SAVE THE DATE: August 2-7, 2026
#IWGO2026
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Housing & Travel

*PARTICIPANTS MUST BOTH RESERVE A ROOM WITH THE HOTEL AND REGISTER WITH THE CONFERENCE.

Conference Venue

Edward St. John Learning & Teaching Center
4131 Campus Drive
College Park, MD 20742
WEBSITE & DIRECTIONS

Roommate Matching

If you are interested in sharing a room,
please email events@avs.org.

Conference Housing Options

Housing Deadline: TBD 2026

Due to limited space we recommend booking as early as possible to receive this special rate—please note that once the reserved/contracted room block is full, the room availability and rate are not guaranteed and may vary.

A limited block will be available soon at the Marriott and The Hotel at College Park.

Room Type Rates
Single $TBD
Double $TBD
  • These rates do not include sales and/or occupancy taxes.
  • A credit card is required with all reservation requests. The credit card will be charged for all no-shows and for all reservations canceled within forty-eight (48) hours prior to arrival.
Options to Reserve Hotel
  • Reserve online using the button below.
RESERVE HOTEL (COMING SOON)

Travel Requirements (Visa)

Secure Your Visa Early

Due to increasing delays in securing visas to the U.S., it is strongly encouraged that you begin this process immediately to ensure approval. Please refer to the following website for additional information and assistance: www.national-academies.org/visas.

Invitation Letter: The AVS Staff can provide an invitation letter to assist with your visa application for IWGO 2026. Please e-mail events@avs.org to request a personalized letter of invitation.

Airports

There are three recommended airports near the Campus/Hotels that offer a variety of flight options:

Transportation from the Airports

Ride Share Apps

Uber, Lyft, and other ride share apps are available to get from the airport to campus. This is a convenient option for travelers.

  • Distance from BWI to Campus/Hotels: Approximately 25 – 30 miles
  • Distance from DCA to Campus/Hotels: Approximately15 -17 miles
  • Distance from DIA to Campus/Hotels: Approximately 35 – 38 miles
Airport Super Shuttle/Blue Van Services

Offers 24 hour, door-to-door service to most hotels, homes, and offices in the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area. The fare to College Park from BWI Airport is ~$27; from National/Reagan Airport the fare is ~$25; from Dulles, ~$38. Reservations are not needed for passengers leaving the airport; you need only to follow the signs to Ground Transportation (Courtesy Desk) to check in for the next available van. (You may have to wait for them to receive all shuttle passengers.) If the desk is closed, and/or the van already left the airport, pick up the Courtesy Phone and follow the directions given you; transportation will be arranged for you. Reservations for your return to the airport are needed, and they require 4 hours advance notice. Online Reservations  or call 1-800-258-3826 (1-800-BLUEVAN).

From Reagan/National Airport: Taxi fare from Reagan/National Airport to College Park is typically ~$50. (You should verify with the driver that the fare is near that range.) There is a Metrorail line servicing College Park from National/Reagan to College Park. Take the “Yellow Line” to Mt. Vernon Square Convention Center, then transfer to the “Green Line” to College Park.

From BWI Airport: The Greenbelt-BWI Airport Express Line is a Metro nonstop bus service from BWI to Greenbelt Metro Station (fare is $3–MUST have exact change). It runs every 40 minutes. From the Greenbelt Metro station, take the Metro one stop to the College Park station where you can ride the UMShuttle to campus.

Also available at the BWI Ground Transportation located at the lower level are LIMOUSINE SERVICE 301-912-2000 and BWI TAXI SERVICE 410-859-1100; the fare is ~$60 to College Park.

From Dulles International Airport: TAXI fare to/from College Park is ~$75 (about 45-60 minutes’ drive).

Metrorail

There are AMTRAK Train Stations in Washington, DC (Union Station) and at New Carrollton, MD. From either station, you would take a taxi to College Park; the fare would be around $20 from New Carrollton. If there are no taxis already at the station, the local Maryland taxi network can be reached at (301) 864-7700.

The METRORAIL system includes Metrorail maps at all stations and on each car of their trains which easily indicate every stop for each (color-coded) rail line.

Metrorail from Washington D.C.: 

  1. Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
  2. Or take the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
  3. The university’s UM Shuttle buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. UM Shuttle service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent – every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays – is offered year-round, and is open to everyone – no ID required.
  4. Get off the UM Shuttle at the “M” (or second) stop for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Cross street and walk south toward Mitchell Building.

MARC from Baltimore (Inner Harbor):

  1. Take the Camden Line train (toward Washington, DC); get off at the College Park station.
  2. The University’s UM Shuttle buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. UM Shuttle service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent – every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays – is offered year-round, and is open to everyone – no ID required.
  3. Get off the UM Shuttle at the “M” (or second) stop for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Cross street and walk south toward Mitchell Building.

MARC from Baltimore (Penn Station/West Baltimore/BWI Airport):

  1. Take the Penn Line train (toward Washington, DC); get off at Union Station.
  2. Transfer to the Metrorail system.
  3. Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
  4. The university’s UM Shuttle buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. UM Shuttle service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent – every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays – is offered year-round, and is open to everyone – no ID required.
  5. Get off the UM Shuttle at the “M” (or second) stop for the office of Undergraduate Admissions. Cross the street and walk south toward Mitchell Building.

Amtrak to Washington D.C. (Union Station):

  1. Transfer to Metrorail system. Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
  2. Or take the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
  3. The university’s UM Shuttle buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. UM Shuttle service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent – every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays – is offered year-round, and is open to everyone – no ID required.
  4. Get off the UM Shuttle at the “M” (or second) stop for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Cross street and walk south toward Mitchell Building.

Amtrak to New Carrollton (MD):

  1. Transfer to Metrorail system, taking the Orange Line to the Green Line (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
  2. The university’s UM Shuttle buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. UM Shuttle service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent – every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays – is offered year-round, and is open to everyone – no ID required.
  3. Get off the UM Shuttle at the “M” (or second) stop for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Cross street and walk south toward Mitchell Building.
University of Maryland Shuttle Bus from the Metrorail Station

The University of Maryland operates a shuttle service (red & white UM Shuttle buses) which runs Monday through Friday to the College Park Metrorail Station at 15-minute intervals beginning at 6:40 a.m. from the East Side of the Metrorail Station. (The last return from campus will be at 7:50 p.m.; during academic year the last run is at 3:00 a.m. Stop and Pick-up points on campus are at the UM Circle in front of the Physics Bldg. and at Lot HH by the Stamp (Student) Union, which is two blocks up from the Physics Bldg. (see Campus Map).

If you want to visit Washington, DC, you may find it easier to take the Metrorail instead of driving to the downtown areas. The College Park Metrorail Station does have all day parking on the East side of the station. From Route 1, take Paint Branch Parkway (at the traffic light, across from Campus Drive) to the Station, and follow the signs for the appropriate parking lots.