The catch is can you find parking at METRO at that time of day. You would be hooking up with the Red Line most likely btw. I know the Orange Line In MD has plentiful parking but not sure about the Red Line stops. The Red line stops at DuPont Circle so that is your best bet.

Driving into DC and trying to park is just not fun if you dont know the city well so I echo what the other posters have said about timing.

Hope is all works out for you..!

If I have an appointment during the week at 10:00am what time should i leave the bwi area...Thanks for any help from the board.

I would leave by 7 am. Traffic is heavy southbound in the am and then you have the normal congestion in the city.  I know three hours early sounds extreme, but traffic here is a bitch.

If driving, I'd leave 2 hours early. It takes about an hour without traffic. If there's an accident, weather delay, construction, or if some drunk idiot spun out of control and holds up traffic, expect the time extending to twice the normal commute.

With Train/Subway, I would still give it about 2 hours early. Depends on which BWI area you're in but MARC doesn't service all areas every 10 minutes. Some are more like every hour and if you miss the train you're shit out of luck and have to wait another hour to catch the next one.

1) check into a hotel the night before at Dupont Circle
2) arrive at your nearest Metro station between 7 and 8 am and take the train, link attached

Kick it back an hour, or better yet two hours, and you'll save yourself a ton of aggravation. Leave yourself twenty minutes or so to hunt for a space back in the neighborhoods. Be patient, you'll find something.

You don't say if you intend to drive or use public transport.  The quickest, and probably easiest way is to take the MARC train from BWI to Union Station.  Then catch the Red Line metro to Dupont Circle.  Understand that the north escalators are out of service at Dupont.  

Look at the time tables for the Marc train and then guage it from there.

OKI

The total ride time from BWI to Union station via the MARC train is only about 20-25 mins.  And the total ride time from Union Station to Dupont is about 25-30 mins.  If you gauge it properly(as OKI stated), you could arrive in just about an hour or so.

There is a parking garage right by the place I'm going to that let me in last time. I'm hoping for more of that luck this time

Thanks everyone for the help!!!

Airplanes are much faster. Why not just take a flight from BWI to DCA raegan airport?

Should get there within no time...


Seriously, if you're going there by car... google the traffic first right before leaving and then pick out the lease congested highway. Saves a LOT of time.

As a BMore resident myself, I avoid the DC beltway at all costs during the week.  It's even worse if you are trying to get downtown.

With no traffic, you are probably looking at an 45 minute drive BWI to Dupont.  With traffic, it will be at least 2 hours.  

So why not do the MARC train and red line as someone suggested?  It'll take half the time.  The money you spend on the train will be countered by the money not spent on gas and parking.  Plus you can relax on the trip, instead of stress about possibly being late.