Myself and two boys will be going to Washington for 4 days to see the sites next week. I was going to rent a car to travel from the Aiport to DC but someone told me the train is pretty good. I notice there is Amtrak and something called the MARC train (not sure what it is)?
2007-03-08 11:31:39 · 8 answers · asked by Mark 2 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Washington, D.C.
The MARC train is the local commuter train. It does not run very often (not at all on weekends). Although it's somewhat cheaper than Amtrak and the trip is still pretty short so if the MARC happens to be running at a convenient time, then it's fine to take. Amtrak is pretty good too. I have taken both before. Both trains will take you to Union Station in DC, which is the main train station that's pretty much downtown and connects to the Metro (subway system in DC).
Like someone said, you can take a bus to the Greenbelt Metro station and then get to downtown DC from there, but that might be more hassle than it's worth in the savings. Amtrak is $14 each way, I believe. MARC I think is about $6 and the bus to the metro is a couple of dollars plus a higher Metro fare so it's a little cheaper but it's a pretty big hassle.
Check out schedules at www.amtrak.com or for the MARC service then www.mtamaryland.com. The Metro system's website is www.wmata.com
2007-03-09 15:21:40 · answer #1 · answered by Mike R 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Amtrak is pretty expensive, and as previously stated, the MARC is a cheaper alternative...however the MARC train does not run on the weekend. That's an important fact to remember. If you are traveling in or out on a weekend and want to avoid the high price of Amtrak, there is a shuttle bus that only costs a dollar or two that will bring you to the Greenbelt metro station. Greenbelt is the end of the green line on the Metro, and you can take it all the way into downtown DC.
2007-03-09 00:28:09 · answer #2 · answered by kgenesius 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Is Amtrak the quickest and most convenient way to travel from BWI Airport to downtown Washington DC?
Myself and two boys will be going to Washington for 4 days to see the sites next week. I was going to rent a car to travel from the Aiport to DC but someone told me the train is pretty good. I notice there is Amtrak and something called the MARC train (not sure what it is)?
2015-08-18 18:39:13 · answer #3 · answered by Moon 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer is that Amtrak is nearly as expensive as a car when it comes to traveling from BWI Airport to DC. Amtrak will have you in DC anywhere from 20 minutes (Acela Service) to 30 minutes (regular regional service). MARC train takes 35-45 minutes.
If you're arriving from BWI Airport on a weekday - the MARC train is your best best. There are free shuttle buses which travel from the Airport to the BWI Airport train station. The MARC fare from BWI Airport Train Station to DC's Union Station is $6 I believe.
If you arrive in BWI on the weekend, there is no MARC service and Amtrak service may run every 60-90 minutes. All Amtrak trains are reserved - meaning that you need to reserve your trip in advance where the MARC is unreserved. I don't believe that the airport train station is staffed on weekends and you may need to buy tickets from a machine or onboard the train. Rather than fidget with Amtrak, other posters suggested the B-30 bus to the Greenbelt Metro station. That combination works very well on the weekends.
If you leave DC on a weekday - take the MARC Penn Line train back to BWI Airport train station and ride the free shuttle bus back to BWI Airport. If you leave DC on a weekend, you can take the Green Line Metro to Greenbelt and ride the B-30 bus back to BWI Airport.
2007-03-10 11:48:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bwi Amtrak
2016-12-15 07:37:46 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amtrak Bwi
2016-10-02 03:53:36 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The MARC train is the commuter train that travels between Baltimore and Washington. It arrives at Union Station, same as Amtrak, but is much cheaper.
Here is the MARC website for the Camden Line:
http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/camden.cfm
2007-03-08 20:01:17 · answer #7 · answered by parrotjohn2001 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Improve Your Running Technique Now!
2016-07-24 01:24:41 · answer #8 · answered by jacquelyn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on the schedules. You have to take a shuttle bus from terminal to train stop.
2007-03-08 11:34:43 · answer #9 · answered by ttpawpaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