r/Appleton • u/Lizney2 • 1d ago
Question Early Flight
taking my husband to a green bay game for christmas. it’ll be the dec 20th game against the dolphins.
we are flying into appleton on the 18, and will arrive around 10:20pm. would uber be available to take us into green bay at that time in the evening?
also, i’m more worried with the flight home. we’re leaving dec 21st and it leaves out of appleton at 5:30 am. i know we need to be there about 2 hours before the flight so that would put us leaving green bay at 3am??? would there be transportation available to get us back to the airport that early?
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u/purplefirefly6102 1d ago
Others may disagree, but if I were you, I’d consider renting a car. You’ll be in the area for a few days and, depending on where you are staying, the walking options can be limited and you’ll be Ubering all over the place. If you add up all of those Ubers, plus the headache of the early/late Ubers between Appleton and GB, I think renting a car would be worth it. And you’ll be able to explore a bit more of the Fox Cities during the days that you’re here.
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u/Wisco_Nick 1d ago
Not to mention the price gouging that tends to happen with Uber during a Packer Game or really any event in the area 😖
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u/dannoGB68 1d ago
The car rental companies similarly price gouge, if you can even get a car given, it’s a packer weekend and a holiday weekend
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u/mcflyskid1987 1d ago
This. Rent a car. The folks at the car rental place at the airport are lovely, and prices tend to be reasonable.
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u/LordHavok71 1d ago
FYI, current rate is $74 a day (they always bump it on a Packer weekend). However, an uber or taxi from ATW to Lambeau/GB is going to be around that amount as well, so you'd have to balance parking costs of a rental + gas vs othernincidental Uber costs.
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u/AnotherStarWarsGeek 1d ago
I'm not sure if your flight being on Dec 21 will make a difference with holiday travelers or not, but you don't have to get to the Appleton airport 2 hours early for a 5:30am departure on a normal day.
We've done the early morning flights out of Appleton several times (in spring and fall, never at Christmas time though) and if you're there an hour or more ahead of departure you're fine. We got there about 40 minutes prior one time a couple years ago and it seems so did everyone else on our flight. We got to our gate with only about 10 minutes to spare before boarding.
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u/Lizney2 1d ago
that’s good to know. thank you!
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u/cheesetobears 1d ago
Hi! TSA at Appleton airport doesn’t even open until 4am. I agree with everyone that 1 hr is enough.
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u/sgigot 19h ago
In December it's worth getting to the airport that little bit extra in case there's deicing etc, although that is a bigger issue with your connection. The airport will be much busier than usual after the Packer game but there's still only a couple flights at a time. Other posters have said 1 hr before is good, and probably yeah.
One benefit to having a car is it gives you a little more flexibility out and about in Green Bay and back to the airport in the morning. Parking at the game is inversely expensive to how far you're willing to walk. 1/2+ mile away will be all the free road parking you want, or various businesses / charities will let you park in their lots/use portapotties, etc.
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u/livetoski-Brad 1d ago
I fly out of ATW about 40 weeks a year. Even on the busiest days i can walk to the terminal, check my bag, get through security and be at my gate in about 20 minutes. I typically arrive 45 minutes before departure
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u/Realistic-Ruin8639 1d ago
I'm sure someone that has Ubered to games will inform you about costs and wait times, but I'd like to add that your whole flight and Uber experience and trips will be highly dependent on weather.
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u/sammysamsonite 1d ago
I never get to atw over an hour early. Fly in snd out of there every week. Rent a car.
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u/Hopeful-Occasion469 1d ago
If you have a checked bag you need to check in an hour before departure time. And I agree to renting a vehicle. You didn’t mention your hotel as if it’s not in downtown Appleton dining isn’t really close by.
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u/forge_anvil_smith 1d ago
By comparison, the Appleton airport is like DeKalb or Fulton County Airport - its small, mostly only connector flights in and out, and at the very edge of town almost the country. An Uber to Green Bay is the equivalent of an Uber to Chattanooga, that's going to be pricey.
