best central point between Annapolis and Washington DC?

Our family (three separate families totaling 13) will be traveling to Annapolis on July 25th for a wedding, and would like to find a central location in which to stay to visit Annapolis (2 days) as well as Washington DC (preferebly near a metro line). Children are mostly tweens/teens and one six year old. We would like to rent a suitable house/apartment or condo. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

best central point between Annapolis and Washington DC?

I think we need more info. You will be staying/visiting Annapolis for two days, and then DC? Any more nights involved? How much of DC do you expect to see? Although this may not be responsive to your question, the short answer is that there really isn%26#39;t a good ';central point'; let alone one with access to metro. The only thing that comes to mind is Elkridge/Annapolis Junction which would put you near the marc train line to DC, and within a 1/2 hour%26#39;s drive of Annapolis, but really isn%26#39;t all that convenient for either location. I would definitely think about staying in Annapolis for the two-days, and tack on another night in DC on your way home.

best central point between Annapolis and Washington DC?

Yes Creekdweller is on point here. Many questions that need answering. But here goes some general information. Since Annapolis is a tourist destination, it has quite a bit of inventory for renting homes/condos to visitors. See www.stayannapolis.com or www.vrbo.com

In addition, Annapolis is a very close to DC, approx. 30 miles or less depending on where in Annapolis your are coming from. In between Annapolis and DC you have mostly suburbs that really have no draw and don%26#39;t really offer any advantages to staying there (including fewer hotels and probably no rentals.)

Also, many residential rentals, involve longer stays, and that applies most anywhere, so you may not have the option of just renting for two nights and moving on. Some rentals might be more flexible in this economy, but it%26#39;s a gamble.

The Marc Line (local rail transportation headquartered in Baltimore) does run trains to Union Station in DC but these trains ONLY run on weekdays. So if you plan on going to DC M-F, your best bet is to stay in Annapolis and drive to the BWI airport/rail station and take the train in. You pay for garage parking (but you can most always find a space). There are two other stations, one in Odenton the other in Bowie that would give you a shorter ride to DC, but they are major commuter stops so parking can usually only be found in satellite lots which can be quite a hike from the train platform. Trains on work days especially in the morning and evening rush are plentiful which gives you a lot of options as to when to leave and return. There are express commuters as well which can save some time as well.

From BWI to Union is about 25 minutes via rail. You can also take Amtrak from BWI but these trains originate from much further destinations (Boston, New York)so they can run late. Trains do run on weekends but service is limited and expensive.

The closest Metro station is just on the outskirts of DC. It is a huge commuter stop and not the safest. It is a shame that Annapolis does not have a direct line to DC, but it is what it is.

I would not consider driving in daily to DC trying to park, because it can be an unpredictable nightmare, unless of course, you are staying right in the capital.

I have stayed in annapolis and then driven to the metro station in New Carrollton, which is about a 25-30 minute ride from annapolis and taken the metro into washington from there. Very easy to do.

There is a town called Bowie, which is on Highway 50 (the highway that connects DC %26amp; Annapolis. There are a number of reasonably priced hotels and restaurants in Bowie. It%26#39;s about 15 minutes from the end of the DC subway line (New Carrollton), about 20 minutes from Annapolis, and about 25 minutes from the BWI airport.