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| Home - City Guide - Baltimore - Getting Around | ||
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Getting Around Public Transport Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA), 6 St Paul Street (tel: (410) 539 5000; website: www.mtamaryland.com), operates a light rail system, the Metro Subway, the commuter railway MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) and town buses. An all-day pass is valid for all MTA transport and costs US$3. There is also a weekly pass for US$14. Single fares are US$1.35, payable by the exact cash, token or pre-paid ticket. Any express service costs an extra US$0.35. Tickets for all methods of transport can be purchased at the point of entry. The light rail connects the centre to the northern and southern suburbs, running parallel in the downtown areas to Howard Street, with convenient stops for the plush Mount Vernon district, Lexington Market area, the cultural area around Cathedral Street and Oriole Park. The Metro Subway is clean and fast but has limited stops. It runs from the northwest of the city and then west to east across downtown. Its Lexington Market and Charles Center stations are within walking distance of the Inner Harbor area. Trains run 0500-2400 weekdays and 0800-2400 Saturdays and only operate on Sundays for Oriole home baseball matches. MARC serves the commuter corridor between Baltimore and Washington, DC. Buses are frequent and an easy means of getting around the city for sightseeing; although visiting several points can involve many changes of bus. Driving in the City In the downtown area, driving is not recommended, not only because of the busy one-way streets but also because of the cost and difficulty of parking. There is some street parking with meters, which take a combination of small change, although 'quarters' (25 cents) are the most useful. The time available per quarter decreases as the streets become nearer the central area. Tourists will mostly be visiting the central districts, around the Inner Harbor area, which can be done without a car. A car can be of use for out-of-the-way and out-of-town attractions. At traffic lights, it is possible to turn right even if the light is actually on red, providing that there is no approaching traffic and no signs specifically prohibit this. Pedestrians crossing do have the right of way, however. A junction may have flashing traffic lights are flashing - flashing amber means slow down and be prepared to stop before proceeding; flashing red means stop before proceeding as the intersection has become a first-come, first-go junction. Crossroads with no lights also work on a first-come, first-go basis. Taxis Taxis can be hailed on the street, from taxi ranks and booked by telephone. They are particularly convenient for being dropped at specific locations in the downtown area, where driving a car would be very frustrating. Yellow Cab (tel: (410) 685 1212) and Atwater Cab (tel: (410) 682 2100) are two of the main operators. Taxis ('cabs') are metered. Hotels and taxi drivers will be able to provide a fairly accurate idea of current fares to main tourist destinations, although there is often a higher minimum fare from a hotel. The normal minimum fare on the meter is US$1.40. Tipping of around 15% is generally expected. Water Taxis This service provides an excellent and cheap way to visit the whole Inner Harbor area, as well as other districts, such as Little Italy, Fells Point and Federal Hill. The Water Taxi service is operated by Harbor Boating (tel: (410) 563 3901 or (800) 658 8947, toll free USA and Canada; website: www.thewatertaxi.com). It is more like a bus service than a taxi service as there are several different routes, which serve 35 attractions and various key districts. In summer, the taxi service also goes out to Fort McHenry National Monument. A ticket costs US$5 and is for all-day unlimited use and also offers discounts to attractions. Narrated tours and charters are also available. The ordinary service runs every 10-20 minutes April-October and roughly every 45 minutes for the rest of the year. The operating hours are 1000-2300 weekdays, 1000-2400 Saturdays and 1000-2100 Sundays. Limousines There are several luxury car operators. The main operators are Aristocrat Limousine Service (tel: (410) 682 2346), Beverly Hills Limo Inc (tel: (410) 747 0893), Dynasty Limousines Inc (tel: (410) 426 0110), Gold Crest Limousine Service (tel: (410) 922 5466), Harford Limousine Corporation (tel: (410) 426 7780), M & B Limousine Service (tel: (410) 536 5222), Royal Coach Service (tel: (410) 566 3600) and Towson Sedan Service (tel: (410) 321 1212). Rates vary according to the size of the limousine, the time of day and whether it is a weekend or not; from US$50 per hour to around US$85 per hour. Car Hire Referred to as 'car rental', most of the major companies are available in Baltimore: Alamo (tel: (410) 850 5011 or (800) 327 9633), Avis (tel: (410) 859 1680 or (800) 331 1212), Budget (tel: (410) 859 0850 or (800) 527 0700), Dollar (tel: (410) 859 5600 or (800) 800 4000), Hertz (tel: (410) 850 7400 or (800) 654 3131), National (tel: (410) 859 8860 or (800) 328 4567), Thrifty (tel: (410) 859 1136 or (800) 367 2277). Rates start at around US$60 per day, US$430 per week, with a minimum driving age ranging from 21 (Thrifty) to 25 (Hertz). These rates do not include taxes and insurance. |
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