Getting here
Welcome to Charm City Homestay, at the precise crossroads of Fells Point, the Johns Hopkins Medice, Downtown and our gorgeous Patterson Park. You are steps away from:
- the free Charm City Circulator
- the Metro Subway
- Light Rail, and paid bus routes on the MTA
- an Enterprise nearby at 1307 Eastern Ave. Fells Point
- and numerous Zipcar sharing locations.
By public transportation
Hopefully this map makes it clear why you should ALWAYS come in via BWI, which is only 20 minutes away!
Uber and Lyft
Definitely the easiest way here. You can estimate your fare in the Baltimore area here; it should be around $16 to $21 from the airport to the house, unless there is surge pricing. This link shows how to get an Uber driver at any of the three Baltimore-Washington airports. You can also take Lyft. Get your luggage and then go out of the terminal just to the immediate sidewalk where buses, taxis are cruising, to order your Uber or Lyft. As you order, you will provide the driver with the number on the overhead sign to indicate what pickup area you are at, just outside Arrivals. You will receive the driver’s phone number and vehicle description to complete your pickup.
Uber and Lyft are highly advised if you have a late arrival at BWI.
Important: Set up your Uber and Lyft applications before arriving! While you are home, it will be easier to enter your credit card information and do any confirmations at a desktop if you at first hit a snag on the phone.
If you don’t have one of these apps yet, you can get a free ride free or at a reduced price by following these links:
Super Shuttle
At $24 for a shared ride on the Super Shuttle and often a long, circuitous journey into East Baltimore, you might want to try Uber/Lyft instead, but you can take the shuttle if you prefer.
Light Rail
You can take Light Rail to and from BWI Airport if you want to save money. Before boarding, get a day pass, $4, at the kiosk within the BWI terminal just inside from the train. It takes credit cards. Show your ticket to the Light Rail conductor if asked and to the bus driver.
Here is a map, customize it to your airport time of arrival by clicking “More options”
MARC Penn Line
You can also take the MARC Penn Line if you prefer, which connects BWI to Penn Station.
- WE RECOMMEND: A Dollar a Mile Transportation. Special low rates from Dulles, National and BWI airports. Door to door service and major credit cards welcome; also serving Frederick and Annapolis. Arrange the pickup in advance of your leaving your departure point. This is your best deal; contact them at (301) 582-8031 or email ADollarAMileTransportation@yahoo.com. In your email, include:
- Name
- Phone number
- Pick up date & time
- Number of people traveling
- You can rent a car from Enterprise, picking it up at “Airport: IAD” (Dulles) and drop it off at their Fells Point location, which even with the $75 dropoff fee can be worth it.
- Uber/Washington estimates a ride at $78-103, probably depending on traffic. If you haven’t ridden Uber before and have a smartphone, use this link to get $20 off your first ride. I would recommend you install the app and then add your payment information before you leave home, and there may also be a step where you confirm a text. Uber is completely cashless, so that is why you enter your card. When you call for a cab at the airport, the driver will want to know which claim carousel you are at, and will give you instructions I believe to the effect that he/she is waiting outside and one or two lanes over.
- You could also take a Go shuttle to BWI for $59 and then Uber is maybe $18 or so more to get to my door.
- Go Airport Shuttle is $103 door to door according to a dummy set of fields I filled out, from IAD to Baltimore-Fells Point.
Here’s a nice summary of the seven ways to get from Reagan National to Baltimore:
Essentially, it’s far better to come into BWI Airport if you can, vs. Dulles or Reagan National, but if you do come in to the latter, the Marc train will get you most of the way here, and if you are outside of Marc’s hours, the alternatives get EXPENSIVE!
Baltimore has two train stations, Penn and Camden.
- Penn Station is where you may arrive in Baltimore if you are coming by train from Richmond, Philadelphia, New York or Boston by Amtrak, and by Amtrak or MARC commuter train from D.C.
