Baltimore - Amtrak, hotel, taxis or shuttles.... oh my!

[Gma&Gpa]

We are considering taking the Amtrak to Baltimore for our cruise in the spring.  The price is super and getting there with no one having to drive is very appealing, especially with the price of gas these days. My questions concern, which station should we aim for - the one at BWI or Penn Station (which I think is north of the Harbor).  However, if the price of shuttles/taxis (to the hotel, then to the port and then back to train station upon return, is particularly high, maybe we'll just drive.  There are 4 of us, so I'm guessing with luggage, we will need 2 taxis if we go that route.  I think Penn station would be better price from the port to train upon return but any suggestions on hotels in close vicinity of station for our trip PRIOR to cruise would be appreciated. I don't want to spend a fortune on the hotel (rather use my money on the ship).  We won't have a car, so relatively close eating would be helpful.  I just haven't found any guidance so far on the price of shuttles, taxis or ubers.   Thanks for any suggestions.

[navybankerteacher]

We Amtraked to Baltimore from NY - staying at the Hilton Garden on President Street -- surrounded by good restaurants, and reasonable cab fares from station and to port.

[Rubyfisch]

I'm taking the train to Alexandria, VA after my December cruise. It looks like taxi and Uber fare to Penn station isn't too bad. I'm staying at Courtyard by the cruiseport after flying in from Boston. I got a pretty good deal on the hotel and am going to at least scout out walking to the ship (I may end up taking a Lyft).

[princeton123211]

18 hours ago, Gma&Gpa said:

My questions concern, which station should we aim for - the one at BWI or Penn Station (which I think is north of the Harbor).

You would want to go into Baltimore Penn Station which is the one in the city-- its the closest to the cruise port. BWI is a bit further away and you will spend more in ground transportation not to mention time. There is not a great reason to go to BWI in this case unless you intend on flying one of the legs. 

 

18 hours ago, Gma&Gpa said:

However, if the price of shuttles/taxis (to the hotel, then to the port and then back to train station upon return, is particularly high, maybe we'll just drive.  There are 4 of us, so I'm guessing with luggage, we will need 2 taxis if we go that route.

This will obviously depend on where you stay but personally I would stay at a hotel in downtown Baltimore in one of the tourist areas for the night (the Inner Harbor or Fells Point are good options with some fun dining options within walking distance). 

 

Fare for an UberXL (an SUV option that will seat 4 people and luggage) from Penn Station to a hotel downtown is right around $12 total-- incredibly reasonable. The same UberXL suv from a downtown hotel to the cruise port is about $20 and again, will accommodate all of your party. 

 

18 hours ago, Gma&Gpa said:

any suggestions on hotels in close vicinity of station for our trip PRIOR to cruise would be appreciated. I don't want to spend a fortune on the hotel (rather use my money on the ship).  We won't have a car, so relatively close eating would be helpful.

I would not stay near Penn Station-- its not an area with a ton of things within walking distance to eat and frankly it borders some more dangerous neighborhoods that are in a moment of transition. Both the Inner Harbor and Fells Point offer a number of options from five star to budget hotels. There are a significant amount of Marriott properties of all sorts so it could also be a good reason to use points to save money. 

 

[GTJ]

The closest train station in Baltimore to the port is Camden station, which is in the heart of downtown Baltimore. There are many hotels surrounding Camden station. Trains to Camden station do not travel south of Union Station in Washington, so travel to or from Camden station would require changing trains in Washington. You can download the timetable for the trains from Washington Union Station to Baltimore Camden station here (one-way railfare is $9.00). If not changing trains in Washington, then the second-closest station in Baltimore is Pennsylvania station, which is a short distance north of downtown Baltimore. There are not many hotels immediately surrounding Pennsylvania station, but it is only 1-1/2 miles to downtown Baltimore and its hotels.

 

Others have mentioned staying at the Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown/McHenry Row, which has modest rates for a city center hotel. A significant benefit of this hotel is that it is within easy walking distance of the Maryland Cruise Terminal, so logistics may be eased by staying here. The downside is that the hotel is not in the heart of the city center (it is 2 miles from Camden station, 3-1/2 miles from Pennsylvania station), so this hotel would not be as convenient for visiting Baltimore compared to a hotel closer to Camden station.

 

Using the BWI Airport station would be best only if you're seeking to stay at an airport hotel. These hotels would not be especially convenient for either visiting Baltimore or for access to the port, but the prices for staying overnight at the airport could possibly be less than the cost of staying in the city center.

[princeton123211]

21 hours ago, GTJ said:

The closest train station in Baltimore to the port is Camden station, which is in the heart of downtown Baltimore. There are many hotels surrounding Camden station. Trains to Camden station do not travel south of Union Station in Washington, so travel to or from Camden station would require changing trains in Washington. You can download the timetable for the trains from Washington Union Station to Baltimore Camden station here (one-way railfare is $9.00). If not changing trains in Washington, then the second-closest station in Baltimore is Pennsylvania station, which is a short distance north of downtown Baltimore. There are not many hotels immediately surrounding Pennsylvania station, but it is only 1-1/2 miles to downtown Baltimore and its hotels.

