IPC8: SouthWest Airlines Internet specials

[Jeremy Hylton]

>>>>> "SM" == Skip Montanaro <skip at mojam.com> writes:

  Jeremy> Everyone planning to fly to the conference should consider
  Jeremy> flying through BWI.  I have flown from BWI to San Jose and
  Jeremy> San Francisco a few times this year, each time for about
  Jeremy> $200.  Flights through BWI are often cheaper than flights
  Jeremy> from Dulles or National.

  SM> If you're on a budget and might like to get away without renting
  SM> a car, don't forget to figure in the cost of ground transport
  SM> into the total equation.  For IPC1 I flew into BWI and found the
  SM> metro didn't go there.  Not real convenient.  At least with
  SM> National you've got a Metro station nearby.

Good point!  It is possible to take public transportation, but it
isn't easy.  I just talked to a woman at the hotel about how to get
there from BWI and they recommended a taxi, with an estimated cost of
$50-$60.  She also mentioned a company called "1-800-BLUE-VAN" that
might offer a shuttle bus to the hotel; she was vague on details, but
it sounds like we have at least a phone number.

We also discussed two possibilities using public transportation.

You can take the commuter rail from BWI to Union Station in DC, and
get on the DC Metro (subway) from there.  The train ticket costs $5,
and the ride is about 20 minutes; check the schedule for departure
times.  There is a shuttle bus at the airport between the terminal
and the rail station.

If you took a cab to the hotel from Union Station, it would probably
cost around $15.

You could also take the Metro to the Rossyln stop, which is
two-and-a-half blocks from the hotel.  If you get there before 7:30pm,
the hotel runs a shuttle service that will take you the last leg.

There are Web pages for the commuter rail --
    http://www.mtamaryland.com/marc/marc_fare.htm
-- and the subway --
    http://www.wmata.com/

  SM> All that said, I don't know how convenient the conference
  SM> location is to public transport.  Jeremy, Guido, and other
  SM> locals (yikes! Guido's a local now?) can probably give a summary
  SM> of that sort of thing.

I hope that helps.  I don't know the area around the hotel, though;
perhaps some other local can fill in details if you've got more
questions.

I think the local travel between Dulles and National airports is a lot
simpler, although there is no public transportation that reaches
Dulles.  I'm fairly certain there are shuttle buses that get into DC
for a reasonable price, and a cab would be fairly inexpensive.

Jeremy