- Camden Station mainly serves the MARC Camden Line, an alternative route to Washington’s Union Station, and also has a Light Rail stop.
To get to Washington, D.C., and its Union Station, the MARC commuter train is only $8 each way and now runs weekends out of Penn Station, and on weekdays both to Penn and Camden Stations. It’s a lot cheaper than Amtrak and goes to the same destination — Union Station.
To get here from Penn, I recommend Uber and Lyft, which should be around $6, but you can also do the Circulator Purple Line to the Orange Line, or CityLink Gold, walking north to North Avenue, taking an Eastbound bus, and getting off at Wolfe and Pratt.
From Camden, you can take the bus, the water taxi or walk.
These are ranked in order of ease of getting here.
- The Boltbus lets you off on Maryland Avenue, near Penn Station, see map below. We recommend Boltbus based on our guests’ happiness with their service.
- Greyhound and Peter Pan come into the Downtown Baltimore station at 1110 Haines Street. Uber and Lyft are your best bet.
- Megabus lets you off at the White Marsh Park and Ride, which is 12 miles from downtown! It’s not an easy arrival point, so you may want to use Uber or Lyft, or try the CityLink Brown bus, (1 hour, 10 minutes). Our guests’ feedback has not been positive for Megabus.
Our local buses, known as the MTA, can get you around much of Baltimore if you are patient. Here’s information on online ordering of various MTA commuter bus, MARC train and Charm Card passes.
FREE: We are near stops 104 and 123 on the Green Line of the free Charm City Circulator and stop 228 on the Orange Line. These can get you downtown or midtown, and to the train station.
By car
IMPORTANT: Before you leave home, CLEAN OUT YOUR CAR. It’s best to clean your car, since you won’t be able to leave anything visible in it — not USB cords, dirty clothes, fast-food cups, quarters for parking, even trash. (I am not exaggerating, East Baltimore has been plagued by car break-ins for decades. Better safe than sorry.)
You’ll need to empty your car once you arrive of any remaining visible items, including devices.
You can keep items you don’t need (housewares) in the trunk of the car.
If you have a full car, you will need to arrange storage before you leave — you can only bring in max. 3 suitcases.
If you have a full car, go online or call Extra Space Storage at (855) 838-1714 regarding their location at 1400 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21231 to rent a space to hold all but the maximum of 3 suitcases permitted in this accommodation.
You can book a small space for $19-24 a month, first month FREE.
If you need a truck, these are included free as part of storage at Canton Self-Storage.
You can store bags at Penn Station for $4 per bag per day if you hold a ticket for train travel.
Unload your luggage to put in the living room of my house by double-parking if necessary on across from the front door, in front of the fire hydrant. Keep the door shut as much as possible, and keep an eye on Copper and the cats so they don’t run out.
We have on-street parking, unreserved, in front of our historic rowhomes.
If you have a car full of valuables needing overnight protection, you can either cover everything with a tarp, find an alternative rental with enclosed parking, or talk to the Convention Center for ideas of whether they have a secure parking area.
If you need protection longer than overnight, see “Storing Excess Luggage,” above.
You can find nearby parking in the middle of weekdays near the house, possibly in the 100 or 200 blocks of S. Ann St. At other times, see the map below for a suggestion on where to look. I can usually accompany you to find parking after you unload your luggage.
TIP If I’m not here, just enter 1723 E. Fairmount, Baltimore, in your GPS, and park up there, On Monday-Friday mornings, you’ll need to move your car down closer to the house before 9 a.m. to avoid a ticket.
We have a patchwork of different parking situations around here. Parts of Broadway have meters that start at 8 a.m., some blocks don’t. Some blocks have street sweeping on various days, others are permit only after 8 or 9 a.m., others have designated bus stops. Carefully read the signs near where you park to avoid tickets.
If it helps, mention that you are staying with AirBNB host “Jeannette,” most of the staff know me.