IAD / DCA transfer
 

Hi,

I've done some searching, but quite a lot of the posts are fairly old or not specific for international arrivals / Sunday evenings, so......

I'm planning to arrive into IAD (ex LHR) on UA949 @ 1522 on a Sunday, and thinking about transferring to UA1453 ex DCA down to MSY @ 1955.

What is the best way to transfer?
Is it doable timewise?
Am I mad :)

Thanks,

No - not mad. Yes - doable.

You should be out of Customs&Immigration in an hour or so.

Taxi IAD-DCA is metered and costs about $60, about 45 minutes
door-to-door.

Super Shuttle costs about half that, is door-to-door as well,
but could take longer than a taxi depending on passengers
loaded and stops to be made.

Taking the Washington Flyer Coach (every 30 minutes) or
the 5A Metrobus (every 60 minutes) and then MetroRail to
DCA will probably be iffy time-wise.

Note: if you are checking bags, be sure that they are properly
tagged at LHR so that they get to you in the Dulles IAB facility.
UA passengers arriving into IAD and connecting to UA domestic
ex-IAD go through a separate Customs&Immigration facility in
the C Concourse - and their checked bags are delivered to
them there. You are connecting to UA domestic, but NOT ex-IAD.

There's plenty of time to take Metro. The 5A bus to Blue Line train involves the fewest transfers; on Sundays there's one bus an hour leaving on the :40s, and the schedule is reliable. Departing IAD curb 2E at 4:42pm, you should at Rosslyn around 5:16pm; from there you can take the Blue Line train to DCA, which takes about ten minutes. Cash fare is $4.45.

If you clear customs and immigration earlier, you could take the Washington Flyer coach to the West Falls Church Metro Station; it bus departs from the main terminal building on the :15s and :45s. It's a cleaner and more comfortable coach than the Metrobus, with a place to stow your luggage, but you'll need to make an extra rail transfer, from the Orange Line to the Blue Line at Rosslyn; the ride from West Falls Church to Rosslyn is about 15-20 minutes and from Rosslyn to Reagan is another 10 minutes. Total fare would be $9 for the bus plus $1.85 for the train.

Yep. Either one of these options should work fine for you. Basically, if you get out of customs to take the 5A bus, you might as well. If you miss it, hop the Washington Flyer. Good luck!

The Washington Flyer Coach fare goes up to $10 on 7/1/08. And you can use a credit card for it. The bus leaves from the Arrivals Level (up the inside ramp opposite Baggage Carousel 8) at door 4 . Tickets are sold in the vestibule just inside door 4 and bus is right there.

The 5A Metrobus is $3.10 cash fare - the driver does not make change. The 5A leaves from Curb 2E of the Ground Transportation road (down the inside ramp opposite Baggage Carousel 8), where you see the Car Rental shuttles.

Like others have said, it is doable. But if you have a decent amount of luggage, I would suggest you avoid the the transfer if possible.

Easily doable. I'd do the Metro 5A to Rossyln Blue Line (towards Franconia-Springfield). 5A is a nice newer bus with space to store smaller bags overhead. Happy travels.

I have a questions to local people - is there any chance that the Silver Line of metro will be opened and running within a month from now on? I am flying to IAD on March 14th and I suppose it will be much quicker to go to the DC centre from Wiehle-Reston East station than existing Rosslyn station...

I would say slim to none.....

Project still hasnt been transfered to Metro from the construction company.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...5fb_story.html


the construction company says it was done but Metro has to check all the documentation to see if it is.

Once it transfers to Metro they will have up to 90 days testing/training internally within metro before ride service starts.

My guess it probably wont be until Memorial Day weekend for it to open.

Even if the handover goes as planned, I thought the link to IAD wasn't in phase 1?

Yes the link to IAD isn't in Phase 1. Maybe he is thinking of the 5A bus(mentioned Rosslyn).

I don't understand why so many people take the 5A bus over the Washington Flyer Bus. Yes the 5A bus is 4 dollars cheaper but pretty much the whole day(except for late at night or maybe even early in the day), the bus is completely cramped. Give me the more reliable, comfortable( WFB has a lot more space, nice seats etc) bus anyday of the week.

The Flyer also sticks to its schedule. In my experience, I can't count on the 5A showing up at Rosslyn when the NextBus real-time estimates predict it will, much less what the timetable says.

Once Phase 1 does open, the Flyer's advantage should really open up. From the Silver Line's Wiehle-Reston East station, you'll have service every 20 minutes on the Flyer at $5 a pop and, if you don't mind making a few stops, Fairfax Connector's much cheaper 981 bus.

DCA Writer,

Hence why I said more reliable. For the majority of the time it sticks to the schedule. I always try to convince passengers to take it over the 5A. Majority still take the 5A.

I did not know that about the Washington Flyer Bus. Stinks that it is changing to a shuttle bus instead of the current charter bus. Such is life I guess.