trip to washington d c
 

Does anyone know if I can take the lite rail from Cockysville Maryland, to washington d c and tie in to the D C subway system???
Thanks
George S.

I live in Maryland and I believe Cockeysville is near Baltimore. The subway does not extend out there but you should be able to take the Marc Train into Union Station and pick up the subway there.

I believe the light rail stops at both Penn Station, Camden and BWI and all are all locations you can buy a ticket on the MARC to Union Station in DC. It certainly is not the fastest way to get to DC but it works.

be aware that the MARC dows not run on weekends.

It appears the "Hunt Valley" light rail station is the closest to Cockysville. You could ride one train to Camden Yards to catch MARC, but would have to transfer to another light rail to get to Penn or BWI. BWI would require another transfer to the bus that runs from the airport terminal (where the light rail stops) to the BWI rail station (MARC stop).

http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/...lesSystemMaps/

410-539-5000 or 800-543-9809

should have made it clear. I am just trying to get to downtown Washington. Don't know where is penn, but any downtown subwaym station would be OK.

Baltimore Pennsylvania (Penn) Station is at 1515 N. Charles St Balt MD 21201

If you go to the mta link I provided and look at the routes for Light Rail, you'll see what I mean about changing. While one train route goes from Hunt Valley to Cromwell/Glen Burnie, another line goes from Penn to BWI, but shares the track, and the stops, from Univ. of Balt/MtRoyal to Linthicum.

The MARC trains take you to Union Station in Washington DC. If I were taking the combined trip, I would board light rail at Hunt Valley (parking north of Shawan Rd between I-83 and York Rd), travel to Camden Yards, and ride the MARC. Second choice would be to take light rail to the Univ. Balt/MtRoyal stop, then ride or walk to Penn Station, and take MARC from there. Those are two different MARC lines, one is called the PENN line, the other the CAMDEN line. You'll find schedules, prices, and maps for all at the website I mentioned.

When you arrive at Union Station in DC, there will be a RED LINE Metro station at Union. You can find directions, prices, and schedules for Metro at http://rideguide.wmata.com

Amtrak runs between the two cities on the weekend I think.

gnr

Yes, on weekends one could take Amtrak, but will pay ~$20 instead of $6 for MARC, and must still get to BaltimorePenn or BWI rail station. I would be inclinced to take light rail to BWI, walk a few hundred feet to the Metrobus B30 loading area, which would take me to Greenbelt Metro station.

Note on Light Rail and BWI - the rail was out of service for track improvements in early June between downtown and BWI, with frequent buses shuttling people for the same price as light rail. This condition may still exist.

Hi, I'm flying into BWI for the first time later this month. Arriving on Wednesday, leaving on Saturday, so MARC isn't an option for Satureday.

MARC vs Metrobus to Greenbelt -- which is less hassle for a pair of gals who are schlepping a lot of luggage?

Is the B30 Metrobus a regular intercity bus, or does it have extra space for luggage? Any tips on this bus -- picking it up, paying for it (exact change only?) etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks to all for the good advice.

Anonymous, I am pretty sure that the B30 Metrobus is just a city bus. That is what the Metrobus 5A from Dulles airport is and that is what bwiairport.com and wmata.com have pictures of on their webpages that talk about that route.

On the outside, the B30 is just a "regular city bus" ... on the inside, the seating is upholstered cloth seats, with a few rows removed for the luggage racks that were installed. (I've read that 5A *IS* as mrwunrfl describes)

Yes, you need correct change, driver returns no change. Paper currency accepted.

Since you write, "a pair of gals who are schlepping a lot of luggage" then maybe you would prefer to take neither, or find a way to reduce the luggage for a 3 night stay. Other than kindness of strangers, there will be no luggage assistance on any of those transportation services.

Thanks for your advice -- but only one of us is staying 3 nights, the other is beginning her freshman year at college and will be staying for several months!

We're usually very light packers, so the idea of traveling with the maximum allowable luggage is a novelty for us. Our hotel is a few blocks from the Metro, so I think we'll take a cab, though I'll use the B30 on Saturday. (All by myself, sniff sniff.) Even with the cab, the trip wil cost $100 less than flying into National.