Grandeur : European needs very urgent geographical information !!!!!

[New KAJO]

Hi guys,

 

We are from Belgium in Europe.

 

We are considering to book a cruise on the 'Grandeur of the seas' to the bahamas. This cruise starts in Baltimore Maryland.

 

• To which airport do we have to fly for this cruise ?
  
• How far is it from the airport to the cruise terminal ? ( what is best : a taxi, a shuttle ? What does it cost ? )
  
• We have the impression that Baltimore is close to Washington DC : how far is it from Washington DC ( the White House ) to the pier : could we combine a citytrip to Washington with this cruise ? What transport do we need and how much will it cost ?
  

I can imagine that these questions look stupid, but for us it is not that clear.

 

Is it possible to help us please ?

 

Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Kajo

[gkrebs]

Washington DC is about 45 minutes to an hour south of Baltimore, depending on Traffic. Touring Washington is very doable with a cruise combination. You can fly into Dulles Airport and shuttle up to BWI (Baltimore) or rent a car and drive up

[Tori101]

If you decide not to do the DC thing, the airport to fly into is BWI(Baltimore Washington International). It is about 15 miles from Dundalk Marine Terminal. There will be plenty of available taxis at the airport, but I am not quite sure of the cost.

 

Are you on the Aug 29th Grandeur? If so, I am also on this cruise, please feel free to ask any other questions you might have

[iroyster]

I can imagine that these questions look stupid, but for us it is not that clear.

 

We do give stupied answers on occasions. (smile)

 

One day I hope to visit Belgium, my Dad is buried there from WW II.

Ira

[New KAJO]

Hello Tori and all the others,

 

We are considering of booking the Grandeur but it will be for the 22 th august sailing.

 

We would fly in from Belgium on the 19 th and would like to visit Washington DC during two days. But it is not yet that clear for us if this is all possible, with regards to transportation. Which airport do we need ? How do we get from the airport to the center of Washington. How do we get to the cruise terminal from there. It is difficult for us to see whether we are talking about a transfer of 1 mile or 50 miles or 200 miles.

 

Any information how we should organise all this is more than welcome !!!

 

Ira, Do you know the name of the city where your father is buried ?

 

Thanks guys !

[Tatka]

New KAJO,

 

Maybe you should ask your TA?

 

Anyway if you deside to stay in Washington for a day or couple check hotels in Crystal City. Washington (except for it's beautifull downtown) is not a great place to get lost.

 

P.S. What city/town are you from? We have close friends living in Aachen(Germany) and when we visit them (semi-annualy) we allways drive to Belgium.

We love Belgium! Bruxelles(Brussels), Antwerpen, Ghent but especially Brugge!

[pokyd]

If this is a one-time trip I would think about spending more than two days in Washington. The Smithsonian Institution museums alone could take a day! Also, in the summer there are lines at most of the monuments and that takes more time.

 

I would not rent a car in Washington; very confusing to drive around I think. Take the subway or walk; it's a walkable city if you are near the monuments and the White House.

 

I think there is also good train service between Washington and Baltimore, although I'm not sure how the station is located re: the port terminal.

 

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful visit!

[jud123]

Are you planning on visiting Washington pre or post cruise? If you decide on pre cruise, I would fly into Reagan National Airport (DCA) take the subway (which is located at the airport) to a Downtown DC hotel. The subway in DC is very good and you can just about get around to all of the sites via subway. I think you will probably need a good 3 days to see most of the sites in DC. After that you can either arrange for a supershuttle or cab to Baltimore's pier, it is probably going to be rather costly because Baltimore is approximately 45 minutes from DC (but a straight shot). If you want you can take the amtrak train from Union Station in DC to Baltimore and take a cab from the Baltimore stop to the pier but I really am not sure how much that will cost. It may take some research, but I do believe it is doable. Also, driving in DC is not that bad...it's the parking that is the problem.

[New KAJO]

Hey Tatka,

 

I was born in Ghent and I work in Brussels.

 

What do you mean by : 'Washington is not a great place to get lost' ?

 

We are thinking of booking the Loews L'Enfant Plaza. You know this hotel ?

 

Greetings,

 

Kajo

[Tori101]

I am trying to think of the most economical & easiest way to do this.

 

Super Shuttle is a service offered at BWI airport. The only reason I say BWI because its a close international airport. It will take 4 guests from the airport to a downtown DC hotel for about $64.00. Super Shuttle will also take you from your hotel to the Port for about $100.00. This seems really expensive to me, but I am not sure what you are looking to spend.

 

Would renting a car be a possibility for you? I don't know much about international drivers licenses and such.

[Tori101]

Depending on your budget, even getting a limo would be an option.

