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How did you get there/how are you getting there next year?


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  • 3 weeks later...
#8 bus to Lutherville light rail, then to a hotel. Yes, I live that close and I still stay in a hotel. And?

Though last year I did a lot of Thursday back-and-forth because I had to take the train all the way down to BWI to intercept a friend.

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Every year my friends and I make the epic road trip down from central Maine. Every year, I drink more redbull than a human being should in order to avoid dying in a terrible car crash. Every year, upon coming back home from the con, I declare "NEVER AGAIN! We're flying next year!" And every year, we pile into the car all over again. =D

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Let's see, for all the years I've gone:

2003 - Parents drove

2004 - Parents drove

2005 - Lightrail every day

2007 - Lightrail in, stayed at hotel

2008 - Drive in (takes about 30 minutes), parking at hotel, staying

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Let's see, get on the NE Extension of the PA Turnpike @ Lansdale, Turnpike ends and I continue to follow I-476 (the Blue Route) to I-95. Head south to Baltimore (I take I-495 around Wilmington though). Unless I his some ungodly traffic, I should be there in well under three hours. Last year it was just me and my wife, though my sister-in-law has come with us before. Never a problem with cosplay, luggage, and passengers because I never have owned a small car.

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driving from pa. luckily i have a tom tom in my car so i shouldnt get lost.

Where from PA? We're driving from Harrisburg.

I fell like a real schlub in comparison to all of you who are flying. That's some major dedication.

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13 +!! Where do you live? Erie?

Nah, way up in Maine. The exact geographic middle of nowhere. Stephen King territory. =0

I'd walk on bloody stumps through the snow to get to Otakon, though. It's my Mecca!

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Haha, yeah, well we have PortConMaine, which is a lot of fun. But Otakon is my big con. It's way too much fun to miss, and since my friends and I have gone from being starving college students to starving artists, we still go by car. =0

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was the driver for my group of friends. From Southeast Pennsylvania down I-95 Thursday afternoon. They were doing road construction, so the road was REALLY torn up, plus it rained, and my car overheated as we got to Baltimore. The ride back was worse. Apparently a hose connected to the radiator started leaking. We managed to find a repair shop at the Sunoco at a rest stop on the way back.

For 2008, we're doing the same exact thing, and instead of rooming at a hotel, we're staying at a friend's place instead.

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It's me and 2 others(My fiancee and 1 of my best friends) taking Greyhound. We are splitting the total for the 3 round tickets(because 1 ticket got the "companion" discount) so it's only $30 a person :) and the times I got were exactly the times I wanted...maybe off by 15-20 minutes, and the ride itself should only be about 2 or 2 1/2 hours. :)

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If you are traveling to otakon via Washington, DC you can try this:

1. metro - travel along the GREEN line and get off at the GREENBELT stop

2. bus - at the GREENBELT stop there is the B30 bus right outside. That goes to the BWI airport and it's $3. [advice: make sure you have EXACTLY $3]

3. B30 bus drops you off at the LIGHTRAIL at BWI.

4. Take the LIGHTRAIL, which stops right across the street from the BCC

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I'll be getting a ride courtesy of my brother, my step dad, and my mom.

YAY FOR BEING THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO DRIVE!

And for living in North Eastern PA. I'm not too close, and not too far. :3

Edited by Krissay-face
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If you are traveling to otakon via Washington, DC you can try this:

1. metro - travel along the GREEN line and get off at the GREENBELT stop

2. bus - at the GREENBELT stop there is the B30 bus right outside. That goes to the BWI airport and it's $3. [advice: make sure you have EXACTLY $3]

3. B30 bus drops you off at the LIGHTRAIL at BWI.

4. Take the LIGHTRAIL, which stops right across the street from the BCC

Alternatively, take the Metro to Union Station (fare depends), take the MARC Camden Line (not Amtrak) train to Camden Yards ($7). BCC is right there, done.

Edited by Duelistbluerose
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I've driven every year since 2004. I'm driving this time too, it's only 600 miles from central Kentucky. If I leave at 1am I'll get there by about 930.
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The problem with taking the MARC from Union station is that it only runs 3 times a day. I called and thats what they told me. If you miss the MARC you're screwed. at least with taking the bus/train you'll know that it'll take about an hour to travel from washington, dc to baltimore. its not that bad of a commute and doesnt take that long - even if it seems crazy
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Usually my boyfriend drives myself, my sister, and someone else down. We only live 10 minutes away. We park at the same garage every year which is about 7/day, and is only a block from the BCC. Mmmmyep.

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I was the driver for my group of friends. From Southeast Pennsylvania down I-95 Thursday afternoon. They were doing road construction, so the road was REALLY torn up, plus it rained, and my car overheated as we got to Baltimore. The ride back was worse. Apparently a hose connected to the radiator started leaking. We managed to find a repair shop at the Sunoco at a rest stop on the way back.

For 2008, we're doing the same exact thing, and instead of rooming at a hotel, we're staying at a friend's place instead.

