© 2009 James G. Howes

Located 30 miles north of Washington DC, Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, or BWI, is the furthest of the area’s commercial airports. With destinations in North America and the caribbean, most traffic through BWI is domestic (with Dulles International Airport providing more international destinations). As a result of being a bit further from Washington DC, flights from BWI can be less expensive than the other area airports.  However, getting there from downtown comes at a cost.  It is worth taking both ticket price and convenience into account.

For BWI flight information and additional travel information see their official site.

Getting to BWI

There are numerous public and private transportation options for getting to BWI, but be sure to plan enough time for your trip; most methods will take at least an hour from downtown DC.

Metrobus

The MetroBus’s B30 route travels between the Greenbelt metro station (the last stop on Metro’s green line), and BWI. If taking the B30, make sure to leave plenty of time for travel to the airport. Getting to Greenbelt from downtown DC can take a while, especially with train transfers. The B30 will add an additional 30 to 40 minutes. Buses are scheduled to leave every 30 to 40 minutes during operating hours. The trip will cost $7.50 (Metrobus requires exact change or use of a SmarTrip card). Busses pick up from outside concourses A/B, and E, on the lower level; follow signs for “Public Transit” and B30.

MARC

Maryland’s MARC commuter train system travels between DC and BWI. For $7, the Penn Line offers service from Union Station to the airport, giving travelers direct access to DC’s Metro system. The BWI rail station has a regular shuttle between the train station and the airport.

MARC has frequent service on weekdays to handle normal commuter travel between Baltimore and DC.  Weekend service for the Penn Line is much less frequent, so be sure to look at time-tables and plan your trip ahead of time!

Amtrak

Amtrak offers service between DC’s Union Station, and BWI’s train station. Fares vary between about $14 and $40. While trains are more expensive and less frequent than MARC, they may be the best fit for your schedule. The BWI rail station has a regular shuttle between the train station and the airport.

Taxi and Shuttle

While expensive, taxi service can be the most convenient method for traveling between Washington DC and BWI. With the airport just over 30 miles from downtown DC, fares can reach $90+, and if traffic is bad the trip can be over an hour and a half. For larger groups, a taxi can be a competitively priced option, and it can be the only option when traveling outside of operating hours for the B30, MARC, and Amtrak schedules.  Of course, group shuttles and rideshare apps can fill the same need, and may offer a lower rate.  Shop around!

Inside the Airport

BWI consists of 5 concourses, A-E. Concourses A and B are connected inside security, while the others are not. Security checkpoints and gates are accessed on the airport’s upper level, while ground transportation, baggage claim, and arrivals can be found on the airport’s lower level. A lower level security checkpoint for gates A and B is also available, and often less crowded.

Photo by Roger W

Washington Dulles International Airport, located about 24 miles west of Washington DC, in northern Virginia, is one of the country’s busiest airports, and is the DC region’s largest. Unlike DC’s closest airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Dulles offers many international and long range domestic flights, in addition to a full array of regional flights.

Note that Dulles and Reagan National airports are not close to eachother.  Double check your itinerary and make sure you go to the right one!

For Dulles flight information see their official site.

Getting to IAD

While not directly accessible by Metro at this time, there are many public and private transportation methods available to travel between DC and the airport.

Washington Flyer – Silver Line Express

The Washington Flyer Silver Line Express offers another option for bus transportation to IAD. The Flyer offers a coach bus departing from Wiehle-Reston Metro Station at the end of the Silver Line every 15-20 min between 6:00am and 10:40pm weekdays, or 7:45am and 10:40pm weekends. Travel time is about 10 minutes, but may be longer if traffic is heavy The trip will cost $5, and tickets can be purchased near door 4 for the main terminal’s arrival level. Passengers traveling to Dulles can purchase tickets upon arrival.

If traveling to IAD, use the north bus garage, and follow signs for the Washington Flyer at Wiehle-Reston. After exiting the station, there is a traffic circle for all the buses. The Washington Flyer coach bus is located to the left as you leave the metro station. The bus is a large coach style bus that says Washington Flyer on the side. Representatives are available to help you with large bags. Payment is upon arrival at Dulles with your preferred payment method. If you are in a rush, cash can be the fastest.

