Baltimore Washington International Airport Arrivals (BWI)

Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) is the twenty-third busiest airport for passenger traffic in North America, and serves the large Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area of the country. It has been voted as the best airport in the world for its size by the Airports Council International, and therefore offers efficient services to all its passengers. This airport is also busier than the other main airports in the vicinity, which include the Washington-Dulles International Airport and the Ronald Reagan National Airport. The Baltimore-Washington International Airport arrival halls are well equipped for their passengers, and there are several forms of ground transportation available.

This airport in American is located approximately 10 miles, or 16km south of Baltimore, and 32 miles, or 51km northeast of Washington, D.C. It is an airport in the state of Maryland, which is to the south of Pennsylvania, to the north of Virginia and to the east of West Virginia. It is also along the eastern coast of the United States of America. The city of Baltimore is particularly nearby the areas of Glen Burnie, Columbia, Ellicott City and Nottingham, and further to the northeast are the cities of Wilmington and Philadelphia. Frederick and Hagerstown are to the northwest, while York and Harrisburg are found to the north. Annapolis is just south of Baltimore.

Many of the passengers arriving at Baltimore-Washington Airport are from the US, but a significant number are from international countries as well. Many passengers are also tourists, coming to explore the lovely city of Baltimore. Although it is not always considered as a major tourist city, it has many features that are enjoyed by sightseers. There are historical buildings of note, even one on the grounds of Baltimore-Washington Airport (the Benson Hammond House), and a number of interesting museums and attractions that the whole family will enjoy, such as the National Aquarium, the Maryland Zoo and the Maryland Science Centre. In general, the city is very attractive, and also features a number of lovely parks and gardens, which include the Robert East Lee Memorial Park and the Baltimore Conservatory and Botanic Gardens.

The Baltimore-Washington International Airport is the perfect place to arrive for access to the city, as frequent buses and trains run from the airport terminals. The light rail station of the airport is found just outside of Terminal E, the international terminal, and trains to downtown Baltimore are available every half an hour. There is also another station about a mile from the terminal buildings, from where MARC trains and Amtrak trains are available for travel to many of the surrounding areas. Shuttle buses from the lower levels of the airport buildings provide free transport to the BWI Rail Station. From the lower levels as well, passengers can take public or private buses into the city, or to Washington and the other nearby counties, such as Annapolis. Taxis are considered as convenient as well, and will travel to all parts of Baltimore and even to further destinations, such as Washington, Gaithersburg, Ocean City, Bethesda and Philadelphia.

Arriving passengers who prefer to travel on their own can rent a car from one of the Baltimore-Washington International Airport car hire companies. They include Hertz, Budget, National, Alamo, Enterprise, Avis and Thrifty. The car hire companies are not found in the terminal buildings, but rather at their own location along Stoney Run Road and New Ridge Road. There are shuttle buses for the transport of passengers to this location, and the journey will take about ten minutes. The shuttles are found outside of the baggage reclaim areas, and are available every ten minutes. Quality vehicles can be hired from any of these companies. There are small and large sedan models available, as well as SUVs, minivans, passenger vans and luxury cars. A rented car is recommended for travelling the surrounding areas of the city, or for travel to further destinations, as the city centre of Baltimore can be hard to navigate. There are also limited parking spaces available in this area. Washington, D.C and the surrounding areas such as Silver Spring are about a forty-five minute drive from the airport, and Alexandria can be reached in about an hour. In less than two hours of driving, motorists are able to reach Hagerstown, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Harrisburg, Wilmington, Martinsburg and York. A trip to Philadelphia will take just over two hours.

Concourse E of Baltimore-Washington Airport handles all international arrivals, except those from airports with US-border preclearance facilities, such as Toronto in Canada. The airline companies that arrive at this building include Air Canada Express, AirTran Airways, British Airways and Bahamasair. It is officially named as the Governor William Donald Schaefer International Terminal. All other concourses of the airport, of which there are four, are used for domestic arrivals, and are served by the airline companies of Cape Air, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and United Express. Passengers can travel to Baltimore-Washington Airport from the international destinations of London, Frankfurt, Toronto (Canada) and Cancun in Mexico, and from many local destinations, including Phoenix, Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle/Tacoma, Houston and Orlando.

The BWI Airport is completely accessible to disabled passengers, with lift-equipped buses, dedicated parking spaces, elevators, pavement ramps and adequate restroom facilities. There are services for the visually impaired as well, and telecommunication devices for individuals with hearing impairments. Wheelchairs may also be borrowed, and further assistance can be arranged with the airline company concerned. The concourses of the airport are equipped with free Wi-Fi connections, currency exchange and banking facilities, many shops and restaurants as well as many other useful amenities.

Contact the airport for more information, or search for live Baltimore-Washington International Airport arrival schedules online. At the airport, there are information desks available, and airport volunteers who are willing to provide assistance with arrival procedures and ground transportation.