RDU Airport Map Review

Now let’s take a closer look at the map.  Terminal 1 is on the southern side and is the smaller of the two terminals.  It has Alaska Airlines, Avelo, Breeze, Southwest, Spirit, and Sun Country.  And then at the larger, newly renovated Terminal 2 to the north, there’s Aeromexico, Air Canada and France, Allegiant, American, Bahamas Air, Copa, Delta, Frontier, Iceland Air, Jet Blue, and United. 

You’ll also notice that customs is in Terminal 2, so all International Flights will come in through Terminal 2, even if you fly Southwest. 

You have the main parking decks between the two terminals, which we will go over more in minute, and then you’ll see off to the west is where all the rental cars are located, which have shuttles to pick you up from baggage claim. 

The main circulating roadway is John Brantley Blvd, which turns into Airport Blvd on the west side as one access point.  John Brantley Blvd also ties into Aviation Parkway on the west side, and if you’re coming from the northeast side, you’ll take International Dr off Lumley Rd.

So back to John Brantley Blvd, this is your main circulation roadway.  As you go past Terminal 2 on the north, it splits off to the right to go to the top level, where you can drop off passengers, or you can stay to the left to go to the bottom level where the baggage claim and passenger pick-up is located. 

If needing to circle around or you’re heading to Terminal 1, you’ll want to take Rental Car Dr to get onto the other side of John Brantley Blvd, where you’ll stay to the right and for Terminal 1, drop-off and pickup are on the same level.  Dropping off occurs first, and the pick-up area is at the far end of the Terminal.  If just passing by, you’ll stay to the left at the split.

If you’re picking someone up, the Airport does have a dedicated cell phone lot as shown, which you can access off Rental Car Dr and you can park until your passenger is ready to be picked up.

RDU Airport Parking

There are five different parking options offered by the Airport itself.  The first is the garage, which has the Premier and Central Tiers.  The Premier Tier gives you covered, first level parking that leads right to the Terminals, so it’s the quickest and easiest of the parking options but also the most expensive at $8/Hr or $32/Day. 

The Central Tier has mostly covered spaces but also some outdoor spaces as well, and may involve stairs or an elevator, and costs $5.25/Hr or $21/Day.

And you can book either of these Tiers in advance online, which sometimes has special offers, and is helpful if you are traveling during more crowded times if you want to ensure the deck is not sold out, as your spot is reserved for you. 

Note that RDU parking facilities have gone cashless, so make sure you bring your card. 

To access the garage coming from Airport Blvd or Aviation Parkway, you’ll want to stay in the two left most lanes of the five lane road, and obviously stay left at the split once you go under the bridge.

If coming from international drive, you’ll want to take John Brantley Blvd around like you were heading to terminal 1.  You can take Rental Car Drive again, or you could take a short cut and take RDU Dr just before going under the bridge.  Then you just take a left and go over the bridge to the parking deck.

If your parking in the Central Tier, the 2 far left lanes will take you closest to Terminal 2, otherwise the middle lanes will take you to Levels 2-7.  The far right lanes are for the Premier Tier.

RDU’s parking deck has also received a very cool new feature to assist with finding a spot in the parking deck, as lights were installed above every spot, with red meaning occupied and green meaning available.  There are signs at the beginning of each row that indicate how many available spots are along that row as well, so make sure you pay attention to these as it’ll make parking so much easier!

The RDU Express parking lot is a great mid-level option at $4.25/Hr or $17/Day.  This is a good option for those who need help with their luggage as the shuttle will come straight to your car to help you load up, and the shuttles run pretty frequently.

And the last two options are Economy 3 and 4, and they cost the same at $3/Hr with a daily maximum of $12.  The most convenient location for those coming from the south and west sides of the Airport is Economy 3, which is right by the Aviation Pkwy and National Guard Dr intersection.  Economy 4 is off International Dr, close to the entrance off Lumley Rd.

There are also some off-airport parking options, and one that I’ve used many times before is Fast Park and Relax, which goes for around $12/day.  The parking is outdoors and mostly covered, and a shuttle will come right to your vehicle when you park to pick you up.  You can reserve a spot in advance too.

Before getting into the details of the terminals, if you have any real estate needs in the greater Raleigh area, we have one of the top real estate teams in the Triangle and would love to help you.  Also, check out the best Raleigh activities to do in the Fall guide, as well as look out for a future blog on entertainment recommendations for out of town guests.

RDU Airport Terminal Overview

Once you have arrived and have either been dropped off or parked, make your way into the Terminals.  Again, for Terminal 2, the ticketing and security checkpoints are on the top level, and the same goes for Terminal 1, which has everything on the top level.

As far as crowds go, the RDU Airport is getting more and more crowded everyday, but for most travelers who have experienced other major airports, the RDU Airport will hardly feel crowded and lines through security are pretty quick.  When traveling outside of holiday weekends, a long security line would be 30 minutes, and most of the time, passengers are through in 10-15 minutes max. 