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The problem with taking the MARC from Union station is that it only runs 3 times a day. I called and thats what they told me. If you miss the MARC you're screwed. at least with taking the bus/train you'll know that it'll take about an hour to travel from washington, dc to baltimore. its not that bad of a commute and doesnt take that long - even if it seems crazy

No, you're NOT screwed.

That "3 trains a day" is ONLY for the Camden Line, and that's three trains each rush hour, morning and afternoon. The Camden Line is the one that drops you next to the BCC.

If you should miss the Camden Line trains, you can just pop on to the MARC Penn Line trains, and they will scoot you up to Baltimore's Penn Station for the same $7. From there, it's another $1.60 on the Light Rail down to the BCC.

All of this is covered in excruciating detail in our "All Roads Lead To Otakon" website, accessible from Otakon's home page via the "Directions" tab/button.

But remember, that gets you to Baltimore Thursday or Friday. MARC doesn't run Saturday or Sunday. If you gotta get home, you can reverse the Metro/B30 bus/Light Rail route described above.

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Is a long way for me. Being my first time there my plan is to go from Peru to Washington to spend vacations at Virginia at a friend's house and stay there for a month. After that I've no idea how we are going to the convention center, probably trough Union Station and then stay in a hotel those 3 days. I return to Peru on august the 14th ^^.

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Is a long way for me. Being my first time there my plan is to go from Peru to Washington to spend vacations at Virginia at a friend's house and stay there for a month. After that I've no idea how we are going to the convention center, probably trough Union Station and then stay in a hotel those 3 days. I return to Peru on august the 14th ^^.
Edited by Otaku Ru
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Is a long way for me. Being my first time there my plan is to go from Peru to Washington to spend vacations at Virginia at a friend's house and stay there for a month. After that I've no idea how we are going to the convention center, probably trough Union Station and then stay in a hotel those 3 days. I return to Peru on august the 14th ^^.

-jawdrop- PERU?

Niiiice.

Always great to meet those faithful con-goers that hop a few lakes (god, I have terrible knowledge of this world's countries) go great lengths to get here.

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Glad other people have to really travel, but crud, 25 hours from Winnipeg to Baltimore by car? I'm really glad I flew now. Still took all day one way, but only 5 hours in the air. :blink: It's the main thing that's making me wonder if I can come this year.

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  • 1 month later...

I flew down. I know it sounds ridiculous seeing as I live in Connecticut, but my friend who I would have carpooled down with backed out on me like a month before Otakon last year (my first con ever btw) and my mom had a fit! I might have been 21 at the time but she worried about me driving there all by myself, worried that my car (that ISN'T the best car) might break down and I'd be stranded AND alone, so she insisted I fly down. I love to fly anyway and it was nice to be able to just fly down and settle into my room and once con was over fly back with my mom waiting at the airport to take me home. I was so exhausted after the weekend it was nice not to really have to think about anything but a gate number and a time.

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This year me and my friends have decided to drive 15 minutes to the Cromwell light rail station in the morning, take the light rail back to pick up our luggage when we can check in, and have someone pick up the SUV. I'm getting picked up from the convention on Sunday to head to the shore but my friends are hoping the light rail back and driving the 15 minutes back

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From Cleveland I just get on the Ohio Turnpike which turns into the PA Turnpike which turns into I-70. It's a roughly 6 to 7 hour trip depending on how fast and how much extra gasoline I want to burn.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Last year, we drove. Including myself, it was five of us in a Dodge stratus.

It was a 16 hour drive, from Missouri to Maryland. The drive there was pretty awesome. The drive home, not so much since it was time to leave all that goodness.

One epic roadtrip a lifetime is enough for me. :P Returning to my hometown for such an event made it all worth it.

This year, we're flying. About five of us, yet again.

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I live in glorious Hampden (in the city), so I will either be taking the light rail, or a car. Parking downtown sucks, but if I get an art table, I don't want to have to lug all that stuff onto the light rail.

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It actually might be cheaper to take planes, buses, and trains to the BCC since gas prices are going up and up. By the time summer rolls around gas is going to cost a first born child. Road trips to Baltimore may be out of the question for people that are far away. Im from Washington DC - 45 mins from Baltimore - and I am not even going to consider driving!

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Greyhound from Harrisburg PA. We usually take a taxi, since I did not know about the bus. Maybe we'll try the bus this time, since there are a number of fans who also take the bus. Then light rail to the BWI area hotel.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just checked the MTAmaryland.com page. @__@ I got lost with the new schedule. it says Penn station only works on weekdays? ot just the MARC line? @__@ (Or is there another line besides the marc one). I wanted to check the schedules because I can only stay from friday to saturday in baltimore (after that I'm hotel-less) so I was planning on returning late on saturday to washington and if I can back to baltimore sunday morning @.@ (I'm staying 40 miles away).

Penn Line

New schedule effective February 11, 2008!

MARC Train service operates on Monday through Friday ONLY.

Thanks for any clarification ^^"

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