Workshop Travel

The Ceramics Workshop invited participants will make their own travel arrangements to Washington D.C. and to the Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston.

Once in the Washington D.C. area, the Metrorail is ideal for transportation between local airports and the hotel. Metrorail is Washington D.C.’s safe & reliable subway system. Metro is much easier and more cost effective than driving & parking in the area.

Lodging top

The Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston is located a short walk from the Ballston Metro Station on the Orange and Silver Lines. A map is provided on this page.

Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston
4610 Fairfax Dr, Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 243-9800
Hotel Website

Metro top

Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 5 a.m. to midnight
Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m. to midnight

Metro Fares and approximate travel times between Washington DC area Airports and the Ballston Metro Station:

Reagan National Airport          $2.95/2.35 (peak/off peak)      ~24 min
Dulles International Airport    $10.45/8.60 (peak/off peak)    ~50min

*(this includes a $5.00 bus fare and a separately purchased Metro fare, see instructions below)

Taking the Metro from the Airport

Reagan National Airport: The Metro serves Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), and it is convenient and easy to take the Metro from the airport to the Holiday Inn Arlington - Ballston, taking the Blue Line from the airport to Rosslyn Station, then switching to the Orange Line from Rosslyn Station to the Ballston Metro station. The trip between Reagan National Airport and Ballston Metro Station is approximately 24 minutes.

Washington Dulles Airport: From Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), take the Washington Flyer Silver Line Express Bus to the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station. From there, it is a 26 minute Metrorail trip on the Silver Line to the Ballston-MU stop for the Holiday Inn. The total trip between Dulles International Airport and The Ballston Metro Station is between 45 minutes and an hour. The schedule and fees for the Washington Flyer Silver Line Express are available at their website.

The reliable Metro serves many travelers, so it is common to see passengers with luggage. The Metrorail is considered safe; however be certain to keep control of your personal belongings while on the Metro. Trains are crowded at rush hour times, so you may wish to use the wider wheelchair accessible turnstiles if you are travelling with luggage.

Once you arrive at the Ballston-MU metro stop, follow the map provided here.

Visit www.wmata.com for the latest official Metro information.

Metro pocket guide: http://www.wmata.com/pdfs/pocket_guides/english.pdf

Reimbursement top

Caltech will reimburse you for travel to the Workshop on Emerging Opportunities in Ceramics and Glass Science for the following expenses:

Transportation: If you are flying, you will be reimbursed for round trip economy airfare and ground transportation to/from the airport and hotel. Ground transportation includes the metro, taxi or shuttle. You will be reimbursed for baggage fees if necessary. If you choose to drive, you will be reimbursed for your mileage to/from hotel and home. The current mileage rate is $0.54/mile. Please provide a starting/return address for your travel to and from your local airport so that we can calculate mileage.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch will be provided at the conference. However, you will be on your own to eat dinner where you would like. Please save itemized meal receipts for reimbursement. Non-itemized receipts will NOT qualify for reimbursement. Please also note that alcoholic purchases will not be reimbursed. Any alcohol purchase will be deducted from your meal, along with a corresponding percentage of tax and tip.

Lodging (minus incidentals) and parking at the hotel will be paid for directly by Caltech, and should not require any reimbursement. If you have reserved lodging at another location nearby, we can reimburse you up to $222/night (plus parking), as long as you provide an itemized receipt for your stay.

A form is provided to help us process your reimbursement. Please print this form and submit it along with your receipts. Please make sure to fill out your mailing address on the form so that we can mail the reimbursement check.

You may submit scans of your receipts by email to jpgross@caltech.edu, or, if necessary, you may mail hardcopies of your receipts to:

Jonathan Gross
California Institute of Technology
1200 E California Blvd, MC 107-81
Pasadena, CA 91125

Jonathan can also answer any questions you may have about travel/reimbursement.

Download the reimbursement form here.

Tips top

There have been thefts of mobile devices at metro stations (stolen out of people's hands while they are using them). Please be mindful of this.

For your safety, stand away from the edge of the platform until the train has come to a stop.

On escalators, walk to the left & stand to the right.

When the train arrives, stand to the left or right side of the door to allow passengers to exit before boarding.

While the Metro is considered safe and thousands ride it every day, you should be sure your valuables are secure, especially on crowded trains.

No eating, drinking, or smoking anywhere in the Metro stations.

Related Information.