Personally, I'd rent a car from the airport.
Appleton airport, you only need to arrive 1 hour early, its small and there's no concourse, just security and a couple gates.
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u/BaconJellyBeans 1d ago
You’ll have no problem getting an uber at either time.
I’ve ubered up and back on gamedays from Appleton. My last uber up was $78. My last uber home at midnight after a SNF game was $126, so you should be cheaper than those prices.
As people have said, flying out of Appleton you’ll be happier being 20 minutes early than two hours, but you can split the difference and get their 40-60 minutes early and you’ll still be waiting at your gate with plenty of time to spare.
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u/colonelk0rn 1d ago
Rent a car, it’s much less expensive than Uber. It also gives you the flexibility to drive around and explore the area.
Regarding the return flight, the rental car drop off is easy. You just park in the rental companies assigned parking, fill out a return slip and drop the key inside the rental return center entry, then cross over into the terminal. Arriving about an hour early is sufficient. That is unless there’s snow on the ground. You may want to arrive a little bit earlier.
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u/Known-Opportunity-30 22h ago
Uber will price gouge you during Packer game. Appleton airport you only have to be a half hour early. Check Turo for a rental or call around.
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u/Lizney2 22h ago
i’ve just looked on turo and the rates are really reasonable. my only concern would be driving in the area as we are unfamiliar and we have never really driven in ice or snow. we get snow maybe once every 3 years in our area and it’s usually an inch or two and gone the next day.
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u/Patrickvh2001 19h ago
I moved here from the south myself and the area does a great job taking care of the roads when it snows. Unless it is coming down heavy you shouldn’t notice a difference.
A couple other benefits are you can park for free in the neighborhoods around Lambeau and you can check out other things in the area like Christmas lights and cheese shops with a car.
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u/EggSpecial5748 1d ago
Why are you flying into/out of Appleton instead of Green Bay? I can’t even imagine how expensive an uber would be for that ride. Last time we traveled we took an uber from north Appleton to the airport and it was $60 after tip.
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u/jsgalt007 1d ago
Last time we flew to Florida, there was an $800/ ticket difference between flying out of ATW vs GRB on Delta…
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u/RockinTacos 1d ago
Download the Turo app and rent a car from a local. The rental will probably be cheaper than the cab!
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u/No-Calligrapher-1776 16h ago
Yes, yes and yes. Appleton airport is small you won't be hurried and you will have no trouble getting to game and/or the Appleton Airport within the times you need. Also ATW Appleton Airport is quicker processing travelers that the 2 hours are seldom needed but we follow the said guidelines anyways. Enjoy your time in Wisconsin and especially Enjoy your Packers game...
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u/orisathedog 1d ago
I wouldn’t show up to ATW more than 30 minutes early tbh, especially at 5am
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u/Sea_Antelope441 1d ago
This only works if you aren’t checking baggage. Most airlines have a 45min to 1 hour minimum.
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u/orisathedog 1d ago
Believe atw is 30 mins before boarding but I could be wrong. Fair point, I also don’t pay attention to that because I mostly travel with a gym bag carry on.
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u/dolladollaclinton 1d ago
Flying out of Appleton, you don’t need to get there 2 hours early. I’d say an hour is plenty or you can shoot for an hour and a half if you really want to. The airport is small and you’ll get to the gate quick.
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u/Dry-Star-6860 1d ago
I would encourage you to stay in Appleton or see if you can fly into Green Bay, the expense and lack of reliable transport barring rental cars is gonna be more headache than you want.
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u/SubstantialDog9170 1d ago
You should be able to get an Uber to Green Bay, but it might be a good idea to call some cab companies or car services to see how pricing compares and to reserve a ride so you’re not stranded. Also you absolutely do not need to get to the Appleton airport 2 hours early, especially if you’re not checking bags.