Ping: DC area residents

[Anrhydeddu]

I'm starting to plan the details of the trip my brother and I are taking this summer to Virginia/Maryland. What I need to know is how long would it realistically take to go from the Mall in DC (assuming from a parking garage nearby) to downtown Baltimore (specifically Camden Yards)? We would leave no later than 3:00pm on a weekday. Do I assume correctly that if we want to leave the city in a timely manner, we would not want to leave later? Thanks.

[QuikSand]

I think you can plan on about 1:15 to make that trip, if you really start at 3pm. If you leave later, add more travel time - probably another 30-45 minutes if you left at 5pm instead.

If you're shooting for a 7pm ballgame at Camden Yards, then leaving DC at 3pm is probably wise - you should be able to settle in downtown for a little while before the game. Head for Baltimore's Inner Harbor area, which is within a semi-comfortable walk from the ballpark.

Most of the people I know, even posh yuppies with cars, when traveling into Baltimore for a ballgame, choose to ride on Light Rail. The comfortable train goes literally right up to Camden Yards, and you are spared the headache of messy parking. If you're driving out od DC, it might literally be worth your while to simply drive to one of the light rail stops, and park there and ride into town. Your call.

[dacman]

I would shoot for leaving DC a bit earlier than 3pm on a weekday, esp. Friday, just to be sure I'd miss the traffic. Traffic starts getting heavy around 3:30pm, typically.