[Tatka]

Hey Tatka,

 

I was born in Ghent and I work in Brussels.

 

What do you mean by : 'Washington is not a great place to get lost' ?

 

We are thinking of booking the Loews L'Enfant Plaza. You know this hotel ?

 

Greetings,

 

Kajo

What I meant was ... If you leave central area (where all museums, White House, Capitol etc located) you may very well get into one of the poor districts of Washington.

 

I've been to Washington 3 times and all three times we lived 3 minutes from Wash. downtown in Crystal City, VA. It's next to Pentagon and area usually used by professionals on long/short term contracts in Washington.

 

Btw..Loews L'Enfant Plaza looks and sounds really nice too.

 

Good luck. :D

[New KAJO]

Thanks Tatka !

 

Tori,

 

Could you help me with the price of the supershuttle from the airport to the pier ?

 

For the transfer from the airport to the hotel, we were considering the MARC-train. Is this a good idea ? Is it doable with luggage ? I think it must be cheaper?

 

Thanks for all the help !!!!!!

[teefleur]

Your hotel choice sounds fine. I agree with others... DO NOT drive in Washington! :eek: The subway (Metro) is an outstanding way to get around in the city. And I also agree that the Smithsonian is absolutely the thing to see while there. Be advised... the Smithsonian occupies multiple buildings primarily around the National Mall in central DC.

 

Lots of info at the website below and it lists the Metro Station where you need to get off:

 

http://www.10best.com/Washington/

 

Here's a map of the DC Metro system:

 

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm

 

Have a great visit and cruise! :)

[Tori101]

How many people will be traveling with you?

 

The MARC train sounds like a good idea, from what I can see you can go from BWI to Union Station in DC for $6/PP. You could then take a cab to your hotel or use the METRO train system(there is a station at L'Efant Plaza if you stay at the Loews Hotel). The Metro will cost $1.35 for that short trip. The only problem with this is that you will have to haul your luggage around with you from train to train.

 

Okay, getting to the marine terminal: It will cost $54.00 to take the Super Shuttle from BWI. So you would have to pay the train fare back to BWI and then the SS fare. There has to be a better way, let me look into it.

 

Hope this helps for now.

[cmeforlimo]

If you decide to do a couple of days before the cruise in DC, then you should check both Dulles and Reagan National for flights that are good for you. Flying into BWI is usually less costly. However, the international flights into BWI are very limited. If you decide to stay in DC, then I agree with the suggestion that the Washington subway is the way to get around. However, If you stay in a central area, you can probably walk to most of the attractions. Please stay at a hotel recommended by someone with experience. DC has some very nice areas. It also has some that are very dangerous due to crime. Also, keep in mind while DC is a 45 min. straight shot from Baltimore, that is only if there is NO traffic and NO traffic problems. I can take hours to get from DC to Baltimore if there are traffice problems. I operate a small sedan service so I am very familar with this. Also, if you fly into Dulles and are going directly to Baltimore, please allow AT LEAST 1 1/2 hours. Again, I have had trips take up to four hours to get from Dulles to Baltimore because of traffic problems.

 

If you decide to only visit DC for a day, then I would say fly into BWI (again, if you can get your flight that way). You should stay at one of Baltimore Inner Harbor's hotels. I recommend the Inner Harbor Sheraton, Hyatt Regency, Renassance Harborplace, or Marriott Waterfront While there are many other hotels in the area, you want to stay in a good/safe location. The port is about 15 mins. from Baltimore and if you stay at one of these hotels, getting a cab will not be a problem.

[Tori101]

BWI Airport Taxi is estimating about a $20 cab fare from BWI to downtown Baltimore and Dundalk is looking to be about the same distance from the airport.

 

I also am seeing a MARC bus that goes to Dundalk. You could possibly take the MARC train to this particular station and then take the bus. I am not positive on this though. I wish we could find someone who lives in Baltimore, I am more familiar with DC. I live about 20 miles outside the city.

[New KAJO]

You guys are so fantastic !!!!!

 

Tori, I really appreciate that you are helping us with this, from here in Belgium it is no that easy.

 

I am looking forward to hear more info from you guys !!

[Charles4515]

if you are flying from Belgium and want to stay two days pre-cruise at Loews L'Enfant Plaza you would want to fly into Dulles International Airport. Coming from Europe you would not be flying into Reagan National. If you were not going to do a Washington pre-cruise then you would want to fly to BWI International Airport if possible. If you do the Washington DC pre-cruise it would be possible to see quite a bit in two days from the hotels location. The Metro has a stop at L'Efant Plaza so that would be fairly convienient. Then to get to the pier. I suggest taking Amtrak to Baltimore Penn which is about $15 fare per person. Then a taxi to the pier, about $20.