) Amenities include 253 spaces, indoor restrooms, lounge seating, free wireless internet in the building and parking lot, children's play area, flight information display boards, 24-hour fuel, Subway, Dunkin' Donuts (with 24-hour drive-through), ZPizza and Baja Fresh Mexican Grill.

Transportation to/from city

Most convenient: Taxi to downtown; flat rate $55.15.. Travel time: 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Least expensive: RTD skyRide bus, $10 to downtown Denver. Travel time: 1 hour.

Wi-Fi and charging stations

Free Wi-Fi available throughout the airport.

Free charging stations available in Concourses A, B, and C. Free unlimited domestic and international phone calls (first 10 minutes free) at more than 200 landline phones throughout the airport.

Go local

Best source for local gifts: Greetings From Colorado (A gates; Colorado-themed gifts), Colorado Collection (B gates; crafts and jewelry), Way Out West (C gates; Colorado/Western themed gifts) and the Sports Terminal (Jeppesen Terminal and B gates), and kiosks throughout the airport (A, B and C gates). See all options.

Best source for local food: Jeppesen Terminal: Red Rocks Bar & Grill (barbecue, etc.). Concourse A: Denver Chophouse & Brewery. Concourse B: Elway's, Modmarket, Steve's Snappin' Dogs, Crú A Wine Bar (light meals and wine; B51). Concourse C: Root Down. Grill & Vine Restaurant and the Sky Lobby are located in the Westin Denver International Airport hotel adjacent to the main terminal. See all options.

Tips and tidbits

DEN has a free water-bottle filling station at the center of each concourse, an Interfaith Chapel, a pet relief area, a canine therapy program (CATS) that includes one feline team member, a USO center and a 365-foot, glass-and-steel pedestrian bridge from the terminal to the A gates that's right over an active taxiway.

A brochure for a self-guided tour of the art collection is available at any information booth. Customs entry for international travelers is expedited with free Automated Passport control kiosks; no pre-registration needed. Family-friendly events and entertainment are offered on the open-air public plaza between Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Hotel. See schedule here.

Nearby layover option

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, home to a herd of bison, borders DEN property to the west and is accessible by taxi or rental car. Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Tours available by reservation only, (303) 289-0939. Leopold Bros. Distillery, 14 miles from the airport and on the way into downtown Denver, offers tours and tastings by appointment. Punch Bowl Social is an aviation-themed "eatertainment" venue between DIA and downtown Denver with a diner, bars, bowling lanes, karaoke rooms, a dart lounge and an outdoor deck housed in the former air traffic control tower building at what was once Stapleton Airport.

Your tips and picks?

Please share your time- and money-saving tips, favorite restaurants, bars and stores in comments below.

These guides are written by Harriet Baskas, who is the author of six books, including the airport guidebook Stuck at the Airport and a blog of the same name.

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