Traveling to D.C./Baltimore Area- Have Best Airport Questions

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

I have a logistical question to ask regarding best airports. I looked at the map, but all seem to be equidistant.

I have to travel from Boston to Rockville, Md. for a few days. Then, from there, I'm driving to Columbia, Md. for two more.

Question:
Would Boston - DCA (Reagan Int'l) be best outbound or Dulles ?
Would BWI (Baltimore) - Boston (return) be best ?



I called the hotel in Rockville and got three different answers.

Thanking you in advance for any advice.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

Best overall price for air and ground wins it. Rockville is almost exactly equidistant (in time) from all three airports and you can get to Rockville by METRO from all three. BWI is definitely more convenient to Columbia.

I have a logistical question to ask regarding best airports. I looked at the map, but all seem to be equidistant.

I have to travel from Boston to Rockville, Md. for a few days. Then, from there, I'm driving to Columbia, Md. for two more.

Question:
Would Boston - DCA (Reagan Int'l) be best outbound or Dulles ?
Would BWI (Baltimore) - Boston (return) be best ?



I called the hotel in Rockville and got three different answers.

Thanking you in advance for any advice.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Brilliant !!

Thank you !!!!!!

I don't have to drive in the rush hour D.C. traffic to the NIH.

Metro - Homepage

Very much appreciated.

B.

[davhu1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davhu1]

Depend on the day and time, and if you are driving or taking public transportation.

Driving in the morning on weekday is probably about the same from Dulles or National. From National, you can go GW Parkway against rush hour traffic until you get to the Beltway. From Dulles you will have no traffic on the Dulles Airport access road until you get to Beltway but an exit or two south of the GW Parkway and morning traffic is bad. Traffic can back up on GW Parkway and the Dulles Access Road is more predictable. From BWI you will be comming in with the rush hour and gets pretty bad from I-295 to Rockville. About the opposite in the afternoon.

Public transportation is easier from National. Subway is at the airport and will get you to Rockville.

Columbia is a lot closer to BWI than the other two airports.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Great, thanks !

Now, by National you mean DCA ? I'm not savvy about the dual airport names, only Boston's Logan Airport.

Again, I appreciate your advice.

B.

Addendum: I think I will fly into DCA, take the subway into Rockville, a cab or similar to the NIH. Then, for my trip to Columbia, I'll rent a car a drive there. Fly home from BWI to Boston.

Great, great advice from both of you.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I work for an organization based in DC, and I always direct our travel office NOT to book me into or out of Dulles when I have to come back to the states.
From Dulles, a taxi is around $100 into the city, and you have to take a bus from the airport to get to the metro, which is not convenient. Reagan National is right at the metro. Its been years since I flew in or out of BWI, but from my recollection, it is connected by train to Union Station in downtown Washington, and of course from there you can get the metro.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

I work for an organization based in DC, and I always direct our travel office NOT to book me into or out of Dulles when I have to come back to the states.
From Dulles, a taxi is around $100 into the city, and you have to take a bus from the airport to get to the metro, which is not convenient. Reagan National is right at the metro.

$100 taxi - ouch.

DCA it is.


When I returned from the Bahamas last week, I connected via DCA and saw the rail tracks. Yes, the Metro is right there !

Thanks.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

I work for an organization based in DC, and I always direct our travel office NOT to book me into or out of Dulles when I have to come back to the states.
From Dulles, a taxi is around $100 into the city, and you have to take a bus from the airport to get to the metro, which is not convenient. Reagan National is right at the metro. Its been years since I flew in or out of BWI, but from my recollection, it is connected by train to Union Station in downtown Washington, and of course from there you can get the metro.

They are all convenient and I always book for best fares. Dulles is connected to West Falls Church by the airports taxi/bus concession for about $9 or a better way is METROBUS to Rosslyn for $3.

BWI is connected to Greenbelt METRO station by METROBUS for $3.

$100 taxi - ouch. DCA it is.
When I returned from the Bahamas last week, I connected via DCA and saw the rail tracks. Yes, the Metro is right there !
Thanks.

METRO has a stop at NIH (Medical Center) and all up and down Rockville Pike in Rockville.

Beagle, what are your dates and where are you staying in Rockville?

[davhu1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davhu1]

Sorry, DCA is "Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport". If going by public transportation. DCA is the easiest. There is a walkway that connects to the subway (Metrorail).

Reagan National Airport

"The Washington, DC Metrorail system has an elevated Metrorail station connected to the concourse level of terminals B and C at Reagan National Airport. Metrorail fare cards may be purchased at machines locates at all entrances to the Airport Metrorail station. The station is also fully accessible via elevators."

Here the site for the Metro System
Metro - Homepage

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

BWI
and
IAD
bus routes, it's really easy to connect to Metro, sure, it's not the moving sidewalk and escaltor at DCA, but it's so easy even a caveman could do it.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Beagle, what are your dates and where are you staying in Rockville?

I might fly in on Easter Sunday and get to Rockville early for my seminar the next day or fly in Monday a.m., go from DCA to Rockville - this depends on when the seminar begins. 9 am, no problem. 8 a.m - problem and will have to come in a day before.
On Wednesday, drive to Columbia for a 2 day business meeting at W.R. Grace and then home.
One of my best friends lives in Westminster and he and his wife might meet me for dinner one night.
Thank you again for your advice. It makes a big difference.
B.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

I live about 2miles from NIH, used to work up near Columbia. But Sat I'm returning from RIO, Sun I'm doing Easter probably on the Eastern Shore, and Mon a.m. I'm off to SC for a week.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

With BWI, I recall that there was a BWI rail station, and I took Amtrak directly to the BWI rail station from North Carolina. This had the added benefit that I could leave my car free at the Rocky Nount Amtrak station while I took the week plus trip to Europe. I am assuming that there would be a variety of trains from there on Amtrak to Union station, and perhaps with the Maryland rail system as well.

There is a trick I discovered for leaving one's car free, or almost free, near DCA, too.

I have used the bus to go to the metro at Dulles, but memories of a longish wait in the cold train, and then a much longer metro ride than from DCA do not make me want to repeat that. One definitely gets into the city quicker and easier from DCA. The metro connection is a breeze.

[somerville Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close somerville]

Great, thanks !

Now, by National you mean DCA ? I'm not savvy about the dual airport names, only Boston's Logan Airport.

DCA = Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
IAD = Washington Dulles International Airport
BWI = Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, f/k/a Friendship International Airport

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

DCA = Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
IAD = Washington Dulles International Airport
BWI = Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, f/k/a Friendship International Airport

Thanks, I did have them. Just wanted to make doubly sure that National=Reagan.
It can get confusing when there are two airports serving a city (at least for me).
B