This isn't particularly helpful. Baltimore Camden station is a regional rail station that no one except those utilizing the local MARC system would use. Penn Station is by far the easier station for anyone coming from DC or further south (or North) to utilize via Amtrak. 

[Gma&Gpa]

Thank you all.  We are coming from Richmond Va, so prefer not to change  trains.  We are no longer  youngsters, ranging from 65 to 80, so doubtful we will attempt walking to port. But it sounds like taxi rates will be reasonable if we are downtown.  Now, I will work on hotels that are reasonable in that downtown area

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Gma&Gpa said:

Thank you all.  We are coming from Richmond Va, so prefer not to change  trains.  We are no longer  youngsters, ranging from 65 to 80, so doubtful we will attempt walking to port. But it sounds like taxi rates will be reasonable if we are downtown.  Now, I will work on hotels that are reasonable in that downtown area

Check out Hilton Garden Inn on President Street - reasonable prices and a number of good restaurants within a couple of blocks - also a safer area than that around the less expensive downtown hotels.  The taxis in Baltimore are plentiful and inexpensive.

[GTJ]

14 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

This isn't particularly helpful. Baltimore Camden station is a regional rail station that no one except those utilizing the local MARC system would use. Penn Station is by far the easier station for anyone coming from DC or further south (or North) to utilize via Amtrak. 

To the contrary, it is very helpful for people wanting to minimize any inconvenience in making their way to a destination in downtown Baltimore to understand that there are options for doing so. While some travelers might place a higher priority in not having to change trains, that is an individual preference that is not universally accepted by all. I will note that here in New York City, many passengers chose to change trains to either arrive at a station closer to the final destination or to utilize a faster train. Others, not wanting to change trains, will not do so. It is personal choice. When I travel from points south into Baltimore, and when the schedules work out conveniently, at Washington Union Station I board the train to Camden station. Others might choose to board a train to Pennsylvania Station . . . and that is fine, at least so long as it is an informed decision. But to unilaterally conclude that something is not helpful, and on that basis to withhold information that might actually be used, is simply wrong.

 

Some additional background: Camden station is the older of the two railroad stations, having been first established in 1856. The original station at what is now Pennsylvania Station was not established until nearly twenty years later, in 1873. Both stations are served by railroads that have always been part of this country's passenger national railroad network, with Camden station having served the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (the country's oldest railroad) and Pennsylvania Station having served the Pennsylvania Railroad. Over time, the trains operating to each station have changed. Camden station is presently served only by local trains originating at Washington Union Station, while Pennsylvania station is presently served by long-distance trains originating from as far away as New Orleans. Thus, a person traveling by railroad, destined for downtown Baltimore, has to change trains at Washington Union Station. And at Washington Union Station, whether one is destined for Camden station or Pennsylvania Station, tickets are purchased at the Amtrak ticket counter. Obviously, one can argue nomenclature, and the meaning of the word "regional," but I will duly note that the "Northeast Regional" trains all call at Pennsylvania Station, not Camden station. (I will also duly note that immediately adjacent to the railroad station named "Camden station" is a regional, or light rail, station that is identically named "Camden station," though this is much like the fact that in Washington there is a railroad station named "Union Station" and an adjacent regional, or subway, station that is identically named "Union Station.")

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, Gma&Gpa said:

We are no longer youngsters, ranging from 65 to 80, so doubtful we will attempt walking to port. But it sounds like taxi rates will be reasonable if we are downtown.

Yes, taxi fare from a downtown hotel to the Maryland Cruise Port will be nominal, while the fare from an airport hotel would be substantial. The base fare for a Baltimore taxi is $1.80 for the first 480 feet, plus 20 cents for each additional 480 feet (or $2.20 per mile). I generally prefer walking, because it is the most reliable means of transportation. However, walking to the Maryland Cruise Terminal would at least 2,000 feet (the approximate distance between the closest hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown / McHenry Row, and the Maryland Cruise Terminal), so it might be more convenient to rely on a taxi to travel that distance. (From the same Courtyard hotel, the taxi distance would be closer to 4,000 feet--the street distance is longer than the sidewalk distance--and thus the base fare would be $3.40 for a ride that is 4,000 feet distant.) http://www.psc.state.md.us/transportation/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/Balto-City-Taxicab-Rate-Sheet-Effective-7-18-14.pdf

[0106]

If you are only in Baltimore for one night, I would take the direct train to Penn Station, use Uber to go directly to the Marriott property on McHenry Row, eat breakfast/lunch at the Iron Rooster, dinner at LP Steamers, Uber to port.  If you want to sightsee you are right next to Ft McHenry.

[HMC RET]

If taking an Uber or Taxi from downtown,  (Marriot Waterside), are they readily available and do they have to wait in the same line of traffic for those driving their own cars and parking at the port

thanks