Which airport should I choose, DCA or IAD?
I am coming from outside the US, Which airport should I choose, DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) or IAD (Washington Dulles International Airport)?
Details:
- I have two options DCA or IAD at the same cost.
- Destination: Washington DC.
Concerns:
- Availability of shuttles to downtown at reasonable prices (safety in mind, I would prefer shuttles managed by the airport or governmental entity)
- Less hassle (organized / convenient / easy processing upon arrival)
Best Answer
I live ~10 minutes from Dulles (IAD) and ~45 minutes from Reagan (DCA), and have flown in and out of both airports.
IAD is a more organized airport, but it's farther from the city. It may not seem like a great distance, but traffic here is the worst in the US. Traveling even short distances around here can take a long time, and cost a lot of money if you take a cab. The DC Metro doesn't yet reach to IAD, and you could take a shuttle, but that will add additional wait time.
If you plan to stay in a hotel before going to the center of DC, I recommend IAD because the hotels get cheaper the farther you go from DC, but otherwise you should go with DCA to save yourself some hassle.
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Which DC airport is better to fly into?
DCA is the best airport for flying into Washington, D.C. assuming plane tickets are equal at all three airports. If you're staying in Northeastern D.C. suburbs flying into Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) is more convenient.Is DCA the same as IAD?
There are three major airports in the Washington, DC region: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (airport code: DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (airport code: IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (airport code: BWI).Is IAD a good airport?
Dulles earned a score of 87.5 out of 100 based on factors including surveys from more than 3,000 frequent flyers, commute time from downtown, how efficient it is to clear security, quality of restrooms and how often flights depart on time.Which Washington DC Area Airport is Best? DCA, IAD, or BWI | Airfarewatchdog
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Answer 2
IAD is where most international flights arrive in, however if you don't mind making an extra connection to go to DCA you could perhaps connect through somewhere such as New York (JFK/LGA) or Philadelphia (PHL). Keep in mind there are no international flights that I know of going to DCA except Bermuda.
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