swag

At DFW, at least at the terminal C Pre-check, if you're selected, they do swab your hands and not your luggage.

JohnRain

Thanks a lot Paint Horse & EmailKid for your suggestions.
In the end my DFW layover turned out to be quite different than what I had originally planned...
I arrived at DFW at 8.30AM from Hawaii and my onward LH flight to FRA left only at 4PM (separate ticket). What I hadn't thought of is the fact that the LH check-in desk only opens at 12.30PM which meant I was stuck with 4 pieces of luggage and therefore my plans of going either to Dallas downtown or to Grapevine were no longer an option. I ended up booking a room for a couple of hours at the DFW Grand Hyatt which is very conveniently located (2 minutes from the LH counter). Although I was quite tired from the red eye, I decided to spend my time at the gym and in the outdoor pool which has a great views of the different runways. Airplane geek heaven with a cool 32 degrees celsius at 10AM!

Paint Horse

Well, come visit use again when you can stay longer.

JohnRain

I will. In fact, I 've already made a list with things to do/see and, most importantly, where to eat...

ahstewart

I have a stop over for 4 hours at Dallas airport, are there any interesting places I could visit.
I was going to visit the site of the Kennedy assasination but Google says it is a 90min. train/subway journey each way.
Any ideas??

DIRECT MERIT

Sounds ambitious to me even by cab/Uber (factoring in traffic to/from downtown Dallas, security check back at DFW etc). Don't even think of attempting it by public transport or rental car.

If you're interested in aviation history, the CR Smith American Airlines Museum is worth a visit and quite close to the airport.

bhbloke

If you're there in rush hour you'll be lucky to make it.

The new toll road has relieved a lot of the traffic chaos but you only need a fender bender (Texans don't seem to be the most careful drivers!) and everything snarls up.

PS DFW is on the wrong side of town for a quick visit to Sotthfork.

GK1981

Grapevine mills mall runs a shuttle bus from the airport to the mall a couple of miles away. Admittedly, shopping is not such a bargain these days, but its usually where I go during a layover in DFW.

PeaSouper

4 hours will be pretty tight for doing that, and almost impossible via public transport - DART is pretty useless in my experience. Frequency is something like once hourly.

If you arrived in DFW on time, you could conceivably do this via Uber or taxi, but traffic can be awful and you wouldn't likely have much time to do anything other than drive by Dealey plaza. The Sixth Floor Museum is worth seeing but I just don't think that you have time for that.

The airport itself is out in suburbia, with little worth seeing (in my opinion, and I lived in Texas for quite a while) - myself, I'd just stick to the lounge, or without lounge access, I'd park myself at once of the restaurants or bars in the airport. Terminal D, as I recall, has some pretty good choices, and once airside, you can move around easily between terminals.

msm2000uk

I had 6 hours at DFW, rented a car, and just went for a drive through Dallas (oh, and had really a wonderful lunch).

However, 4 hours is tight at DFW due to the horrendous traffic; and the fact that the airport is in the middle of nowhere!

M

ratypus

I wouldn't try that - DFW is a reasonably long way from Downtown Dallas - by DART it might take you an hour to get; in a cab also probably 45 minutes (maybe more with traffic) - the JFK Museum normally has a healthy queue, and the outdoor site itself is passably interesting but not much more than that...it really is still just a freeway.


Don't know about other options, but I wouldn't bother attempting Downtown Dallas. Maybe a visit to Cowboy Stadium / AT&T (or whatever it's called - the Dallas Cowboys home venue not the Cotton Bowl) - that's quite near DFW

TPJ

IMHO 4 hours is a bit too risky...

But Grapevine Mills Mall is one of the cheapest shopping places in the Metroplex - I bought a nice sweater at Tommy Hilfinger Clarence Center for about $10 (note: prices go up during the weekend)

Airprox

I would second the suggestion to visit the C R Smith Museum, assuming that you have any interest in aviation. It's the museum of the history of American Airlines, located amongst their sprawling HQ only a few miles from DFW so easily reachable by taxi. It's not too big at all so will fill 2 hours nicely.

dakaix

I'd recommend a visit to Hard Eight BBQ, amazing food served straight out of the smoker and they're open all day. It's only a 15 min drive from DFW too.

Don't do a Google Image search for them on an empty stomach folks!

EmailKid

Um, Orange Line has been open a few years now, and runs every 20 minutes during the day (twice an hour later in the evening). Arrives / leaves just outside Term A, well less than 5 minute walk.

It is SLOW in some parts, and takes about an hour to West End station, which is the closest one to the Grassy Knoll.

Add time to clear security when arriving, and you might get an hour downtown, depending on just when train arrives/leaves. Possibly as little as half hour.

Oh, and while I've caught light rail at West End station at 11 p.m. before, there are a lot of homeless and ne'r do wells hanging around at all hours - though DART police are usually present as well.