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Old Jul 30, 2004, 6:13 pm
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Rockville, MD - which airport?
I have to go to Rockville, MD - Anyone know if DCA, IAD or BWI is the closest/easiest to get back and forth from? thanks
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 6:37 pm
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Originally Posted by Vaze
I have to go to Rockville, MD - Anyone know if DCA, IAD or BWI is the closest/easiest to get back and forth from? thanks
Either BWI or DCA would work.
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 6:58 pm
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You can take Metro rail right from DCA to Rockville. It would be my choice strictly for that reason.
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 7:44 pm
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I've been to Rockville many times over the last 7 years. I started by flying into DCA, but for the last few years have used IAD, and find this better for my needs. If you rent a car, IMO, this is the easiest airport to use since the Dulles access road has little traffic on it. I've never used BWI.
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 8:55 pm
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If you're going to rent a car, Traveller is right on about IAD. If you're going by public transpo, as tom911 says, DCA is your best bet. If the fare is much the cheapest to BWI (which is no longer always the case as it was in the past) that place is certainly a viable alternative for Rockville but you'll need a car.
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 9:02 pm
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If you do find a cheaper fare into BWI, you can get to Union Station in DC on the MARC trains for around $5 one way, and then onto Metro. Downside is MARC only runs Mon-Fri, and Amtrak is $13 or more one way if you have to take it on weekends.
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 10:06 pm
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Metro runs express city buses between BWI and the Greenbelt Metro Station. Cost is $3.00 for the bus and then your subway fare.
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Old Jul 30, 2004, 11:20 pm
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You can also take the Penn Line MARC train down from BWI to Union Station then take a Brunswick Line MARC train out to Rockville. It's faster than Metro and less of a zoo at rush hour.
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Old Jul 31, 2004, 12:00 am
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As this forum is for FT get-togethers and the personal aspects of the FT community, I'll move this to TravelBuzz for further discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.
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Old Jul 31, 2004, 4:03 am
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Originally Posted by Traveller
If you rent a car, IMO, this is the easiest airport to use since the Dulles access road has little traffic on it.
True, but the Beltway is usually jammed during daylight hours going across the American Legion Bridge from Virginia to Maryland. Because of this, I'd recommend DCA or BWI for easiest access to Rockville, unless you're heading to/from Dulles during off hours.
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Old Jul 31, 2004, 4:38 am
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Originally Posted by wahooflyer
True, but the Beltway is usually jammed during daylight hours going across the American Legion Bridge from Virginia to Maryland. Because of this, I'd recommend DCA or BWI for easiest access to Rockville, unless you're heading to/from Dulles during off hours.
True, but the Beltway is also always jammed on the other side of 270 as well. I would say that it is far more likely to get stuck in jammed up traffic coming from BWI on 95 to 495 to 270 than from IAD Access road to 495 to 270.

DCA and Metro is best if where you're going is close to a station.
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Old Jul 31, 2004, 8:25 am
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Originally Posted by wahooflyer
True, but the Beltway is usually jammed during daylight hours going across the American Legion Bridge from Virginia to Maryland. Because of this, I'd recommend DCA or BWI for easiest access to Rockville, unless you're heading to/from Dulles during off hours.
True, I usually arrive at IAD around 2pm and leave on a 4pm ish flight. Going to the airport I'd sometimes find a little traffic going into VA, but I imagine a couple hours later would be worse. But all in all, traffic was always heavier going to DCA than IAD.
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Old Jul 31, 2004, 8:30 am
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I used to live in Rockville for about 25 years, DCA by Metro is generally your best option. In morning traffic, if you're driving, I would probably go with BWI, anytime other then that IAD is usually a better bet then BWI. If you allow yourself time to get to the airport you really have pretty easy access to all 3 WAS airports, which is one of the good things about being a DC based FTer living in Montgomery County.
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Old Aug 1, 2004, 5:03 pm
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Originally Posted by tom911
If you do find a cheaper fare into BWI, you can get to Union Station in DC on the MARC trains for around $5 one way, and then onto Metro. Downside is MARC only runs Mon-Fri, and Amtrak is $13 or more one way if you have to take it on weekends.
Vase, assuming you have business in Rockville, I would not mess with the trains. It will take you 2 hours to go from BWI to DC and back out to Rockville on the Metro. From DCA by metro it is still at least an hour. I say rent an car at DCA and take the GW Parkway to the Beltway (I-495) to I-270. Unless you catch the evening rush just wrong, it shouldn't take more than an hour even with typical traffic. Not to mention that in the summer traffic is greatly reduced.

Originally Posted by wahooflyer
True, but the Beltway is usually jammed during daylight hours going across the American Legion Bridge from Virginia to Maryland. Because of this, I'd recommend DCA or BWI for easiest access to Rockville, unless you're heading to/from Dulles during off hours.
FYI...Unless you fill the car with flubber (or go the really long way), like IAD you still need to go over the Legion Bridge to get to DCA.
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Old Aug 1, 2004, 5:09 pm
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Originally Posted by Vaze
I have to go to Rockville, MD - Anyone know if DCA, IAD or BWI is the closest/easiest to get back and forth from? thanks
If you have a free evening, perhaps we can rally the DC troops for a sort of impromptu Happy Hour. Since I don't think this forum gets as much Happy Hour traffic as Community, feel free to PM me if you are interested.
Last edited by El Boocho; Aug 1, 2004 at 5:11 pm
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