# A question about Baltimore International Airport **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 10, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407 "2005-08-10T05:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/21 "2005-08-10T20:44:38Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > How far outside of Baltimore is this airport, out of curiosity? For that matter, can I get to the National Aquarium in Baltimore by train from Arlington, and how “must see” is it? (Most of what I know about Baltimore has to do with Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Tyler novels and the musical _Hairspray_.) The airport is about a 20-minute cab ride from downtown Baltimore, depending on the traffic. Don’t waste your time with the aquarium. In my opinion, it’s overpriced and overrated. Wait until you can get to a good one, like Monterey Bay or (in my case, on visits home to Australia) the Sydney Aquarium. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/22 "2005-08-10T20:59:42Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > So my best bet, it sounds like, from Baltimore to Arlington would be to catch the Metro Bus, which, if I’m reading correctly, will take me to a metro station inside D.C. (Metro Center it looks like) to catch the orange line to Arlington. You’ve almost got it. The Metro Bus will take you to Greenbelt - which is the last stop on the Green line in Maryland. From there, you can take the Metro subway to L’Enfant Plaza, then transfer to either the Orange Line or the Blue Line, depending on where you’re going. If you’re going to just Rosslyn (I suspect you are, since that’s where most business people stay) you can take either line, but if you’re going further into Arlington, you’ll need to know which line it is. You’ll also need to buy a Metro fare card to ride the subway. There are machines there for that. Just do yourself a favor and put $5 on initially - it’ll cost you about $3.50 to get from Greenbelt to Rosslyn (more if you are going further into Arlington). > [@](#): > > By “airport shuttle” are you referring to a regular cab or to an actual cab or a business that makes regular metro D.C. routes or…? Well, the Metro Bus that runs there is often called the airport shuttle. The Super Shuttle runs out of there will run you about $30 to get to Arlington. There are also cabs and such. I still vote MARC if you get in early enough. It’ll make stops there at 5:08, 5:41, 6:39, 7:38 and 9:46 in the evening and will drop you straight into Union Station in DC. You can take the shuttle from BWI to the MARC station (they run about every 10-15 minutes), then buy a ticket at the station to DC for about $6. > [@](#): > > How far outside of Baltimore is this airport, out of curiosity? Not too far at all. About 15 miles or so? > [@](#): > > For that matter, can I get to the National Aquarium in Baltimore by train from Arlington, and how “must see” is it? Not “must see” enough to go all the way from Arlington to Baltimore. You would have to take the metro from Arlington to Union Station, then take a MARC from Union Station to Baltimore Penn, then take a cab down to the inner harbor. It would be a good 2 - 2.5 hour trip, depending on how well you timed it. Plus, the time to get back. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/23 "2005-08-10T21:12:12Z")
Re: The Aquarium – I assume you’ve been to the one in Chattanooga? _That’s_ a great aquarium! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/24 "2005-08-10T23:29:51Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Don’t waste your time with the aquarium. In my opinion, it’s overpriced and overrated. $5 after 5:00 Fridays. That’s the only way to do that aquarium, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/25 "2005-08-10T23:53:52Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’m attending a conference in D.C. next month and the only flights that leave at a reasonable time and for a reasonable price fly into Baltimore. I’ve never been to that airport before. My understanding is that it’s possible to get to D.C. (and Arlington, where I’ll be staying) by Metro from Baltimore. Make sure you stick to your “reasonable time” window. The DC Metro is not a 24-hour service, and the buses switch over to very infrequent intervals starting pretty soon after evening rush hour. That said, BWI is not quite 30 minutes north of DC’s northerly extreme, and you’re going to the far side of the city – what might be an hour-long trip by car could turn into a 2- or even 3-hour ordeal during rush hour, unless you’re on rails or underground. Rush hour starts around 6:30am and lasts through 9:00am, peaking around 7:30 or 8:00; evening rush runs from 4:00ish through 6:30ish or so, peaking at 5pm. Don’t forget to check out how close your hotel is to a Metro stop; you could do 90% of your trip underground, only to discover that it’s a 20-minute hike (including luggage) to your hotel from the nearest Metro. Most stops are heavily-patrolled by cabs, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting to your hotel regardless. You may discover that DC/Baltimore people tend to think about traveling locally like Patton thought of traveling through North Africa. This is a normal and well-adjusted view of the local traffic conditions. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/26 "2005-08-11T00:50:42Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > $5 after 5:00 Fridays. That’s the only way to do that aquarium, IMHO. True. But then it’s so packed with screaming children and huge families that it’s hardly worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/27 "2005-08-11T04:22:28Z")
Personally, I like the aquarium, though I don’t think I’d go all the way to Baltimore just to see it. And, yes, you can get there by train. In fact, there are two. Amtrak’s northeast corridor has pretty good service, though you’ll have to cab from the Baltimore end down to the Inner Harbor. Or a commuter train called [MARC](http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/camden.cfm) goes right downtown, but note that it has a fairly restricted schedule. A compromise would be to use MARC to get there and Amtrak to return. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/28 "2005-09-07T04:11:19Z")
I’m arriving in Baltimore tomorrow night (wish me luck in not making a wrong turn and winding up in Amish country, though if I do I’m bringing back some apple butter and dried corn). If any D.C./Baltimore/western VA Dopers would like to have dinner or drinks, please let me know. Friday night would be a great time for me. As they say in D.C., uh… Well, I guess they say “Bye, see you later”. J ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/29 "2005-09-07T04:19:25Z")
Where will you be around that date? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/30 "2005-09-07T05:02:26Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’m arriving in Baltimore tomorrow night (wish me luck in not making a wrong turn and winding up in Amish country, though if I do I’m bringing back some apple butter and dried corn). And if you do, be sure to holler so us Pennsylvanians can say hello. 🙂 Robin ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/31 "2005-09-07T05:08:28Z")
Oh, believe me, if you end up in Amish country I know a couple of guys who’ll give you a very warm welcome… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/32 "2005-09-07T12:45:20Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > In other words, you can’t go straight from BWI to a Metro subway stop, you either have to take a bus or the MARC. Just like he said. And of those stops listed, only Union Stations, College Park, Greenbelt and Laurel are also Metro subway stops. Actually, Laurel doesn’t have a Metro _subway_ station. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/33 "2005-09-07T14:42:22Z")
Wait, did you say this friday night? To bad for me. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/34 "2005-09-07T18:57:22Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > As they say in D.C., > > uh… > > Well, I guess they say “Bye, see you later”. As they say in Baltimore, “Buh-bye hon!” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/35 "2005-09-07T19:01:03Z")
I don’t know if the OP is still looking for responses, but I just made a trip over the holiday weekend – I took Amtrak from Union Station in Washington to B.W.I. – it cost about $12 each way and was very very convenient. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/36 "2005-09-08T13:19:47Z")
Sampiro, are you still interested in a get-together with local Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/37 "2005-09-09T03:08:27Z")
_Bump_ ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407/38 "2005-09-09T11:21:57Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Actually, Laurel doesn’t have a Metro _subway_ station. Wow, that’s nitpicky. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-baltimore-international-airport/316407.md?page=1)