An Airport for the Crabbiest Travelers
Written: Mar 08 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clean. New. Good amenities. Good prices.
Cons: None encountered.
The Bottom Line: An nice airport on it's way to being first class. Easy connections and good prices.
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| gonow's Full Review: Baltimore Washington International Airport |
Crabs-R-Us. Somewhere between the 15-foot glass crustacean and the mini crabcake appetizers at CK’s Restaurant, I got the message: Maryland is famous for crabs, and the Baltimore-Washington International Airport is determined that you know that Maryland is famous for crabs. The souvenir shops are packed with images of crabs on everything from aprons to shotglasses. Take home a wind-up crab for the kid and an “I`ve Got Crabs” T-shirt for that obnoxious co-worker who pestered you to bring back something from your trip.
Moving upmarket, you can also get some fresh crabmeat to go that comes neatly packaged in a stay-cool Styrofoam and plastic box that is welcome aboard the airplane. For the arts and crafty types the giant glass crab near the “Friendship Center” is certainly impressive. A nice bit of eye candy as you while away the time before takeoff.
Why BWI? I was in BWI in January waiting for a flight to London. Normally when I am in the Washington, DC area I fly into Dulles, but cheaper airfare and better ground transportation led me to opt for BWI. I saved thirty percent off my ticket by choosing BWI over Dulles this time, and that alone would keep me coming back, but the Amtrak connection is what really sealed the deal for me.
All-Aboard BWI is accessible via Amtrak train, thus allowing travelers a reasonably priced, independent alternative to an expensive taxi ride or big favor from a friend. Since I was visiting Richmond, Virginia, (an Amtrak stop), it was a cinch for my friend to drop me at the train station there. Sure beats the long drive from his place to Dulles.
Amtrak’s BWI station is about a mile from the airport. Amtrak permits a suitcase on board as long as it will fit in the overhead rack. Mine was large – about 2 feet by 3 feet – and it fit. Be aware of when your stop is coming up, though. Amtrak gives you about two to three minutes to get off the train, so you need to have your suitcase down before the train pulls into the station. Our train started pulling away before we even cleared the platform.
I stepped off the train and walked straight ahead to where a shuttle clearly marked “Amtrak” was waiting next to a parking garage. The shuttle is free to those holding an Amtrak ticket. Once it departed we were at the airport within five minutes. It stops at each airline in the terminal. The shuttle schedule is a bit quirky. It runs 24 hours. It runs every 10 minutes from 5 AM to 9:40 AM, and from 3:50 PM to 7:40 PM. Outside of those hours it runs every 20 minutes. Amtrak provided this information to me when I sent them an email inquiry. As of this writing, it was posted on neither the BWI nor the Amtrak website.
Got six hours? Go to the airport! Well, no, not really, but as circumstances had it that’s how much time I had until my flight. BWI is undergoing a major expansion, and I feared that I would be spending my time in a drinkless, foodless cloud of cement dust, but the construction areas were neatly walled off and plenty of shops and restaurants were open.
There were a few places to buy books and magazines, several gift shops, the usual airport smattering of gourmet coffee and fast food places, as well as a decent lounge and mid-scale restaurant. Restrooms were clean and modern, and everything seems to be built with the thought that people are carrying luggage. Plenty of space around the tables in the restaurant, plenty of room in the lounges to maneuver.
The Observation Gallery If you have time to kill, the Observation Gallery is worth a look. A curved row of comfortable chairs face a floor-to-ceiling glass wall from where you can watch planes taking off and landing. A real cross-section of a fuselage and cockpit, sealed in plexiglass, dominates the area. A curved walkway takes you through a gallery of airplane and airport history. There is a bar and a souvenir shop on this level as well. The Observation Gallery is accessible by stairs or elevator.
Drinks and Nibbles We decided to relax with a drink after our arduous tour of the Observation Gallery, and settled into CK’s lounge. It appeared to be the only smoking area in the airport, judging by the way people were puffing away with abandon. Woody the bartender promptly served us up a couple of excellent bloody marys. Free poured. Love that. Spicy? Yes, please. Woody was so pleasant that we parked there a while, chatting with the barman and taking in some close-captioned TV on the big screen.
CK’s Restaurant is right next door to the lounge, and smoke-free. We escaped the burgeoning carcinogenic clouds and sat at the restaurant for some light fare. We split an order of miniature crab cakes, and a bowl of lobster bisque. The crab cakes were delightful. Much more crab than breading and seasoned with a kick. Fresh and tasty. The bisque was very good, but had an undercurrent of something processed in it. A complete list of eateries and shops in BWI can be found at the airport’s website, www.bwiairport.com.
www.bwiairport.com The official website for BWI is a bit cumbersome and slow-loading, but they mean well, and if you dig around enough there is information aplenty.
I found the most useful information to be under the Customer Service heading. Click on Terminal Map to get a layout of the airport. Click on BWI Stores to get a listing of shops and restaurants.
BWI Airport has all the conveniences of any basic large airport. The competitive prices and easy accessibility make it an attractive alternative to Dulles.
Some helpful contacts:
www.bwiairport.com
www.amtrak.com
BWI Rail Station: 410-672-6167
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
gonow
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Member: Suzanne Miller
Location: Amsterdam
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
There ought to be at least one round state--George Carlin
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