Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is a large airport with flights to all major cities in America. Super Shuttle: is available for the 10-mile ride to downtown Baltimore for less than $20. Make your reservation via 800-258-3826. MTA Light Rail travels from BWI Airport to Downtown.

MTA BWI Airport Light Rail

Taxis: Diamond and Yellow cabs at the ground transportation level are plentiful. Car Rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty provide service. Board the Rental Car bus as you exit the any terminalt. When you exit the BWI Rental Car Facility, follow the signs carefully to Baltimore-Washington Parkway, northbound to downtown Baltimore or southbound to Washington DC.

Penn Station, with its Neo-Greek architecture, café, gift shop, and airy atmosphere is a great venue for travel. Located just north of downtown at 1500 North Charles Street, this intermodal transportation center hosts a Light Rail Transit station, Commuter Rail Transit station, the city’s largest taxi stand and these Amtrak train routes:

Acela: DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-NYC-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Crescent: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Charlotte-Atlanta-New Orleans
Palmetto/Silver: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Jacksonville-Miami
Carolinian: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte
Cardinal: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago
Vermonter: St Albans-Burlington-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC

Baltimore Penn Station

Acela is America's only High Speed Rail route with speeds up to 150 mph between Boston-Providence-New Haven-NYC-Newark-Philadelphia-Baltimore-Washington DC. As route upgrades complete this decade, the number of trains in each direction will expand beyond the current 30 daily and trip times will shorten even more.

Mass Transit Administration (MTA) provides 1 Subway heavy rail transit line and 3 light rail transit lines that rediate from downtown to train stations, colleges, major employment centers and Washington DC. All lines operate from 6a-Midnight, daily.

Green (subway): Johns Hopkins Hospital-Charles Center-State Center-Pennsylvania Ave-Mondawmin Mall-Rogers Ave-Owings Mills

Blue (light rail): Timonium-Cold Spring-Downtown-South Baltimore-Cromwell

Yellow (light rail): Hunt Valley-Cold Spring-Downtown-South Baltimore-BWI Airport

Penn Station-Convention Center-Camden Station (Light Rail)

MARC commuter rail transit system managed by the MTA and featuring two lines of local service that terminate at Washington DC's Union Station:

Camden Yards-Dorsey-Jessup-Greenbelt-College Park-Union Station

Perryville-Penn Station-West Baltimore-BWI Airport-New Carrollton-Union Station

A shuttle bus from the MARC-Amtrak BWI Station runs every 10-15 minutes to BWI Airport. MARC fares between Baltimore and DC cost $5.50, but the train makes lots of stops. The MTA is now focused on improving MARC trains patronage, interconnectivity with Penn Station and to obtain funding for a new East-West light rail line: Social Security-West Baltimore-Downtown-Canton-Dundalk.

Baltimore Freeway Network follows a hub and spoke design where 5 freeways empty into or pass near Downtown. In general the freeways, tunnels and bridges are well maintained and HOV lanes and feature roadway greenery where possible. Tunnel tolls are reasonably priced for their distance. Driving to/from DC during commute hours is an endurance test. So at least enjoy the beautiful landscape of 295 Baltimore Washington Parkway, rather than I-95 Freeway. BEWARE: After displacing thousands of West Baltimore residents decades ago, the incomplete I-170 Freeway never connects with I-70 Freeway. Freeway and tunnel names are:

  10    Arundel Freeway, south of Baltimore
  29    Columbia Pike (freeway) connects Columbia to I-70
  40    US Highway that preceded I-70 Freeway
  70    Baltimore National Pike (freeway) to Frederick, MD
  83    Interstate Freeway from Baltimore to Harrisburg, PA
  95    Fort McHenry Tunnel & JFK Freeway connects to East Coast
  97    Glen Burnie Bypass Freeway south of Baltimore
100    Connector freeway between 29, I-95, 295, I-97, 10 freeways
170    West Baltimore Freeway
195    Connector freeway between UMBC, I-95, 295 & BWI Airport
295    Baltimore Washington Parkway
495    Baltimore Beltway/Francis Scott Key Bridge circles the city
795    Northwest Freeway from Beltway to Owings Mills
895    Harbor Tunnel Thruway bypasses downtown