Raleigh-Durham International Airport

No special pass — just your ticket: You only need your airline ticket to access gates, shops and services once through security — no extra airport pass is required. • Terminal layout & directory: RDU’s public site lists clear Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 maps, gate info, and an online terminal directory to plan where to go for check-in, bag claim, and amenities. • Parking options for every budget: On-airport ParkRDU choices include Premier, Central (covered garage), Express and Economy (shuttle service); many lots offer online booking and frequent shuttles. • Ground transport & access: Taxis, ride-share, rental cars, regional shuttles and buses serve RDU; curbside pick-ups/drop-offs are managed at lower levels of both terminals. • Shops, dining & amenities: The Shops of RDU and dining pages show a mix of local concepts and national brands, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and traveler services across both terminals. --- What to keep in mind • Security wait times vary — usually short but check first: Most passengers see under-30-minute TSA waits, but peak periods can be longer; TSA PreCheck is available. Real-time checks are recommended. • Major construction & growth plans: RDU is executing a multi-billion-dollar expansion (runway, Terminal 2 work, parking upgrades) to double capacity — expect construction zones, traffic pattern changes and periodic disruption through the coming years. Plan extra time during travel. • Book parking & timed services early: Popular lots and short-term parking can fill on busy travel dates — online reservations help guarantee spots and save time. • Monitor flights & local traffic: Regional weather, national tech outages, or system issues can cause delays—check your airline and RDU flight status before leaving. Recent incidents show occasional widespread disruptions. • Good for business & connections: With easy highway access, solid ground transport links, and ample food/retail, RDU works well for both quick business trips and family travel — just allow buffer time in peak seasons.

This lounge awesome. United flight. Having united familiarities as well. With much love. I love this area... sunshine water blue sky. Layout of land phoenominal. Blue ridge mountains and city of Boone a must see. The beaches as well. Paddle boarding the lakes. Fly with sarah bass from triangle north flight school. Shes amazing. At 22 shes celebrating her 5th yr since solo flight... im happy to say i get to continue furthering.progress over technology/zoom/FaceTime from oregon.. Raleigh art gallery. Free to all. gets fully changed every 5 years some items exchanged sooner... very big inside and outside palace that surrenders the soul to intricacies of human nature mother nature combined... with forgiveness and enthusiasm in all lord remembered... transported to 4 countries in a couple.hours. left there with accompolished culture...and some churh members as well.. all giving mai muchmess to family.outings... outdoor walk through awesome 👌 the shepherds there dressed for the Halloween occoasion...

A pleasant smaller airport. Everything goes a little slower here. So...be on time. Everyone is laid back. There are not of options in the terminals for food and such. More problematic is that charging options are limited, at best. There are no areas to work. So if you want to catch up on work, you will need to work in one of the couple of restaurants or put your laptop on your lap.

Flying out of RDU today from Terminal 2. What a cool terminal. One long terminal having both C and D gates. The woodwork and architecture are very beautiful. Tons of shops to choose from, food area’s and bars to visit while waiting for your plane to board.

Clean, spacious and modern airport. Highly recommend :) . This is my first time staying in Raleigh and I love it already. I have only driven through or had layovers here before. Flying back to Nashville is also super easy. Security was super quick

Raleigh and Durham were great places to visit. They host UNC, a top public University and Hospital, where my son works, as well as a gorgeous country club in the trees 🌳 Hope Valley Country Club, in Durham, where my DIL works. We stopped at Frankie's of Raleigh which had so much to do! We did the minigolf, gorgeous scenery, waterfalls, and themed buildings. They also had minicarts, some ride attractions and tons of ticket earning games. Lots to do in Raleigh (we were here for a short visit), very friendly people, great BBQ (thank you The Original Q Shack), and some nutty drivers 🤪 to keep things lively. My only complaint would be the bumps and lumps in the road. I think I lost a kidney on one of them 😁 will be back to do more on a warmer week!

