Transportation

Getting to and from campus

It is not necessary to own a car in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to get around. There is a good public transportation system covering the area, including buses, subway, and trains. Take a look at Off Campus Housing's website for area transportation.

The UM campus is large and it can take a while to become familiar with different parts of campus. Refer to the UM campus map for help in navigating your way around campus.

If you do own a car, or plan to own a car, www.mapquest.com or http://maps.yahoo.com might be helpful for driving directions. If you need to register your car in Maryland, visit the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration's website. To get a Maryland driver's license, go to the exchanging an out-of-country license for a Maryland Driver's License page. Also, check out Off Campus-Housing's website for directions to the MVA.

Public Transportation

Shuttle-UM

The University of Maryland, College Park operates a free commuter shuttle service for students, faculty and staff of the campus. You must show a valid UMCP ID to ride. Spouses and visiting scholars or faculty may be able to ride the shuttle for a small fee with special Department of Transportation permission. Please contact the University of Maryland Department of Transportation for more information. (301-314-2255)

Metro - Washington, DC Metro Area

The Washington, DC metro area has an extensive bus and subway system run by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Metrobus and the Metrorail (the subway) extend well into Montgomery and Prince George's counties. You are not allowed to eat or drink on the bus or metro or in the stations, and the law is strictly enforced. Rides start at $1.35 for Metrorail and increase in price the farther you go and during rush hour. Metrobus costs $1.20. You can call (202) 637-7000 for ride information, but you will probably be put on hold for some time. A better bet is to visit their website. Enter your beginning and end points and the time you wish to arrive or leave and they will give you directions.

The University of Maryland is located on the green line, College Park/UM metro stop. You can take the Shuttle-UM, a taxi, or walk about 15 minutes to the campus.

TheBus - Prince George's County

TheBus is the name of the bus system in Prince George's County, and operates in cooperation with WMATA. The number 17 bus goes to UMCP, Langley Park and IKEA, and there are many other bus lines to transport you throughout the community. Visit TheBus website for maps, fares and schedules.

Ride On - Montgomery County

Montgomery County has its own bus system, which also operates in cooperation with WMATA, called Ride On. Visit RideOn's website for maps, fares and schedules.

MARC Trains

These trains are operated by the Maryland Transit Authority, and are mostly used by commuters in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. MARC is a cheap option to get to downtown Baltimore, but it doesn't run on the weekend. MARC trains also run to BWI Airport, but it might be cheaper to take the Metrobus from the Greenbelt metro station. Check out the MARC website for fares and schedules.

Amtrak

Traveling cross-country by train is no longer very popular in the United States, mostly because of the cost, but if it sounds appealing, Amtrak is the country's leading railroad. Amtrak goes to and from BWI Airport from Washington, DC's Union Station, but MARC is much cheaper. Amtrak's website has lots of information about schedules, routes and fares throughout the United States. Click on Routes, and under Browse by Region, click on Northeast for this area's information.

Taxis

Taxis are not the cheapest mode of transportation in the United States, but are convenient and fast. Taxis in Maryland and Virginia are metered, which means you will pay for each mile driven. In Washington, DC, the city is divided into zones, and you pay by the number of zones you pass through. Tipping taxi drivers (10-20%) is expected.

Taxi companies in the College Park area:
Greenbelt Taxi Service: (301) 441-8400
Ontime Transportation Incorporated: (301) 474-6111
Langley Park Taxi: (301) 559-0000
Silver Cab: (301) 341-5140

Airports

There are three large airports in the Washington metro area: BWI, Ronald Reagan National and Dulles. When you are searching for a flight online, you can enter WAS for the airport code to search all three airports at the same time.

BWI Airport (Baltimore-Washington International)
Located in Maryland, this is the closest airport to College Park, and many airlines fly in and out of BWI daily. The airport code is BWI.

To College Park from BWI:
Catch the BWI Express from BWI Airport. There are two WMATA Bus Stops. One is located on the lower level of the International Pier and the other stop is located on the lower level of Concourse A/B. The B30 will pick you up outside at the bus shelter. Follow the signs that say Public Transit. This will take you to the Greenbelt metro stop. From there you can take the green line to the College Park-U of MD metro stop. At the College Park stop, you can take a taxi or Shuttle-UM to get to campus. Click here for directions by car.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Also known as Reagan National or just National, this airport is very close to downtown DC and is the only airport located on the Metrorail system. It is located in Virginia, on the blue and yellow lines, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stop. The airport code is DCA.

Getting from National to College Park:
Take the yellow Metrorail line in the direction of Mt. Vernon Square/7th St. Convention Center. Transfer at Gallery Place/Chinatown to the green line in the direction of Greenbelt and get off at College Park-U of MD. From there you can take a taxi or Shuttle-UM to get to campus. Click here for directions by car

Washington Dulles International Airport
Located in Dulles, Virginia, Dulles Airport (or just Dulles) is about 26 miles from downtown DC. The airport code is IAD.

Getting from Dulles to College Park:
Purchase a ticket at the Washington Flyer Coach ticket counter located at Arrivals Door #4 in the Main Terminal. Travelers will also board the bus from this location. The buses depart approximately every 30 minutes but please listen for announcements for exact bus departure times. The bus will take you to the West Falls Church Metro stop, on the orange line. Take the train in the direction of New Carrollton. Transfer at Gallery Place/Chinatown to the green line in the direction of Greenbelt and get off at College Park-U of MD. From there you can take a taxi or Shuttle-UM to get to campus.
Click here for directions by car