Baltimore City Guide - Getting Around

Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA) (tel: 410 539 5000; website: www.mtamaryland.com), operates a Light Rail system, the Metro Subway, local buses and the commuter railway MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter between Baltimore and Washington, DC).

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, and 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. The Lexington Market and Charles Center stations are within walking distance of the Inner Harbor area.

Buses are frequent and an easy means of getting around the city for sightseeing, although visiting several points might involve many bus changes.

Taxis can be hailed on the street, found from taxi ranks and booked by telephone. They are particularly convenient for accessing specific locations in the Downtown area, where driving a car can be very frustrating. Yellow Cab (tel: (410) 752 1096) and Atwater Cab (tel: (410) 682 2100) are two of the main operators. Taxis (‘cabs’) are metered. Hotel staff and taxi drivers will be able to provide a fairly accurate idea of current fares to main tourist destinations. Tipping of approximately 15% is generally expected.

Baltimore’s water taxi service provides an excellent and cheap way for visitors to see the whole Inner Harbor area, as well as other districts such as Little Italy, Fells Point and Federal Hill. The service is operated by Harbor Boating (tel: (410) 563 3901 or 1 800 658 8947; website: www.thewatertaxi.com). It is more like a bus service than a taxi service, as there are several different routes, serving 35 attractions and various key districts. In summer, the water taxis also go out to Fort McHenry National Monument.

Driving is not recommended in the Downtown area, 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 closer to the central area. Tourists will mostly be visiting these central districts, around the Inner Harbor area, which can be achieved without a car. Nevertheless, a car can be of use for out-of-the-way and out-of-town attractions.

At traffic lights, unless otherwise specified, a right turn on red is permitted after making a complete stop. At crossroads with no lights, the car to the right has the 'right of way’. At a junction, a flashing amber light means ‘be prepared to stop’. A flashing red means ‘stop’ and proceed on a first-come, first-go basis. Cars must stop for all pedestrians crossing the street.

A foreign driving licence, provided it is in English, is valid in Baltimore, although an International Driving Permit is also a good idea, as this carries a photograph. Optional CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) insurance is always recommended if not already covered by the driver’s own policy. There is a minimum driving age ranging from 21 to 25.

Referred to as ‘car rental’, most of the major companies are available in Baltimore. These include Alamo (tel: (410) 850 0199 or 1 800 327 9633; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (410) 859 1680 or 1 800 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (410) 276 7266 or 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 4000; website: www.dollar.com), Hertz (tel: (410) 850 7400 or 1 800 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com), National (tel: (410) 850 0199 or 1 800 328 4567; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: (410) 850 7139 or 1 800 367 2277; website: www.thrifty.com).

Light Street Cycles, 1015 Light Street (tel: (410) 685 2234; website: www.lightstcycles.com) hires out bicycles, but the facility is not open on Sunday. Children’s bicycles are also available, as are accessory items, such as child trailers, vehicle racks and cycle luggage racks. Bike Baltimore, 1001 Fell Street (tel: (410) 342 2004; website: www.bikebaltimore.com), does both bike rentals and cycle tours.