DCA vs IAD when going to Baltimore
 

I'm trying to book a cheap ticket to Baltimore and am finding some ok deals from OAK-DCA or OAK-IAD (of course I can't find anything good for BWI right now). The IAD flight is the morning non-stop and obviously the DCA flight is a connection. I'm going to attempt to use mass transit (Amtrak?) to get to Baltimore downtown. Is there much of a difference between DCA and IAD?

I'm guessing DCA is better, but its a 6 am departure vs 7:30 for IAD :o

If you're driving to Baltimore, use IAD. If you're totally focused on public transportation, you'll need to switch metro lines with either one to get to Union Station to grab a Marc or Amtrak train up to Baltimore; but IAD also adds a bus ride to get to the metro.

ps You should ask the mod to move this to the dc forum, you'll get more responses.

Definitely DCA for public transport. I'd argue DCA for driving as well. You can shoot right up 295 to Baltimore.

Actually, one addition to this which is more UA related. Anyone had luck standing by for BWI flight with a DCA or IAD ticket? I saw that there is a DEN-BWI flight just before the DEN-DCA flight.

I often stand by for SFO with an OAK ticket or OAK with an SFO ticket.

And to answer my own question, it looks like the standby situation will be a YMMV:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ht=bwi+standby

295 can be confusing for someone who isn't familiar with DC.

While DCA is closer to Union Station (for the transfer to Baltimore) You stated that the IAD flight is nonstop. You need only take a bus from IAD to the Metro and then transfer once to get to Union Station. From DCA you would skip the bus portion but would still have to transfer on Metro. Check out www.WMATA.com for complete details.

Do not take Slamtrak to Baltimore. Last time I checked it was over 50 bucks! Take the MARC (Baltimore commuter) train if at all possible for about 5 bucks. Some Slamtrak trains accept MARC tickets so that you might sit next to some poor guy paying 10 times as much as you. Hey, just like on UA.

Check out http://www.mtamaryland.com/

I agree that DCA is a much easier drive to Baltimore than IAD. You'll save about 45 minutes in the car. Thought the other poster is right ... it can get confusing on 295.

Since this has more to do with the three airports in the greater Washington, D.C. area and tangentially about UA, I am going to move this to the Washington, D.C. (including Baltimore) forum. Thank you for your understanding.

iluv2fly
moderator, UA

But a 10 page thread of innuendos on warm nuts is UA content?

Go to DCA!!!!! IAD means bus to West Falls Church or downtown, then subway or bus to Union Station, then MARC or Amtrak (or Greyhound) to Baltimore.

DCA is easy. Yellow line (Metro) to Gallery Place, switch to Red Line to Union Staion. Transfer to MARC (weekday), METRO (7 days) to Baltimore.

I'd really recommend DCA over IAD.

1. It is really dependant on the time you arrive to your destination airport. If you are getting on the ground at IAD anytime after 3:30pm and then have to get to BWI - you are going to get crushed in the 495 beltway traffic. You will go 495 over to 95 north and up to BWI/Inner Harbor. Traffic is BRUTAL after 4pm on that trip. It's 45 miles on paper - it's taken me 4+hours before to do that trip on a thursday night leaving at 5pm. It's not fun.

If you go DCA - you can get on 295 and head north to Baltimore as well - traffic isn't quite as bad, but it still sucks.
Metro - ride the metro from DCA to Union Station (Red Line) and then get on the MARC and you can take it right up to BWI for 6 bucks or so. amtrak might run you 18 bucks, but it is a lil bit quicker - not by much tho.
From the Marc train you can also zip around the Light Rail as well.
Just know - Marc does not run on the weekends.
If you metro'd it from IAD to union station - well, pack a supper and get ready for the most boring 90 minutes of your life.

As someone that has done the commute from BWI to IAD or BWI to DCA everyday for 3 years - BWI-DCA is waaaaaaaaay easier.

i'll take DCA over IAD any day.

My routing would be OAK-DEN-DCA or OAK-IAD (both arrive at 3:30 pm on a Friday) then IAD-OAK on the return. However, the return would be at 10 pm on Sunday night, so hopefully the drive from Baltimore (the city) would be better then.

If you are arriving and departing from the different airport,
the rental might cost you a bit more. Check the fees
before you make your final choice.

No rental car. I'm planning to use mass transit at rush hour on Friday and then have a family member drive me back to IAD.

Another key factor is that you'll be hitting town around evening rush hour. You DEFINITELY don't want to drive from either airport to Baltimore.

