There are three major airports serving the Washington, DC metro area. The most convenient in terms of ease of ground transportation is Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) because it is served directly by the Metro (elevated/subway train). From DCA allow 1-hour by Metro to get to the American Inn or the NIH campus. Note: the Metro runs until about midnight most nights so if you arrive later for some reason you will have to take a cab to the hotel. This is usually not a problem because DCA doesn't allow flights to land after about 11:00pm.
From Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to the American Inn of Bethesda Hotel or NIH:
- Follow the M (Metro signs) in the airport to the Metro (Subway) station
- Take the Yellow Line (toward Mt. Vernon Sq/Convention Center) and transfer to the Red line (toward Grosvernor or Shady Grove) at Gallery Place/Chinatown or,
- Take the Blue Line (toward Largo Town Center) and transfer to the Red (toward Grosvernor or Shady Grove) at Metro Center
- Exit the Red Line at the Bethesda Station and walk 5 blocks north along Wisconsin Avenue to the American Inn of Bethesda which is on the west side of Wisconsin Ave.
- To get to NIH stay on the Red Line one more stop and exit at Medical Center which is the entry point to NIH.
Another option is Dulles International Airport (IAD), located about 20-miles west of NIH. Listed below are several options to get to the American Inn or NIH. Allow at least 90-minutes for travel.
- Washington Flyer Coach service to the West Falls Church Metro Stop (every 30 minutes) – take the Orange Line toward New Carrolton and transfer to the Red Line at Metro Center and follow the directions as listed for the Red Line from DCA.
- Super Shuttle (~$25 one way) - just tell the scheduler you are going to the American Inn, Bethesda
- Washington Flyer Taxi (~$50 one way) - the last resort due to the cost but if you arrive late at night it is ok to use it.
The last airport serving the DCA are is Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), located about 25-miles north of Bethesda and about 10-miles south of Baltimore. It is a good airport if you are interviewing at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore but a bit more complicated for getting to Bethesda than DCA or IAD. It is also a hub for Southwest Airlines if you like to fly the budget approach. The options for getting from BWI to the American Inn or NIH include:
- Super Shuttle (~$30 one way)
- Washington MTA bus (every 40 minutes) to the Greenbelt Metro stop – take the Green Line and transfer to the Red Line at Gallery Place/Chinatown, and follow the directions as listed for the Red Line fro DCA. The whole trip would take about 1.5-2-hours depending on connections.
- Airport Taxis (~$65 one way) - the last resort due to cost but if you come in late at night use this.
Another option, especially along the Northeast Corridor, is Amtrak. Cost is about the same as flying, however. You want to take the train to Union Station in DC where you can pick up the Metro Red Line as described above. Links to Amtrak, Super Shuttle, Washington Flyer Coach, and Metro are provided below.
Maps