I always enjoy learning from & coming to RDU. I prefer this airport. The USO makes o e of the differences. Thank you for such an exceptional lounge for the military. Every volunteer there is amazing & has a heart for people. There is nothing like coming to a place & knowing your welcome. I appreciate a the airport staff. What a great experience

The check in process at the checkpoint was seemless. The employees were kind, professional and patient. The facility is fairly modern, clean and in good repair. Overall it a good experience at RDU.

I came by Raleigh Durham Airport on a short work trip earlier in the year. I never visited North Carolina before so this was a first for me. RDU is a much smaller airport than what I am used to. Everything was very quiet and clean. I was able to get in and out of the airport fairly quickly. At the time when I visited Raleigh it was the middle of college basketball season. You could see huge crowds of people in UNC and Duke outfits. I didn't know the rivalries here were so intense. It almost made me want to buy one so I can be a part of the crowd myself. I was able to stop by La Farm to get a quick meal while I waited for my flight. They had a great seating area where you can people-watch. There aren't many great restaurants in the airport but this one was a treat. I loved the Raleigh Mural that you walk by when leaving the airport. It gave me a strong feeling of happiness looking at the colorful artwork. Of course I had to stop by and take some pictures. I don't know when I will be back in Raleigh but I enjoyed my time here.

We live about an hour away from RDU. I like flying from here because if it's location and size. I flew from Charlotte before and I must say, didn't have any good experience. RDU on the other hand, is 5 stars on my book. It's very clean and organized. I have TSA Pre-check and it only took a few minutes to go through. My husband and I have a couple more trips this year (2025) and will be leaving from RDU, of course.

Took an early morning flight out of RDU - no traffic, quick to get through TSA and shops were open at the time if you were hungry or needed anything. We took the shuttle from Enterprise after dropping off our rental car, and the shuttle ran every five minutes so we had no delays. There are two terminals, with most airlines at terminal 2. We fly Southwest, which is based in terminal 1. There are only nine gates at this terminal, but they still offered decent retail and food options. It wasn't too busy at this airport, which we liked.

It had been a day full of crappy airports. This one is no better than Fort Lauderdale. The restrooms are not tended too well. The system to get you to the rental cars is an intricate over complex system that I wish could be simplified. To be honest this is another airport that isn't special and nothing to write home about. It does what it was designed to do and that is get passengers in and out. I do not want to fly back through this airport. Be aware you may have a hassle.

3 hours from Charlotte but love how small and easy everything here is. We always do curbside check in at airports to check our bags. I need a wheelchair so a staff person pushes us right to our terminal. I will say this airport is the quietest airport I've ever been to. When we got here it was night time so everything was closed but our flight is around 7 tonight to go back home and everything is open. I saw a boutique with lots of clothes. A couple of sit down resturaunts, shops and a Starbucks.

This is a brightly lit, well organized airport. There's adequate signage and friendly staff. I appreciate the flow and organization here. Ticket check-in and the TSA line were quick. Thanks!

This airport has pretty large and what I noticed in comparison my international airport in Philly is how 'clean' it was! I rented a car and the RDU airport has shuttle buses that will take you to the designated car rental of your choice and it is less than 5 minutes away! My only issue was the signage needs improvement for the Pre TSA check-in! This may be my new airport of choice moving forward when I visit NC!

Clean airport, efficient with decent food options. No complaints. I enjoy flying in and out of here.

Date/Time: 9/26/2024 Terminal: 2 This time TSA was overflowing into the main check-in area. Even with the extra long line, the wait was only about 30 minutes. They were very efficient in getting people through. Excellent job!

Security line was fairly short and easy to manage. It's not hard to navigate around. The downside is the city itself is not big enough to get a lot of direct fights. So this airport is not ideal for that reason.

