Washington to Baltimore

[Orch at Sea]

We are sailing on Grandeur of the seas from Baltimore next April, & would really like to spend a couple of days in Washington beforehand. Would this be an easy journey to get between the two ? Also, no idea where Baltimore port is, so how far by taxi (sorry cab) from the centre? Any local knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

[Biker19]

The port is very easy to reach, right of I95. Depending on where in DC you are and traffic, it could be anywhere from 45min to 1.5hrs to get there. To save a bit of money and if you can handle your luggage, you can take the train from DC to Baltimore and then taxi to the port.

[cb at sea]

It's very close....if there was no traffic, it would take about 35 mins...but figure on an hour at least! Traffic is horrendous through that corridor!

 

I'm assuming you won't be driving, so either the train or a shuttle is your best bet!

[Keith1010]

It is about one hour by car.

 

I would either rent a car or I would take the train.

 

Keith

[cheezwiz]

Please keep in mind that April is usually part of Cherry Blossom bloom time in Washington, so book your accommodations in DC as early as you can - rates can go way up the closer you get. I second the idea of taking the train between DC & Baltimore - traffic can be a problem and parking in DC can break your wallet. Here is the website for DC's local public transit system (for getting around the city during your visit) http://www.wmata.com/

 

The website for Amtrak (our regular rail system) is here https://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables

and here is the one for the MARC train (Maryland/DC commuter rail, which may or may not have convenient train times for you) http://mta.maryland.gov/marc-train

 

I live south of DC, so I hope Baltimoreans can provide you better info than I can.

[sddsddean]

Heres a link with the Grandeur sitting at the terminal https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Baltimore,+MD,+USA/@39.2634454,-76.5973117,17z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c803aed6f483b7:0x44896a84223e758

 

Simon

[markeb]

It's roughly 4 miles and about $16-20 cab fare (per Taxi Fare Finder on the web) from Baltimore's Penn Station to the cruise terminal.

 

Let me second (third, fourth, etc.) several already mentioned thoughts:

 

1) April is typically Cherry Blossom Festival in DC; book a hotel early.

 

2) If you're going to visit DC, and don't really know your way around, don't bother with a car, and plan on Amtrak or MARC, most likely from Washington's Union Station to Baltimore's Penn Station, and a short cab ride.

 

3) Traffic varies from horrible in the middle of the night to atrocious most other times. Take the train.

 

4) You have airport choices. Washington Dulles and BWI are both international airports with direct flights from the UK. Dulles is not horribly convenient to anything, and horribly inconvenient to Baltimore. Reagan generally doesn't take international flights, and definitely doesn't take wide bodies. It "might" be possible to fly into Dulles, cab, shuttle, Uber, etc., into DC, and fly out of BWI at the end of the cruise. BA flies out of both airports, for instance.

 

Ask other questions once you get into serious planning. Book a changeable hotel early!

[Orch at Sea]

Great, info, many thanks to you all. Flight are available to book next month, so we will get a hotel at the same time.

[NOSaints1]

Anyone ever take SWA to Baltimore and any comments on Southwest, we could take Southwest out of Buffalo pay the exchange rate or fly out of Toronto and fly AC direct on a CRJ, I don't really like flying AC or fly into Washington direct on United

 

 

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[NOSaints1]

Can you get transfers through RC out of Washington or does it have to be Baltimore

 

 

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[cheezwiz]

If you fly into Dulles, you can use a shuttle to get to where you want to go. Here is the link to the airport's parking & transportation page: http://www.flydulles.com/iad/parking-transportation Look under shared van or Washington Flyer.

 

The subway does not yet go to Dulles, and using the local bus to get to the subway would be excruciating. The above are much better options.

 

Also, hotels in DC can be pricey since that is prime convention season, so look out whatever discounts you can. If you are over 62 or 65, depending on the hotel, a senior discount can save you a few bucks. Saving by sacrificing being immediately downtown by staying in Northern Virginia is an option especially if you can walk to a Metro stop. 3 likely areas are Rosslyn, Pentagon City & Crystal City. Any further out than that will be an inconvenience, in my opinion. If you can stay downtown, then by all means do! It's lovely to walk around the city on a spring morning.

[NOSaints1]

Do you know the cost.

 

 

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[jcl410]

Great, info, many thanks to you all. Flight are available to book next month, so we will get a hotel at the same time.

 

 

I live near Baltimore, and can offer a suggestion. BA flight 229 goes nonstop between LHR and BWI. The flight arrives around 5pm. I would book a hotel near the airport that offers a free shuttle.

 

The local MARC train service is MUCH cheaper than the long distance Amtrak service. (The utilize the same tracks.) There is a train station a short shuttle ride from the airport. There is a machine at the station that you can purchase the tickets, or you can buy them from a ticket agent (who WILL ask to see your ID). The cost from BWI Airport rail station to Washington, DC is $7 one way.

 

This is primarily a commuter service, so there are more trains during rush hours, but there is always at least once an hour in each direction. The trip takes around 40 minutes.

 

Once you arrive at Washington Union station, you have your choice of the Metro(Underground), or hop on-hop off tour busses, etc to get around.

 

Aloha,

 

John

[cheezwiz]

John's idea is really a great plan! Simple, elegant, low stress and reasonable costs all the way around!

 

Here is info from Union Station (DC) on tour buses: http://www.unionstationdc.com/info/sightseeing

 

And, I hope, this will produce a map of nearby hotels to the BWI airport MARC train station:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/Hotels/@39.2013231,-76.697291,15z/data=!4m8!2m7!3m6!1sHotels!2sBWI+RAIL+STATION+MARC+nb,+United+States!3s0x89b7e25c3167f7f9:0xc8daf00afbfe32c6!4m2!1d-76.694236!2d39.19219 You will find good hotels near BWI for less than half the cost of a downtown DC hotel.

 

Union Station has many restaurants in a variety of price ranges, so you won't go hungry. One point of etiquette on the Metro escalators: Stand to the right, pass on the left. Washingtonians are generally a polite group, but get a bit snippy when this custom is not observed. It's become a bit of a local joke and you may see t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase :)

[Orch at Sea]

Thanks John, thanks Cheezwiz.....Stand on the right,got it... I wouldn't want to look like a tourist.

[cheezwiz]

Orch, I'm a native Washingtonian and recently retired from working near Union Station. If I can answer any questions, please feel free ask if you are looking for more info, particularly if you decide to stay at a DC hotel, I would be happy to help.

Edited March 11, 2016 by cheezwiz

[steve20832]

As a DC native, never, ever, drive from DC to Baltimore during rush hour. Uber or Lyft from DC from Port of Baltimore. It should be around $75 for the car. Much cheaper than the train for 2 people then taxi