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Old 08-18-2011, 05:39 AM
 
87 posts, read 204,081 times
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hi,
been looking for info for Amtrak access to the Columbia MD area--I gather the BWI station is served by the high speed trains and is the closest option . The station info I could find says there are rental car companies available. would anyone know if the rental car agents are at the rail (too easy?) or a car or shuttle ride away from the Amtrak station itself?
thanks,
W
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Old 08-18-2011, 06:46 AM
 
297 posts, read 1,273,153 times
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There are no rental car companies at or within walking distance of the train station.
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Old 08-18-2011, 06:54 AM
 
Location: The Triad
34,088 posts, read 82,920,234 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whirledpease View Post
...been looking for info for Amtrak access to the Columbia MD area--
Amtrak is the heavy interstate train network that runs all over the country.
From Columbia... you'll need to go to either Baltimore or DC to get on one.

Quote:
I gather the BWI station is served by the high speed trains
You gather wrong.

BWI is served by "Light Rail" and "Marc" trains only.
Conveniently these trains go to both Baltimore and DC where actual AMTRAK trains run.
But to describe either as anything even remotely like "high speed"... well, they aren't very fast.

Quote:
The station info I could find says there are rental car companies available.
Rental car companies have outlets all over (and will deliver cars too).
Their locations include airports but not too many train stations.

hth
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Old 08-18-2011, 09:09 AM
 
297 posts, read 1,273,153 times
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I have to disagree with Mr. Rational...while the Acela Express high speed trains don't stop at the BWI rail station, the station does serve the regular long distance Amtrak trains. My mother uses the regular Amtrak trains to visit us from Philly without any problems.

Also, the light rail does NOT stop at the BWI rail station. It only stops at the BWI airport, and then you would have to take a shuttle bus from the airport to the rail station.

So to sum it up...you can reach the BWI rail station using the regular Amtrak trains (not the Acela) and the MARC regional rail.

In order to reach the rental cars from the rail station, you would take the free shuttle bus from the rail station to the airport, and then another shuttle bus from the airport to the car rental agencies. Not the most direct way to do it, but it's doable.
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Old 08-18-2011, 09:13 AM
 
297 posts, read 1,273,153 times
Reputation: 127
Oh, I forgot to mention that there are always taxis at the rail station, so you could also take one of those to the car rental agencies directly.
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