I was so impressed by the TSA here! The officers and machines at TSA were kind and efficient. We didn't have to take out our electronics so the line went so fast and consistent. Officer Frisby at 8:36AM on 7/2/24 was awesome, super friendly, and told us to have real IDs by 2025 to fly. I thought that was really kind and he was just generally kind to everyone that came his way. The airport (including bathrooms) was nice, clean, and well-staffed as well as well-stocked. There were also plenty of food options near our gate, including some bars and burger places as well as Baskin Robbins and a convenience store. It was on the smaller side for an airport but it had a great variety of places to eat at and get necessities such as water bottles.

Honestly the best thing about this airport is the food court lol. TSA is pretty hectic, but not slow, and there are always parking spaces available in the garage. The most inconvenient part is just the drop off area, which is extremely jumbled and there is truly no clear direction. Other than that, it's a beautiful terminal, with more than enough places to eat and shop at, and I love the fact that there is a huge variety of coffee shops overall, a pretty play airport.

Alrighty then, folks, gather 'round because I've got a little tale to share about the Virtual Food Hall inside the Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU). Now, this ain't your typical full-blown review, but something caught my eye and I just had to spill the beans. ‍ Picture this: I was hustling to catch my flight, but then something absolutely mind-boggling caught my attention. I didn't even place an order, but I had to hit pause and capture this moment on camera! I stumbled upon these fancy kiosks and lockers - a high-tech foodie wonderland! You won't believe it! On the kiosk, you can place your order, and they give you a receipt with a secret code. And guess what? That code unlocks a magical locker where your food is waiting for you! No human involvement, just a swipe and voila! I couldn't help but wonder, are there invisible robot chefs whipping up these delectable delights? ‍ Sadly, I didn't uncover the juicy details this time, but mark my words, I'll be ready to spill the tea in my next review. We need to know the truth behind these mysterious kiosks and their captivating lockers! So, my fellow airport adventurers, if any of you have experienced this jaw-dropping food hall, I want to hear about your experience in the comments or post a review of your own.

I like this airport and you don't hear those words coming out of my mouth very often. When you walk into the Terminal 2 you are reminded of one of the better terminals at JFK (Terminal 4) or even Toronto where the various carriers are easy to find, row after row (preferable to those airports where the airlines are against a wall). Staff is plentiful and helpful as you check in at the self check-in kiosks. Security is pleasant enough and their equipment seems almost futuristic. Easy in. Lines move quickly. My one complaint is that there is one Starbucks in the terminal and it's in this weird ass end of the gates. If your flight is at the opposite end and you're tight on time, it ain't happening. Otherwise, Admiral's Club is good, larger than Charlotte which is a hub and always always insanely crowded. It's a more chill vibe at RDU. And that's kind of my feeling about the airport in its entirety.

Picked up a family member. It was not super busy at 8ish pm. No issues, usual airport busyness

Flying from the Southwest terminal is fast and easy! The place is clean and all are friendly. I do wish they had more food places but those are in the other terminal (and it isn't as fast and easy) Flying out of the other terminal - American Airlines People are super nice while checking our bags. Long lines at the TSA checkpoint- lines went pretty smoothly. Lots of places to eat.

Great airport. It's not so small either! Seems to have flights to a lot of destinations with multiple airlines flying in. Lots of places to eat, clean gate areas, efficient check-in. The TSA could be a little more tidy and smooth. Clear was a mess with too many wandering around. Otherwise a great user-friendly airport

Smaller airport, awful TSA security. Security guard made me take off my shirt and put it through the xray, then purposefully made me go back into the body scanner two times to expose me to extra radiation. A tyrant who clearly has a power trip. (Also very limited shopping and food choices in the terminal.)

RDU is modern and easy to navigate. If you park and shuttle to the airport, make sure you pay attention to your shuttle station ID and parking lot numbers. TSA expects you to remove your shoes. Make sure you pack to make it easier for you to navigate through TSA if you don't have Pre-Check. Have your ID in hand. There are several shops and restaurants throughout the airport for your convenience. Seating is comfortable with charging stations throughout the airport. The bathrooms were decent, but there is an option to report if they aren't. Staff were friendly.

