Global Business Exchange Programs

Incoming Exchange Students: Pre-Arrival Guide

Temporary Housing & Arrival Information

Hotels:
When you arrive, you may need to stay in a hotel temporarily. The following are a few hotels within walking distance to the University of Maryland:

Comfort Inn / Park View Inn
9020 Baltimore Blvd.
College Park, MD
(301) 441-8110
www.comfortinn.com

Best Western Inn
8601 Baltimore Blvd.
College Park, MD
(301) 474-2800
www.bestwestern.com

Quality Inn
7200 Baltimore Blvd
College Park, MD
301)864-5820
www.choicehotels.com

Ramada Limited
9113 Baltimore Blvd.
College Park, MD
(301)345-4900
www.ramada.com

Other short-term housing
Alternative arrangements in the Washington Metropolitan area include the following:

  • Follin Guest House, 6801 Baltimore Blvd., College Park, MD, (301) 277-9633; Costs $35 per person per night or $135 per person per week.
  • International Guest House, 1441 Kennedy St., N.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 726-5808, www.bbchannel.com/bbc/p221277.asp; Costs $25 per person per night and $160 per person per week, with a two-week limit on occupancy.
  • Youth Hostels (AYH), 1009 11th St., N.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 737-5537, E-mail: dchostel@erols.com; Costs $19 for members and $22 for non-members.

Payments
Off-campus rental bills are due on a monthly basis. Before moving into a room or apartment, the first month's rent must be paid. A security deposit must also be paid immediately and is normally equal to one or two months of rent. You must have sufficient money available immediately upon arrival to cover the deposit and rent. It is very important for you to budget for this initial expense. For an average one-bedroom apartment, the first payment would be at least $1000 for a security deposit and first month's rent. Note that a substantially higher rent is charged for furnished and/or short-term leases on apartment units. In addition, you may be required to show sufficient income to lease an apartment. In this case, you can use your bank statement or 1-20 Form to verify your income.

Important: Before you sign a lease, be sure that you understand all the provisions and implications it contains. If you have questions, call the Student Legal Aid Office at (301) 405-5808 or bring a copy of the lease to the office in Room 1221 of the Stamp Union Building.

Scheduling your flights

Arriving by air...

There are three major airports that serve the Baltimore/Washington area:

Dulles International Airport: For general information call (703) 572-2700. You may take the WASHINGTON FLYER, telephone (703) 685-1400, to FALLS CHURCH metrorail station. 'Then take the Orange Line train towards NEW CARROLTON; transfer to the Red Line at METRO CENTER. The FLYER also goes to downtown Washington near the FARRAGUT NORTH metrorail station on the Red Line. From either location follow the directions below under "By Train" to get to College Park. Also, there are taxis running from the airport to College Park and the fare is approximately $55..

Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): For general information call (410) 859-7111. From BWI, there is an AIRPORT CONNECTION bus service that leaves for Greenbelt and the campus. This service requires reservations, which has to be made one day in advance by calling (301) 441-2345. The fare is $20 for a single traveler, but it is cheaper for more than one person travelling together. For more information, you can call 1-800-284-6066. In addition, there is a SUPER SHUTTLE that offers door to door transportation from College Park to BWI. For more information and reservations, call 1-800-BLUE VAN.

Washington National Airport: For general information call (703) 419-8000. From the airport, take the Blue Line train to METRO CENTER stop, or the Yellow Line train to the GALLERY PLACE stop. From either of those locations, transfer to the Red Line train in the direction of WHEATON. Then follow the directions listed below under "By Train." Moreover, the taxi fare from the airport to College Park is approximately $25. For ground transportation other than taxis, call the WASHINGTON FLYER at (703) 685-1400.

Arriving by train

The main Washington D.C. train station is called Union Station, and is near the U.S. Capitol building. It is a major train station and a hub for different train lines which arrive from all over the country. One can easily use the METRORAIL system from this location (on the Red Line) to College Park. The METRORAIL is the D.C. metropolitan subway system, which runs until midnight, seven days a week.

To get to the University of Maryland, you should board the Red Line train to the FORT TOTTEN stop, and transfer to the Green Line train in the direction of GREENBELT. However, if you are traveling during rush hours (6:00-9:30 a.m. and 3:00-8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday) you can take the Green Line train from either FARRAGUT NORTH station or UNION STATION or BROOKLAND station but not from FORT TOTTEN station. From either station, get off at the COLLEGE PARK station. Allow 30-50 minutes for travel from Union Station to the COLLEGE PARK station. When making transportation arrangements, be sure to specify which side of the station you wish to be picked up on. If you exit to the left, you will be on the east side. If you exit to the right and go back under the tracks, you will be on the west side closest to Route 1 and the campus. (This is the closest side for walking, which takes 20 minutes without luggage.)

You may use the following from the COLLEGE PARK station to campus:

1. TAXI CAB: It is a good idea to call a taxi about 30 minutes in advance since taxis are not always available and waiting for passengers. The ride to campus from COLLEGE PARK station will cost you around $5-7 plus tip depending on how much luggage you have. Bluebird and Yellow taxi-cab companies may be reached by calling (301) 864-7700.

2. METROBUS: Before you exit the Metrorail station, obtain a bus schedule or ask for help from the station attendant in the kiosk for current bus numbers, pick-up times, prices, and which side of the station to go for pick up. Metrobus schedules are also available on campus. For more information on METROBUS call (202) 637-7000.

3. SHUTTLE UM: This is the University's shuttle bus system. Before you exit the station, obtain a time schedule from the attendant in the kiosk, or call (301) 314-2255 in advance for more information. Note that between the COLLEGE PARK station and campus, SHUTTLE UM generally runs from 6.45 a.m. until 12.30 a.m. during the fall and spring semesters. During summer (usually from May 23rd to August 28th), the running hours are shorter and shuttles come less frequently. The shuttle brings people to the Stamp Student Union on campus.