Baltimore-Washington International Airport

Airport Details

Airport Code: BWI
Full Airport name: Baltimore-Washington International Airport
Address: Maryland Aviation Administration, Third Floor, Terminal Building, PO Box 8766, BWI Airport, Maryland 21240-0766, United States
Country Dialing Prefix: 1
Telephone: (410) 859 7111.
Website: www.bwiairport.com
Number of Terminals: 1
Time Zone: GMT -5 (GMT -4 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November)

Airport Information

Location

The airport is located 16km (10 miles) south of Baltimore and 52km (31 miles) north of Washington DC.

Airport News

BWI recently expanded and improved many of its facilities and infrastructure, including general terminal and access improvements.

Driving Directions

The I-195 serves the terminal directly, with a designated airport exit. From Washington DC, take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, heading north, until signs for I-195/BW appear. Bear right and follow I-195 to the airport. From Baltimore, take Russell Street south to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, then follow the parkway south to the junction with I-195, and merge left off the parkway onto I-195 for the airport.

Car Hire

Companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty. They are based at the new car hire facility on Stoney Run Road and New Ridge Road, 10 minutes from the terminal; a free shuttle bus service runs between the facility and the terminal.

Public Transport

Bus: MTA bus No. 17 (tel: (410) 539 5000; www.mtamaryland.com) links the airport with Patapsco light rail station to the south of central Baltimore. SuperShuttle (tel: 1 800 258 3826; www.supershuttle.com) offers scheduled shared ride van services to/from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and surrounding areas in Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia. The Airport Shuttle (tel: (410) 381 2772 or 1 800 776 0323; www.theairportshuttle.com) runs a door-to-door service covering Howard County, Maryland. A Washington DC Metro bus service, the BWI Express B30 (tel: (202) 637 7000; www.wmata.com), runs from the airport to Washington's Greenbelt metro station. Taxi: Taxis are readily available outside the airport. The taxi rank is situated outside the baggage claim area on the terminal's lower level. Taxi information is available (tel: (410) 859 1100; www.bwiairporttaxi.com). The fare to downtown Baltimore is around US$35, and to Washington $90.
Rail: The airport has its own station (tel: (410) 672 6169), connected to the terminal by free shuttle buses which run from the lower level roadway. A light rail service (tel: (410) 539 5000; www.mtamaryland.com) is available to downtown Baltimore and Hunt Valley (journey time: under 30 minutes). Amtrak trains (tel: 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) run to all destinations on the east coast of the United States. MARC trains (tel: 1 800 325 7245; www.mtamaryland.com) serve Baltimore, Washington DC, Prince Georges County, Anne Arundel County and Harford County.

Car Parking

There is space for a total of around 25,000 cars at the airport, with short-term parking available directly in front of the terminal in the hourly garage (the first hour is free), a daily garage located about three minutes from the terminal, as well as several satellite car parks offering daily, long-term and express parking. Regular courtesy shuttle buses service the parking facilities. Parking information is available (tel: (410) 859 9230).

Information and Help Desks

The Customer Service Center (tel: (410) 859 7992) is situated on the upper level of the terminal between concourses B and C. It is open 0900-1700 Mon-Fri. There are information points at a number of locations throughout the terminal complex.

Airport Facilities

Money and communications: ATMs, bureau de change and postal services are available throughout the terminal.
Eating and drinking: The airport has plenty of restaurants, cafés and bars, both pre and post security.
Shopping: There are a wide variety of shops, located both pre and post security, including a duty-free shop located on the International (E) Concourse.
Luggage: Left-luggage facilities have been suspended due to security concerns. There is a lost property office (tel: (410) 859 7387) at the Customer Service Center on the upper level of the terminal between Concourses B and C.
Other facilities: There is a children’s play area. There is also a tribute area located on the departures level pre-security between Concourses B and C, showcasing the life and work of US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, for whom the airport is named.

Conference and Business Facilities

A conference room (tel: (410) 859 7394) is available at the terminal, which is equipped for wireless Internet service. The adjacent Four Points by Sheraton Hotel (tel: (410) 859 3300; www.starwoodhotels.com) also offers a conference center and meeting rooms, as does the nearby Holiday Inn BWI (tel: (410) 859 8400; www.holidayinn.com). Almost all pay telephones have jacks for plugging in laptops.

Facilities for Disabled Travelers

TDD telephones are available throughout the airport. There are disabled toilets, as well as lifts and ramps, and reserved disabled parking. Pick-up and set-down spaces are available on the upper level terminal road, where disabled passengers can seek assistance from Skycapporters (tel: (410) 850 7674). Some car hire companies provide hand-controlled vehicles. Passengers requiring wheelchairs and special assistance should inform their airline of this when booking their ticket.