Been here twice in the past month and still no problems navigating around. Plenty of places to grab a drink or supplies. TSA was super busy the first time but they have system and a click that gives your estimated time. They try to work pretty efficiently

As a business traveler who has gone through this airport multiple times i would say its not special, but i appreciate how much a breeze it is when not checking bags to get through TSA and get to my gate - very easy . Rental cars arent far away, gates are open around 4am if you have a early flight - there is a line early on so keep that in mind .

Great airport. They have 2 terminals. Terminal 2 is the largest with the most majors airlines flying out of. They have on-site parking and offsite parking. Great restaurants from local companies. They have Delta club and American Airlines club.

First trip out of airport in a long time. What have you done with Starbucks and Brueggers. In the terminal I was in for Delta, they had Black & White Coffee Roasters and a touch screen where you can order from many restaurants and then you pick up food in a cubbie. No thanks. I got a bagel from Black & White, not as good as supermarket one. Bleh. At least it was only $3.25. I think the airport is trying to get you to eat outside of boarding area, but why? We waited a very long time in the area to hand in our checked bag. Why? TSA was fine, I had a new NC license and the man couldn't get it to work in reader. Oh well. Def not a five star experience.

Very nice and clean airport. Was easy to get around and good food selections. Small but nice airport.

You know what?! I sorta' pre-judged RDU, thinking it might be a bit too similar to its neighboring international airport in Charlotte, but I was wrong. For as large as it is, Raleigh is doing a wonderful job airport-ing, actually. TSA is a breeze, the airport is clean, there are not many gate runners due to poor scheduling (not sure if that's on the airport-- but it's absolutely a huge part of my airport assessment in every city, so its a fair, equal measure and it stands. lol) My only real knock is the lengthy wait for shuttles to take to the car rental lot. I fear that was my longest part of the entire airport process -- arriving or departing, a few times. If that got rectified, for me, RDU would be golden. But, all things considered, that's not a bad deal at all. Cheers!

Recently traveled to Raleigh for a quick trip and the airport was clean and super easy to navigate! I know it's not a super large airport but it was quite busy for a mid week trip. The airport seemed to be running very smoothly! The airport TSA was great! My mom had to use a wheel chair and the team was kind and super helpful because I was also traveling with little ones and both the wheelchair team member and tsa tried to help me as much as possible! I was super grateful! The airport also had a cool pod room for nursing or pumping mothers so I was able to feed my son in privacy before our flight because it would not have been as comfortable to do it in a crowded and busy airport. This airport is a winner in my books

So there are a bunch of people leaving reviews for RDU that call it small, very small, or even tiny... and I feel like that's to be taken with a grain of salt. RDU is far from a big airport, but I fly into RDU now when visiting my grandmother because the airport *closer* to where she lives (ILM in Wilmington) is so much smaller and therefore seems to have more issues and flight delays or disruptions. RDU, on the other hand, has always felt efficient and well-organized. I've never had delays while leaving (and given my most recent departure was just after tropical storm Ophelia came through the area, with wind and rain remaining behind), and getting out of the airport after arrival is super easy... whether being picked up, taking a shuttle to one of the nearby rental car locations, or picking up an Uber/Lyft. I prefer RDU so much more that I'll legit fly into RDU and drive the 2 1/2 hours-ish to Wilmington/Carolina Beach vs just fly into ILM itself. As others have noted, RDU doesn't necessarily have a ton of restaurants or stores - but it has enough of both if you're going to be around for a couple hours before - or between - flights. Also, the bathrooms are clean (and readily available), most seating areas at gates have outlets available, and finding your way around is super easy-peasy. One of the only annoyances that I've honestly even had here was that my shoes aaaaaalways seem to set off the walk through scanners... so I always have to back up, take my shoes off, and walk back through. Anyway, RDU is definitely one of my preferred airports. I'll continue to fly into/out of RDU when visiting NC... even if it means 2 1/2 hour drives back and forth to Carolina Beach.

