Early Flight from Dortmund: How to Start the Day Relaxed

A large proportion of departures from Dortmund are in the early morning: the aircraft parked at the airport overnight then start their first rotations to southern Europe, eastern Europe or Turkey. For you this means getting up early, setting off in the dark and being at the desk in good time before bag drop closes. Because there is no railway station at the terminal and the buses do not always run at that time, your own car is the only practical solution for many. Here is how to plan the morning.

Backwards from the deadline

Many airlines in Dortmund state a fixed closing time for bag drop and boarding. This time, not the departure time, is your starting point. From it you subtract the minutes for walking to the desk, parking or the handover and the drive – plus a buffer. If you only have hand luggage and have checked in online, you gain leeway.

The evening before

Load your boarding pass onto your phone, measure and weigh your hand luggage, put your passport and parking confirmation by the front door. Suitcases into the car if it is parked securely. Save the destination address in the sat nav. A look at the roadworks reports shows whether sections of the A1, A2, A40 or A44 will be closed overnight – in the Ruhr this happens frequently.

An example from Recklinghausen

Departure at 6:05, the airline recommends two hours in advance: at the terminal at 4:05. With valet you allow 15 minutes, meeting point at 3:50. Via the A43, the A2 and the A1 it takes around 35 minutes at night, plus 20 minutes of buffer for night-time roadworks: departure at 2:55. Other starting points give different figures.

Driving service early in the morning

With valet, the driver waits at the terminal and you go straight to the desk – ideal when deadlines are tight. Check whether the provider takes cars at your time, and send a short message just before you arrive. More: Valet parking at Dortmund Airport.

Bus from the site early in the morning

With shuttle parking, the bus’s first trip is decisive. Ask from what time it runs and whether additional buses run when there are many early departures. It is better to be at the site a little earlier. More: Shuttle parking at Dortmund Airport.

AirportExpress and the Holzwickede shuttle

If you are travelling without a car, check the first departure of the AirportExpress from Dortmund Hbf and of the shuttle from Holzwickede – and whether the train from where you live arrives in Dortmund early enough. For many early flights this is not enough. Weighing it up: Bus or car to Dortmund Airport.

With children

Children sleep in comfortable travel clothes and are carried straight into the car. Pillows, a blanket, sandwiches for later – everything is already in the car. At the airport, one adult looks after the children, the other the car and suitcases. More: Travelling to Dortmund Airport with your family.

Crowds at security

When several aircraft depart in quick succession, it gets busy at security. Liquids in a transparent bag, laptop to hand, jacket and belt ready – that speeds things up.

Who drives?

After a short night, not everyone is fit. Decide who will drive and make sure that person goes to bed early.

Thinking of the return

If you fly early, you often land in the evening. When booking, also check the return times: Late arrival at Dortmund Airport.

Through the Ruhr at night

At night there is little traffic on the A40, A1 and A2 – but roadworks are often set up during these hours, with full closures and diversions. If you are driving from Duisburg or Essen to an early flight, check the roadworks reports the evening before and allow a buffer of ten to fifteen minutes. A sat nav with real-time data usually detects closures early enough.

Measuring hand luggage

Many airlines in Dortmund check the size and weight of hand luggage at the gate. If you only notice there that your trolley is too big, you pay extra. Measure your luggage with a tape measure the evening before – wheels and handles count too.

Overslept?

If the alarm fails, speeding on the A44 will not help. Call the parking service on the way and say when you will realistically arrive. At the airport, if time is short, speak to the airline directly. A second alarm is the best precaution.

Breakfast

Early in the morning, not everything in the terminal is open. A thermos flask and a few sandwiches in your hand luggage help; fill empty drinking bottles after security.

The first wave in the morning

In Dortmund, many aircraft depart in quick succession in the morning – holiday flights to the Mediterranean, low-cost connections to eastern Europe. During this time, check-in, bag drop and security are very busy. If you are part of this wave, allow the full advance time recommended by the airline.

Planning backwards

Start with the departure time and calculate backwards: when does bag drop close? How long does the handover or bus transfer take? How long do you need by car at night? How much buffer do you need for roadworks? That gives you the time for your alarm – and for the start of parking in the booking.

The evening before

• Put the packed and weighed suitcases by the door.
• Have ID documents, boarding passes and booking confirmation ready.
• Refuel or charge the car.
• Check the roadworks reports for the route.
• Set two alarms.

Setting off early with children

Children often carry on sleeping in the car. Dress them comfortably the evening before, put a blanket and pillow in the car and carry them in asleep. Breakfast is then after security.

Is the provider already working?

Not every parking service can be reached at four in the morning. Before booking, check the operating hours and whether a bus or driver is available at your time.

Buses early in the morning

If you are travelling without a car, check whether the AirportExpress or the shuttle from Holzwickede is already running at that time. For very early flights, the timetable is often not enough.

A pattern for the night

A family from Hagen has booked a flight shortly after six. The airline recommends two hours in advance; according to the provider, the bus transfer from the site in Holzwickede takes about ten minutes, plus parking and waiting for the bus. Via the A1 and A44 it takes around 25 minutes at night, plus a buffer for a possible closure at the Westhofen junction. So the alarm goes off at half past two, and the start of parking in the booking is set to just before four. The figures are chosen freely and are only meant to show the principle.

If the flight is moved even earlier

Sometimes an airline brings the departure forward by half an hour. Check the flight times in the app the day before and adjust the start of parking by informing the provider.

After an early flight

If you fly at six, you often arrive at your destination by midday. A small advantage of the early hour: your holiday day starts earlier.

The risk of night-time roadworks

Especially in summer, when the nights are short, carriageways on the Ruhr motorways are frequently resurfaced. Full closures of individual sections between 20:00 and 05:00 are typical – exactly when early flyers are on the road. Die Autobahn GmbH, the federal motorway company, publishes planned closures in advance. A look the evening before and an alternative route in mind save you a rush.

In brief

Plan backwards, prepare the evening before, leave a buffer for roadworks and choose a provider that works at your time.

Staying overnight near the airport

If you come from the Hochsauerland, the Siegerland or East Westphalia and fly before seven, you sometimes consider spending the night beforehand in a hotel in Holzwickede, Unna or Dortmund. It costs extra, but saves a very short night and the risk of a closure on the long drive. You then book parking from the morning; some hotels offer their own packages.

Checklist

• Bag drop closing time known
• Online check-in done, hand luggage checked
• Provider’s operating hours suitable
• Night-time roadworks checked
• Two alarms set

Which providers at Dortmund Airport can be booked via Friend-Park is shown at Parking at Dortmund Airport.