DC area DUers, need your help

[Racenut20]

Can get a morning flight on Sept 24th, and an evening flight back out from Tampa to BWI. Can you tell me the cost (appx) and the time to go from BWI to Union Station on the MARC train line?

Tbanks

[theHandpuppet]

1. That can be problematic

I believe the MARC train line between BWI and Union Station only runs Monday through Friday; there is also an AMTRAK line between those destinations but I don't know much about the schedule.

You can check here for MARC info: http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/penn.cfm

Perhaps there is a DUer at the University of Maryland who will be going to DC on the 24th and can offer you a ride? It's also possible that there is a bus arranged to transport folks from UM to DC.

Are there some Baltimore-area DUers who want to help out here?

Edited to add: I'd suggest you post your request to DU's Maryland state forum also.

[bottomofthehill]

4. You are right

The best option may be to take the metro bus from BWI to the Greenbelt Metro Station and get the metro from there. Plan on at least 1.5 hours. If the bus and train match up it could be lots less but always hope for the best, plan for the worst.

[mattclearing]

6. I didn't know there was Metro service to BWI. I'm filing that. n/t

[bottomofthehill]

9. Not great

It is not great metro service but I have done it a few times and it works, it just takes a little while. First time it took me 55 minutes from downtown DC the second time 1.5 hours.

[mattclearing]

10. I've done Dulles from Rosslyn, it was about the same: better than parking.

[mattclearing]

5. Shit, you're right. It is M-F, I'd forgotten.

The Amtrak tickets are brutal, too. You might do better with the "Super Shuttle." http://www.supershuttle.com/

[Shakespeare]

7. Amtrak runs pretty frequently, even on weekends.

Check the Amtrak schedule for specifics, but I always used Amtrak on weekend departures/arrivals from BWI to Union Station when I lived in DC.

The drill, as I remember it, is that you take a shuttle bus from the airport to the train station, buy your tickets (sometimes there's a real human at the ticket window, otherwise use the automated machine) and catch any of the southbound trains with a DC stop. You can get off at Union Station, which is very close to the demo site (and either walk, take a cab, or catch the Metro to the mall).

[Ioo]

2. $6 I think

http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/serviceInformation/fares.cfm


$6

[mattclearing]

3. Round trip is $14 to the Baltimore station, which is further out.

I'm guessing that $6 one-way figure is right.

[northzax]

8. you cannot take MARC on the weekends

which leaves you two options from BWI for public transport to DC. You can take Amtrak, which does run, (an Acela wil cost about $25, an unreserved regular train $13, last time I did it) or you can take a DC City Bus (leaves at the far right of the terminal) for $2.60 to Greenbelt, and the Metro in from Greenbelt for another $2 or so. That bus runs every hour and takes about 45 minutes. Add in the Metro and you're looking at 1:15 tops from/to Union Station. (for the way out, make sure you check www.wmata.com to find out when the bus you want leaves Greenbelt, you don't want to wait for an hour at a metro stop, ain't nothing to do.

check out www.amtrak.com for train schedules from BWI rail station to Union Station in DC.