Visiting my daughter and great little airport. Flew in for short visit to the RTP and to see UNC and Duke and some other sights around Greensboro and Raleigh area Easy in and out...

The airport has 2 Terminals - Mainly Southwest flies out of Terminal 1. Security took a few minutes. No need to get there early. They have 1 bar, 1 coffee shop and a few snack places. Downside: The airport club and most restaurants are in Terminal 2. No connecting walkway. You have to go back n forth thru security. Wasn't impressed..

Best airport I have ever been to. Extremely clean, helpful staff, easy to navigate, good food and services. Could not recommend this place enough!

This may be odd to say, but I like this airport. Regardless of the time I fly into/or from RDU, the airport is always easy to maneuver through. It is always clean and organized the customer service never misses the mark. If I'm ever running late, this is probably one of the only airports I know being a little behind will not have a major impact when heading to my gate. As a bonus, they have one of my favorite AA Admirals Club.

Great airport. There were no lines. TSA pre check went fast. They have restaurants to choose from. Our flight took off on time and landed early.

Nice airport with easy drop off and pickup from a Wednesday AM arrival to a Wednesday AM departure standpoint. Going through security Wednesday morning was quick and easy, under 15 minutes which was great. Heading to the gate was easy with several food options and shops and they're adding even more places. Gates were clean and had comfortable seating. Zero negatives to give and a very nice experience overall.

Easily my favorite Airport. 2 terminals, no heavy traffic or foolishness. The staff is helpful when coming and going. Parking is available if I should ever not take advantage of being chauffeured. My favorite airline is Southwest and often I fly to New York City, Florida and Long Island. This airport makes flying a breeze. Going through TSA security is a breeze, simple with children and the lines move extremely quick without running the risk of missing your flight. There is an adorable overlook park where you can see the incoming flights land. Perfect for children to explore. This is the reason I relocated 8 minutes from the airport. It makes life easy.

RDU is unexceptional as a facility, but clean enough and easy to access. The TSA staff are beleaguered, hostile, and abusive--by 5 am. I travel frequently, and was shocked and embarrassed by and for the staff. RDA TSA leadership needs to address the underlying issues here.

Love this airport however ; I Always forget to pay for daily parking in advance! Regular daily parking $20/day and Premier Parking $30/day which is covered parking. Easy directions inside to get to the different gates. Lots of restaurants to choose from. If AMX cardholder - you can only use the Delta lounge if flying Delta.

I truly breezed through Raleigh Durham International Airport. I arrived at D gate 20 and walked briskly to baggage claim in Terminal 2. I passed a BurgerFi, Jason's Deli, Starbucks & Popeyes Chicken. I really wanted to stop at Popeyes because I was quite hungry but did I want to pay airport prices. Nope, so I kept walking. I arrived at baggage claim. The bags had just began to come out. I retrieved my bags and was quickly off. The help desk receptionist pointed me in the right direction to catch the National rental car shuttle. As soon as I crossed the street, the shuttle driver assisted me with my bags. We're were off. Smooth and painless ride. I arrived at National, proceeded to my rental and was off to my destination. RDU is clean. Wolfpack Pride. UNC Pride! Duke Pride. North Carolina Tarheel Pride! Huge Military Presence & Honor here! Oh, did I say that this is my home state.

We flew in and out of this airport and it was okay to me. The terminal we flew in and out of was terminal 1 which is the older terminal according to our friends. The security line took probably 15 minutes or so which seemed pretty long if you're just standing there and slowly inching forward. There were not many stores or restaurants in the terminal. I thought this airport was okay to me.

This is one of the few times that I have been to an airport that does not have any airline lounges in a terminal (I left from Terminal 1). The airport is small but pleasant. The security line can get long so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get through. Having a Char-Grill is a nice surprise.

