How to get from Washington airports to Washington D.C.

The capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., has three major airports that you could be flying into on your trip to Washington. This article will help you on your next trip, whether you are flying into Ronald Reagan Washington Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) or Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). For those travelling on an international flight, your two options are Washington Dulles or Baltimore, with all three airports mentioned serving domestic flights. As the two international airports are both over 30 miles away from D.C., knowing the best way to get to your destination by public transport could save you both time and money on your next stay in the Capital.

Ronald Reagan Washington Airport

Serving only domestic flights and located just outside of the central city itself, DCA provides the most convenient access to Washington. The Washington metro has its own station at the airport and allows you to get anywhere in the city with a single metro ticket, this may cost anywhere between $2 and $6 for a single ride. There is no Air Train to travel between terminals or to get to the metro station. To connect between the Aiport and the City, you can use one of two lines, the yellow or blue line. Both of these lines provide great access to the main sites and centre of Washington but as a general rule if you are heading to the North of Washington you will want the yellow line to Greenbelt and if you are heading East you will need the blue line to Largo Town Centre.

Total Cost: $2-6$

Estimated Journey Time: 30 minutes

Washington Dulles International Airport

Due to the location of the airport, roughly 30 miles outside of DC, knowing the most cost-effective and efficient transport service is key to getting your holiday underway. Unfortunatley, there is no metro access to Dulles airport however the Silver Line Express bus will get you to a nearby metro stop. The bus will cost $5 but it is the most efficient way of getting onto the metro system. This metro stop is called, Wiehle- Reston East, where you can take the silver line metro to anywhere on the Washington metro system. If you are looking for the main centre of Washington, the station, Metro Center, would be a good station to aim for. You can change onto the orange, blue, and red lines which will give you great access to the rest of the city.

Total Cost: Bus ($5) + Metro ($2-$6)

Estimated Journey Time: 1 hour 15 mins

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Despite being the furthest airport from DC, the train access between the city and the airport make Baltimore a very good airport option to fly into. The most economic and efficient form of transport to Washington is the MARC trains by Maryland Transit. At a cost of 8$, this hourly train will get you from Baltimore to DC in no more than 45 minutes. This train will take you from the airport to the main Union Station in Washington. Amtrak also offer a train system between these exact locations, however, I prefer the MARC train as the fee is fixed and with Amtrak, it requires booking in advance. In this day and age of flying, I would recommend having flexible onward travel and not paying for a specific time straight after your flight.

Total Cost: $8

Estimated Journey Time: 45 minutes