When planning a trip to Washington DC, it can be difficult to know which airport you should fly to. There are three airports that serve the Washington D. C. metropolitan area: Reagan (DCA), Dulles (IAD), and Marshall Airport (BWI).
Each airport has its own unique features and advantages, so it's important to consider all of them before booking your next flight. In this article, I'll discuss the pros and cons of each airport and provide some tips on what to consider before booking your next flight. Before leaving, you must pack a suitcase. But which luggage is best for Washington DC? We recommend that you pack a backpack the size of your hand suitcase to facilitate transportation through any airport.
Pack everything you need without having to check in a suitcase. That means carrying a travel backpack the size of the hand suitcase. It tends to have a somewhat unpredictable climate, so you'll want a bag that can withstand whatever nature throws at it. That means you need a backpack that's water resistant and very durable.
In my experience, no other bag meets these requirements as perfectly as the Turtle travel backpack. Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to the city center and is mostly used for business trips. Security is more stringent than at other airports in the region, but this is good as it ensures efficient security for both passengers and airlines. The downside is that DCA only has domestic flights (plus a couple to Canada) and tends to be more expensive than IAD or BWI. If you want to fly to an international destination through DCA, you'll need to transfer, probably in Atlanta, New York or Los Angeles. Dulles International Airport (IAD) is further away from the city center but offers more nonstop routes to international destinations.
Security and customs control are fairly quick, especially since IAD has all of the accelerated customs programs Global Entry, CLEAR and Mobile Passport. The downside is that most of the IAD routes are domestic. Marshall Airport (BWI) is located on the north side of D. C., making it only worth it if you come from that side or are willing to take a train from Union Station. Fortunately, you can find some cheap flights on BWI budget airlines, and it often wins in terms of affordability. Having a large number of airports is considered an advantage of a big city in Washington, as well as in New York, London and other major hubs.
However, if there are more options, you are more likely to be at one airport while your flight boards one of the other two. Now is the time to book your flight and pack your travel bag. Carry everything you need without checking in a suitcase.