This is for the garage ..... be warned that the parking system was "renovated " This actually means that they took a significant chunk of the general parking and made it into "Elite" and "Pre-booked" parking At least 50% of the time I come to the airport - even on very off times - the general parking is "full" because all the spots were served for elite or pre-booking, which, of course, is a cash cow for the airport and then causes massive traffic issues to people forced to pick up passengers outside the terminals To note: that they significantly raise the price of general parking , as well I can think of very few ways to make the entire experience more awful for everyone than this idiotic new business plan

This is a nice airport. It gives the feeling of a small airport, yet it serves a large metropolitan area. Checking in was quick and easy. The airline employee was friendly and polite. Directions to TSA were clearly marked and the TSA process was painless and quick. A couple of eating establishments were open for breakfast and the food and coffee was good. We discovered there are amazing air fares from here to Fort Myers (as well as other Florida destinations) via Avelo Airlines. Next time we'll be sure to check them out. A very good experience flying out of here. I definitely recommend this place. Check it out.

Airport As airports go, RDU is definietly one of the better ones. Good variety of flights, east in / easy out, terminal gates are easy to find and a decent selection of places to grab something to eat make this one of the better places to start or end a trip. Something like 14 airlines currently operate from RDU and the airport is divided into the two terminals. Security functions well and you can get through with a minimal amount of fuss. they have both TSA Precheck and Clear options available if you are enrolled in either of those programs. Restroom were clean, well maintained and functional. Definitely give it a shot if heading into the general area RDU serves.

Great airport extremely friendly staff or efficient and responsive. The walkways are wide and easy to navigate. The seating is ample. They have a good selection of restaurants. I hope the future they add a few more when you have longer weights in the airport.

For an airport larger than the one in my hometown I would have expected more food and drink options than what ours offers. Airport seems cluttered and dirty and staff at shops and restaurants vary from friendly and accommodating to miserable and customers are a bother. We spent several hours in the pre security area of the airport waiting for bag check to open and there was little to see or do. If you are flying a less expensive airline all are grouped in one terminal with basically fast food, a cafe, and a diner style place which was first after TSA and extremely crowded. I understand the food options on the side with standard airlines were better but I will have to wait until I pay more for my flight. Hmmm

This airport actually wasn't bad at all! It's beautiful and you can tell it was recently renovated. We had a super early flight out to Cabo and got to the airport around 3am ish I believe. My only complaint is that the security doesn't open until 4am I think it was. So we literally stood and waiting in line with about 100 other passengers until they opened security. That was a little frustrating because you just want to sit down and it's so early in the AM. I understand why it's not open but I think they can revisit that situation and improve it for the folks coming that early. Otherwise, pretty nice airport!

Comfortable airport! Updated with easy to navigate directions. One of the nicest smaller international airports in the US. Walkable and distances are such that I did not fear missing a shorter connection.

Very quiet airport. Not many options to eat but very comfortable. Many seats and tables and areas to relax and work if you are stuck on a layover.

I don't think this airport deserves all the high star ratings it gets. The TSA line is a nightmare. Make sure you arrive extra early in advance, even for a domestic flight because the security screening process is aggravating and so many people I saw today were late for their flights due to the tedious and slow system they have in place. They will literally separately screen any carry on bag or personal item that the x-ray tech deems suspicious and there is only one person to carry out that additional screening. This causes a huge backup. I arrived to the airport extra early and it took almost 35-43 minutes for my bag to get checked and in the end there was nothing removed or questioned. This was so annoying and I probably would not have made to the gate for my flight if I had to wait a moment longer. It's not the TSA agents fault but the way the extra screening is conducted that really brings down the experience at this airport.

This airport was great! Is RDU considered a regional airport? (Just searched, no it's an INTL airport) Compared to the other regional airports I'm familiar with, this one had more amenities. The downside of that, is the TSA did seem to take longer than other regional airports (or even my home airport, PDX). I liked that the Starbucks had mobile ordering because the line there was just as long as TSA.