So while I would still always suggest getting to the airport 2 hours in advance of your flight, typically that is not needed at RDU.

Let’s take a closer look at the terminal maps.  Looking at Terminal 2, the larger of the two terminals, there are some curbside check-ins available, but inside you’ll see all the ticketing counters and there is an ATM and Foreign Currency Exchange there.   The only pre-security dining option of Beyu Caffe is located here, which offers coffee, drinks, and more grab and go type goods. 

Once you’re through security, there’s no tram or long walk needed to get to your gate, it’s all right there.  There are dining options such as BurgerFi, Jason’s Deli, the popular La Farm Bakery, as well as multiple craft beer and coffee options, and yes, there’s a Starbucks.  So there is a variety of quick offerings and sit downs here. 

And a new offering is the Virtual Food Hall, which allows you to order in advance to be ready at a certain time, and access your food through a cubby with a special access code.

There are quite a few retail options such as 5^th and Sunset, Vineyard Vines, and Swarovski, as well as your typical travel stores that provide a mix from convenience to luxury.

Looking at Terminal 1, there are also some curbside check-ins but the indoor ticketing counters are to the right once you walk-in.  Like Terminal 2, there is also a Beyu Caffe before security.

Even though Terminal 1 is smaller, it still has some good food choices.  There’s the famous Raleigh burger joint of Char-Grill, the ACC American Café, La Tapenade Mediterranean Café, Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina, and Starbucks, along with your typical grab and go shop.

There are a couple stores here but much fewer offerings, as there are shopping options in Marshall Rousso and Ruby Blue, as well as your typical airport markets. 

Now, let’s take a look at arrivals.  Starting with Terminal 2, when you arrive, you’ll follow signs to the baggage claim, which will take you downstairs.  If you are on an international flight, you will be directed through customs, which is also on this level.  Note that RDU does participate with Mobile Passport and Global Entry programs.  And again, ALL International Flights come in through Terminal 2, even if the airline typically operates out of Terminal 1. 

Once you grab your bags, head out to the doors to either your ride, your garage parking spot, which may require you to go back upstairs depending upon your spot, or one of the zones here.  

Zone 5 in green is for the rental car shuttles, which each rental car company has there own shuttle that comes around regularly.  Zone 6 in blue is for the RDU Economy 3 and 4 parking lots, Zone 7 in red are for hotel shuttles, and Zone 8 in purple is where many head for ride share pickups.  Note that there is one oddity here, in that the RDU Express Lot shuttle picks up on the second level, so if you parked there, you’ll have to go back upstairs.

At Terminal 1, you’ll also follow signs to the baggage claim and it’s a pretty quick walk.  Once you exit the concourse, the baggage claims will be on your right, and then you’ll head out the doors and head over to the covered median to the same list of zones as Terminal 2.

You’ll also notice the RDU Express Shuttle is again in a different spot, located curbside.  For those in the parking garage, you’ll follow signs that will take you down a level to the tunnel that takes you under the road. 

For those who parked in the garage, if you have your ticket, there are multiple kiosks as you walk to your car that you can use to go ahead and pay, and know that if you don’t have a receipt to exit that’s okay, your license plate is automatically read at the gate and will open if you’ve already paid. 

RDU Airport Rental Cars

From a rental car standpoint, all the major rental car companies operate out of RDU as shown, so pick the one you have a reservation with and wait for the shuttle to arrive to take you to the office.

To see the full list of rental cars, follow this link.

RDU Airport Hotel Recommendations

For hotel shuttles, you can use the Accommodations and Reservations board in each of the terminal’s baggage claim areas to contact your hotel and let them know you’re arrived so they can send a shuttle.  You can also use this board to make a reservation if you haven’t done so already. 

Here’s a list of the hotels around the RDU Airport with shuttle service.

As far as my recommendations go, The Embassy Suites in Brier Creek is a great hotel that’s right next to all the entertainment of Brier Creek.  There are quite a few others right there in Brier Creek that are good options as well like the Hampton Inn and Westin. 

There’s also the Embassy Suites Research Triangle that’s in Cary, and if you want the fanciest experience, the Umstead Hotel and Spa is a 5 star hotel.

If going further into Raleigh, while there may not be shuttle services available, consider staying at some of the hotels by Crabtree Valley Mall, such as the Embassy Suites or Hilton Garden Inn, or one of the several hotels in North Hills like the Hyatt or AC Hotel.

RDU Airport Vision 2040

Moving into the future, the RDU Airport has big plans as part of its’ Vision 2040 initiative.  The largest of the initiatives is to construct a new runway to replace the existing one for Terminal 2 that is wider and longer to be able to accommodate more flights, and will pave the way for more international flights specifically.

There are also plans to expand parking options, specifically at the Economy 3 location, as well as expand security, customs, ticketing, and more at Terminal 2 to handle an increase in international travelers. 

Check out our other blogs on living in Raleigh NC and living in Durham NC, and for information on Raleigh’s suburbs, check out our breakdown of Raleigh NC suburbs.

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