Getting from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to the city

Two railways, two different answers

• BWI Marshall is served by two rail systems, and they behave completely differently.
• The MARC commuter train and Amtrak use the BWI Marshall Rail Station, which is about a mile from the terminal.
• The MDOT MTA Light Rail comes to the terminal itself, with its station immediately outside the lower level of the terminal building, beside Concourse E.

The shuttle to the rail station

• It is free, and it runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which is rare enough to be worth saying twice.
• Every 10 to 15 minutes, except between 01:00 and 05:00 when it drops to every 25 minutes.
• At the rail station, shuttles stop adjacent to the station garage, directly across from the station.
• At the terminal, they drop you near your airline's check in counter, and on the way back they pick up on the lower level outside baggage claim at four designated stops.

MARC and Amtrak

• BWI Marshall Rail Station is on MARC's Penn Line, running between Washington Union Station and Perryville by way of Baltimore Penn Station.
• One way MARC fares: 6.00 dollars to Baltimore Penn Station, 8.00 dollars to Washington DC. Those are the fares effective 27 June 2021.
• Amtrak stops here too, on the Northeast Corridor, which makes BWI a genuine option for reaching Philadelphia and New York by train rather than by air.
• Buy MARC tickets from the ticket vending machine or the CharmPass app before you board.

The Light Rail, and its catch

• The Light Rail runs from the terminal to downtown Baltimore, Timonium and Hunt Valley for 2.00 dollars each way.
• It does not reach Baltimore Penn Station directly. For that, get off at Mount Royal Avenue and take the Penn Station Light Rail shuttle. There is only one fare for both trains.
• Hours are the real constraint. Weekdays: first arrival 04:45, final departure 00:40. Saturday: 05:05 and 00:45. Sunday and holidays: first arrival 10:35, final departure 20:40, which is much shorter than most people expect.
• The wider MDOT MTA fare table: single trip 2.00 dollars, day pass 4.60, 7 day pass 22.00, 31 day pass 77.00, with half fares for seniors and riders with a disability.

The bus

• MDOT MTA route 75 runs from the airport to Parkway Center, Arundel Mills Mall, Airport 100 Park and the Patapsco Light Rail stop.
• It is a local connection rather than a way into a city centre, useful mostly for the outlet mall and for joining the Light Rail further along.

Which city are you actually going to

• BWI serves both Baltimore and Washington, and it is 15 km from Baltimore and about 50 km from central Washington.
• For Washington, MARC to Union Station is the sensible route, and 8 dollars for that journey is a fraction of what a car costs.
• For Baltimore, the Light Rail from the terminal door is hard to beat, provided you are travelling within its hours.