Most often referred to as BWI, the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is a lengthy 30 miles north of DC. Transportation options exist that make the trip viable, and ticket prices can be hard to beat at the other two airports. Traffic is extremely variable, so the drive, which is less than an hour in light traffic, can be over an hour and a half during busier times. If driving or traveling by bus or taxi, be sure to take time of day into consideration. Options for transportation include:
- The B30 Metrobus from Greenbelt Station (Green Metrorail line) for $6.00
- The MARC train, from Union Station (Red Metrorail line) for $6.00 (Weekdays only)
- The Amtrak train, from Union Station (Red Metrorail line) for $14 to $40
- The SuperShuttle, which provides a door-to-door shared ride, for approximately $45 for one person, and $12 for each additional passenger
- Taxi, for $90+
The B30 Metrobus
The B30 travels between Greenbelt station (the last stop on the Metrorail‘s Green line) and heads to BWI. Being on the end of the line, it can take a bit of time to get from DC to the station. From there, the B30 will add an additional 30 to 40 minutes of travel time. Since the schedule is once every 30 to 40 minutes as well, you may find yourself waiting a while for the bus if your flight doesn’t arrive at a good time, and you should plan to be a bit early to the stop at Greenbelt if you are headed to BWI to minimize the possibility of missing it. The cost is $6.00, and a timetable is available here.
Hours:
- Weekdays: 6:10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Greenbelt to BWI), 6:54 a.m. – 10:44 p.m. (BWI to Greenbelt)
- Weekends: 8:45 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Greenbelt to BWI), 9:35 a.m. – 10:45 p.m. (BWI to Greenbelt)
The MARC Train
There is a shuttle which stops at BWI and will bring you to or from the BWI rail station. One option at this station is to take the MARC train to DC’s Union station, where you will be in DC and have easy access to the Metrorail. The train does not run on the weekend, which is unfortunate, but it can be a very good option for weekday travel. BWI and Union station are both on the MARC’s Penn line. The cost is $6.00.
Hours:
- Weekdays: 5:51 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Union station to BWI), 4:59 a.m. – 9:21 p.m. (BWI to Union station)
- Weekends: No Service
The Amtrak Train
Amtrak also services both Union station in DC, and BWI’s train station. Fares vary between about $14 and $40 to make the trip. Trains are more expensive and generally less frequent than the MARC, but there are weekend options. If your travel plans fall outside of the MARC or B30′s schedule, Amtrak may be worth a look. For more information, visit amtrak.com and search using stations “Baltimore – BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, MD (BWI)” and “Washington – Union Station, DC (WAS)”
The SuperShuttle
The SuperShuttle is a door-to-door shuttle service. You are placed on a shuttle with other passengers and are picked up or dropped off one-by-one. Sometimes, this can be an economically effective method of transportation. However, there are many stories which you can find online of how this service offers less than expected. Because of the door-to-door nature of the service, you may be stuck driving all over to pick other passengers up, or drop others off.
I’ve never used this service, though I have heard first hand that it can work well. However I would be wary. There are numerous stories available online about cases where the SuperShuttle has canceled on people, simply not arrived, or arrived significantly late. I would advise this option only if you have plenty of time built into your schedule, and are able to quickly switch plans to a taxi or another mode of transportation if the need arises. It seems like a much safer option to take from the airport, rather than to the airport when trying to catch a flight. The SuperShuttle is economic for one person, but parties of 2+ will find little to gain when compared with a regular taxi.
Taxi
The taxi ride from BWI into the DC area can be pricey at $90+. The length of the trip can vary from less than an hour to over an hour and a half, depending on traffic, and the cost will vary accordingly. Travel to the nearest metro station (Greenbelt, on the Green line), should drop the cost to about $35 – $40 (unfortunately, I do not have first hand knowledge of this, so confirmation would be nice). (More about taxi fares)
If you have any questions, comments, or stories about travel to or from IAD, please feel free to share them in the comments section at the bottom of this page.
Information about other area airports