Baltimore port /Washington airports enquiry

Hey CC members,

I will be visiting from Australia in August this year and part of the big trip is a cruise on Grandeur from/to Baltimore.

I need some help and advice for when I return from the cruise.

The ship docks back in Baltimore on a Satuday morning, and I have 2 free days until I fly out of Washington Dulles airport on the Monday around lunchtime.

I am traveling solo, and won't have a car.

My research so far has the following options:

1. Spend 2 nights in Baltimore after the cruise and then take an Amtrak and metro to Dulles on the Monday morning to meet my flight.

2. See Baltimore on the Saturday after the cruise docks, then take an Amtrak to Washington Union on the Satuday night and see some sights there on the Sunday before catching the metro to Dulles on the Monday morning.

I know it is very limited time, but what would locals or regulars recommend? Stay in Baltimore or head to Washington, or see both?

Can you also recommend a good hotel close to the port and/or close to Union Station in Baltimore?

Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions.

My recommendation is to head straight to Washington. It is easy to spend more than one day around visiting the sights and museums around the Mall.

I just checked the Amtrak site and plenty of trains from Baltimore to Washington Union Station. I don't know about hotels in that area but that puts you within walking distance of the Mall.

Depending how much luggage you have, you can even take the train from Union Station to Dulles

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/

Hopefully, someone more familiar with Washington can help you from here.

Considering where you are traveling from I would recommend that you spend your time in DC even thought Baltimore has a lot to offer.

Hopefully someone from the DC area could help you with hotels in the area.

The one thing you may want to consider while you visit DC is the hop on hop off bus tours.

This will allow you to see many sites and get off and get on again when you see something that interest you.

It looks like your dates are either Aug 5-7 or Aug 19-21. A check of Hotwire shows some very reasonable prices. Could you identify your dates and and a hotel price range?

I'm good with everything that's been recommended EXCEPT Metro to Dulles. This is not a simple task, and with Metro's current reliability, is not something I can recommend.

Although I love Charm City, I'd head for DC as soon as possible. There are plenty of hotel options depending on your interests and budget. Let us know what you're looking for.

Thanks for the replies so far!

Looks like heading to Washington straight off the Ship sounds like the better option. I can always see a bit of Baltimore the day before the cruise and the morning before embarking on 10 August. Any recommendation on a good pre cruise hotel close to the Pier?

Yes 138east, my free dates are 19-21 August. The hop on/off bus sounds like a great option too. I'd like to stay central to Union Station to make transport easy. I really just need a clean safe base to sleep and shower, then it's an easy place to leave from to make Dulles on the Monday morning for my flight. Happy for any recommendations there.

Are all the museums open on a Sunday in Washington? Hopefully it will still be nice and warm.

Washington can be very hot in the summer. Average daytime temperature is 30 degrees centigrade.

Are all the museums open on a Sunday in Washington? Hopefully it will still be nice and warm.

First, I totally agree with the suggestions to spend your time in DC and not Baltimore. And yes, the museums in DC are open on Sundays. And entrance to the Smithsonian Museums, which are taxpayer supported, is FREE. :)

https://www.si.edu/museums

As for "still nice and warm" in DC at the end of August? Think hot and humid! ;p

The museums will be open, and "nice and warm" will be "hot and muggy"!

What are you looking for in a hotel? One that I would recommend as close to Union Station and the Mall is the Hotel Monaco. I haven't researched rates, but if it's available, it's right in the heart of the Penn Quarter and only a few blocks from the National Mall. It's right across the street from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art Museum, a very nice gem that also opens late and stays open late. The hotel (like most Kimpton hotels) is located in a historical building and is very nice. Just a first thought.

The Marc also leaves from Penn station and is cheaper. Study the subway map. It is a great option. Also there is the circulator bus. Runs around the mall now. So much of the area is walkable.

You'll have a lot of luggage and they will store it at your hotel. No storage at Union station.

Sent from my BLU STUDIO 5.5 HD using Forums mobile app

I'm good with everything that's been recommended EXCEPT Metro to Dulles. This is not a simple task, and with Metro's current reliability, is not something I can recommend.

 

Although I love Charm City, I'd head for DC as soon as possible. There are plenty of hotel options depending on your interests and budget. Let us know what you're looking for.

Actually Metro to Dulles is not terrible (I live at the last Metro stop in Northern VA). If you to go to Metro Center, take the Silver Line toward Wiehle-Reston East station (last stop on the Silver Line). Get off the train and go down to where the buses/taxis are (on the north side of the terminal). There is a Washington Flyer shuttle that runs every 30 minutes and costs $7. Takes you straight to Dulles from Metro. I've traveled numerous times from Union Station out to Wiehle-Reston (Red to Metro Center then change to Silver). I also take Metro on a fairly regular basis (but mostly evenings and weekends).

Definitely suggest spending your time in DC. So much to do - the majority of the museums are free (except for a few private museums). All the Smithsonian museums and National Gallery of Art are free of charge. Hop On/Hop Off is great to see the monuments, etc. Also a great ride just to see the sites - go out to the Pentagon and Arlington Cemetery. If DC hotels are out of your price range, you could always stay in Arlington or Rosslyn, which have more reasonably priced hotels and are accessible via Metro.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will have a good look at hotel options. Thanks for that tip jpcello, about looking outside of the city but remaining on the Metro. A day exploring the museums sounds really good.

I'm glad it will be warm, as I'll be happy to escape the Aussie winter!

Thanks again for the all the advice and I hope I can return the favour if any of you ever cruise down under.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will have a good look at hotel options. Thanks for that tip jpcello, about looking outside of the city but remaining on the Metro. A day exploring the museums sounds really good.

I'm glad it will be warm, as I'll be happy to escape the Aussie winter!

Thanks again for the all the advice and I hope I can return the favour if any of you ever cruise down under.

I completely agree with the recommendations for you to head straight to DC- and I live in Baltimore. LOL!! DC will have so much more for you to see- check out the museums, Vietnam Memorial, WWII Memorial, check out Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated, etc... plenty to see and do for 2 days and lots of it will be air conditioned (which will be a priority in August- at least the option to head into AC for a while to cool off).

I suggest looking into a walking tour of the sights around the Mall if you have time- just google "free walking tours of DC" or "DC by Foot" for some great options.

If you need to be near the Metro there are plenty of hotels nearby- it depends on how much you would like to spend and if you have a particular hotel chain that you prefer. Marriott, Hilton, etc. I've stayed at Hampton Inn on H street near the White House and it was perfect location. Metro is right behind the hotel. And-there is a Grilled Cheese restaurant around the corner that has the best lunch...;)

Enjoy your cruise and your time in our Nation's capitol! :D

You do not need to stay right downtown, just stay close to a Metro stop. College Park has some cheaper hotel options typically.

Metro does not yet go to Dulles. So you have to transfer to a bus. The second option (versus the Silver line mentioned above) is to go Rosslyn Metro station and take the 5A bus to Dulles. Or stay in the Rosslyn area (a number of hotels in the area).