Metrobus

The Metrobus route 5A provides a reliable way to travel to or from the Washington Dulles International Airport. The bus runs on an hourly schedule, and takes about 40 minutes to travel between L’Enfant Station or Rosslyn Station to the airport. If taking the bus, be sure to build some flexibility into your schedule to account for varying traffic conditions. The trip will cost $7.50 (Metrobus requires exact change or use of a SmarTrip card; find schedules here)

While the bus has some luggage space, it is not designed to carry lots of gear. During busy times it can be a popular and crowded option, so it may not be the best option if you are not traveling light. At Dulles, look for the 5A at location 2E in the ground transportation area.

Taxi and Shuttle

Taxi service can be the most convenient way to travel between Dulles and Washington DC. The trip will typically cost between $50 and $70 to get to DC from downtown.  Also consider group shuttle services or ride-share apps.  With enough passengers these options can be reasonable options.

Inside the Airport

IAD consists of a main terminal for all arriving and departing passengers. This terminal includes ticketing, security, access to the airport’s main transportation method, the AeroTrain, baggage claim, and ground transportation. After passing through security, passengers can travel to concourses A-D by AeroTrain or shuttle, or they can walk to A and B gates directly. Z gates are also located in the main terminal building. A and B gates are located in a single building, as are C and D gates.

AeroTrain stops are located near A, B, and C gates (D gates are accessible via the C gate stop). An above ground shuttle service can transport passengers between A and D gates, and D gates and the main terminal. Shuttle service from the main terminal is the only way to get to H gates. If you are flying out of D gates, the shuttle is likely to be the fastest. Otherwise, AeroTrain is probably most efficient.

Photo by Ted Eytan

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is the closest international airport to downtown Washington DC.  It is located just three miles south of downtown, just across the Potomac River in Arlington VA.  Locals often refer to the airport as “Reagan”, “National”, or it’s code “DCA”.  Be careful to double check your itinerary so as not to confuse this airport with the larger Dulles International (IAD) located several miles away into suburban Virginia.  The airports are not close to each other, so a mistake could result in a missed flight.

Flights traveling to or from DCA are typically restricted to short distance flights, within 1250 miles (though there are exceptions for a few cross-country flights each day), which means that direct flights cross-country or internationally from the airport are limited.

For flight information, travel, parking and more, see the airport’s official site.

Getting to DCA

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is easy to get to from Washington DC. Public transportation provides easy access to Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland, and close proximity to downtown DC makes taxi and shuttle service inexpensive and convenient.

Metro

DCA is directly serviced by Metro’s blue and yellow lines. From the airport, taking the blue line in the direction of Largo Town Center will take you through several downtown DC locations. Similarly, the yellow line toward Fort Totten or Greenbelt travels through the district. Both lines offer stops on and near the National Mall. The airport’s metro station is located across from the second level of terminals B and C.

Metrobus

Two MetroBus routes stop at DCA: 13F and 13G. These routes provide transportation to locations in Arlington and Washington DC, including the Pentagon, Federal Triangle, and the Smithsonian metro stations. Buses stop near terminal B.

Taxi and Shuttle

Taxi stands are located outside of all airport terminals, and can be a convenient way to get to your final destination. With only a 5 mile trip to downtown DC, trips are not likely to exceed the $20 range. Additionally, many area hotels will offer shuttle service (contact your hotel for specifics about their amenities).

Inside the Airport

DCA has three terminals. Terminals B and C are located in the main portion of the airport with three floors. Passenger drop-off, ticketing and check-in are on the third floor, the main concourse, gate access, and metrorail access are on the second floor, and baggage claim and ground transportation are on the first floor. Terminals B and C house gates 10-45, which are located beyond three checkpoints. Gates 10-22 are accessed through the southmost checkpoint (located in of Terminal B). Gates 23-34 can be found beyond a checkpoint between the two terminals. The security checkpoint for gates 35-45 are located to the far north of the airport in Terminal C.

Terminal A is found at the far south of the airport, with its own passenger drop off, ground transportation, ticketing, check-in, and baggage claim services. The walk between the Metrorail Station (near Terminals B and C) and Terminal A is nearly a quarter mile! Terminal A houses gates 1-9.

Each terminal has nearby hourly (for stays less than 2 hours), and daily parking lots, each with shuttle transportation to the airport terminals. The airport also has economy parking located nearby, and a cellphone lot for those waiting to pick up arriving passengers.