I can't really see a smoking-gun advantage to either airport, given that you want to get to Baltimore. Obviously, the non-stop will give you two less take-offs and landings on the round trip. Either way, you will want to wind up at Union Station in downtown DC and take a train to Baltimore. Once you get to Charm City, there is a decent light rail system and city bus system.

As others have stated, the ground itinerary from Dulles would be to take the Washington Flyer bus to the West Falls Church Metro Station. Last I checked, the bus costs $16 r/t, so it's not exactly cheap. From there, you can get on the Orange Line and follow what others have said. From National, you can catch the Metro right at the terminal.

My wife accidentally bought an AMTRAK ticket rather than a MARC ticket to go from Union Station to BWI. The MARC ticket was $7.00 and the AMTRAK ticket was $15.

Here are some relevant web sites you can use to plan your trip:

Washington Metro Web Site

MARC Train (You want either the Penn or Camden Lines).

The light rail and Metro Subway links on the left will give you info about those services in Baltimore.

Good luck!

Ah! it shoud be fine.. Just give some more time @ IAD, security lines
could get very long.

3:30 pm DCA to Baltimore on a Friday is going to be a heck of a ride (IAD might be worse, though). I'd park a seat at the great restaurants/bars (outside security) at DCA (sushi bar, TGI Fridays, Legal Seafoods) and wait out the traffic until 6 pm.

I'm planning to use mass transit from either IAD or DCA on Friday. The drive will just be on the return out to IAD.

I would recommend DCA for a Friday afternoon arrival. Also, in case you haven't heard, IAD has a new "Elite Security Line" that is wonderful -- makes flying out of IAD almost bearable.

How about Southwest from OAK to BWI? I'm no fan of Southwest, but the commute from IAD is very bad and DCA isn't great. The trade-off might be worth it.

Check out OAK-BWI. WN just started flying that route and has good fares. I believe competitors are matching. That will save you a lot of commuting time.

UA is at $380 for the times I want into DCA and out of IAD, while WN is close to $500.

If you are traveling into the Baltimore business district, you might find that PHL is a convenient alternative to IAD. The distance is somewhat greater, but you won't be confronting the I-495 (Beltway) traffic.

Instead its a straight shot down I-95 from the airport. There might be some traffic around Wilmington, but otherwise you should be able to do 65 - 70 all the way.

I have done both many times. If I were making this choice, living in Baltimore, I would choose DCA over IAD. While both boast "public transport options", the trek from IAD can become downright depressing. A bus, to the metro, to a switch of metros, to a train...and you have a 3-hour trip to Baltimore. The lovely SuperShuttle will cost you $50 to Union Station, and will take over an hour, forgetting rush hour traffic, with several stops in the District prior to getting to Union Station.

From DCA, a $15 cab ride to union station will put you on Marc or Amtrak. If you choose Amtrak, avoid the "Acela Express", which only gets you to Baltimore seven minutes faster than the "regional", but costs more than double at certain times. Marc is a good option, but the train can be extremely crowded to the point of SRO at least for the first several stops. And, there are several. Amtrak makes two - New Carrolton and BWI, before Penn Station Baltimore.

Your other option from DCA is a 15-minute metro trip - one of two lines to Metro Center, then Red line to Union station. Easier than it sounds, and less than two bucks. And FAST. Stops are right outside the terminal at DCA.

When I travel on public transport from DCA to Baltimore Penn station, it takes me just over an hour.

Better stay out of OMNI! :D

I 100% reccomend DCA as it is much easier; much closer to downtown and is just overall a much nice airport.

Have you check WN's fares, OAK-BWI?

I was checking flights for WAS-LAX for fall travel. WN is charging about $360, which is about the same price the legacies are charging.

It looks like WN has established a comfortable market share at BWI and letting prices float up to match competitors.

WN was more expensive and 5 hrs on WN is not my idea of fun at all.

However, as it turns out my employer required me to do some travel at the end of that week so now I get to fly into BWI (although still back out from IAD) and the ticket costs me a lot less.

Only a crazy person would EVER recommend IAD over DCA when going to Baltimore. As a DC resident, always go with DCA! And a regular Amtrak train (Acela Regional Service) (but NOT the Acela Express) from DC to Baltimore runs $18, NOT $50. The MARC train is definitely cheaper and definitely slower as well. It is also much grungier than Amtrak. I live here and I know for sure. For the extra few bucks, I take Amtrak and also get AGR points as well.

The MARC trains don't run on the weekends. Make sure to check the schedule so that it lines up with your travel plans.