NAMD Fall Conference 2026 Transportation

Conference dates and the correct destination

The National Association of Medicaid Directors lists its 2026 Fall Conference for October 21–23, 2026, at Gaylord National Harbor, 201 Waterfront Street, Oxon Hill, MD 20745. NAMD's official events page identifies the venue as Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Use that venue name and address when requesting transportation. National Harbor is the destination for this event; a reservation naming only Downtown Washington does not describe the same journey.

This page is a transportation planning guide for attendees arranging their own travel. Registration, access, and program details should be checked with NAMD. The organizer's attendee registration page identifies October 21 as State-Only Day, with sessions limited to State Government Attendees except the Exhibit Hall Opening Reception, and October 22–23 as the general conference days. Match your arrival to the activities you are eligible and registered to attend rather than assuming every attendee needs the same first-day pickup.

Choose the airport first, then request the National Harbor transfer

Airport-to-National-Harbor transportation can be requested from Reagan National (DCA), Dulles International (IAD), or BWI Marshall (BWI). Name the airport code in the reservation because the three arrival plans are not interchangeable. Include the flight number and the Gaylord destination, and specify whether the reservation is for one traveler, colleagues arriving together, or a group whose flights differ.

No airport-to-National-Harbor flat fare is published on this site. Request a written price for the actual DCA, IAD or BWI transfer to the Gaylord. The site's Downtown, Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and Tysons route prices describe their named destinations and should not be copied onto a National Harbor trip. A vehicle request should also identify luggage, any intermediate stop, and the required arrival date.

DCA arrival planning

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's DCA limousine and sedan information requires prearranged transportation and an airport authority permit for providers. Make the reservation before your flight and obtain the meeting instructions for the booked car. Confirm the airport and terminal with the reservation contact, and keep a mobile number available for the person coordinating the pickup.

For colleagues on the same flight, agree whether you will collect bags and exit together. For colleagues on different flights, decide whether to reserve separate transfers or request a coordinated group pickup. A shared car needs one clear readiness signal so it is not sent toward a meeting point while someone is still waiting for luggage. Confirm the exact pickup arrangement rather than adopting a taxi or rideshare location.

IAD arrival planning

The airport authority's IAD limousine and sedan guidance also requires prearranged service and an airport authority permit. Give the reservation contact your incoming flight and the Gaylord destination. Request the meeting instructions for your vehicle, including how to communicate once you are ready to meet it.

Build the itinerary around passenger readiness, not only the scheduled landing time. Baggage collection and any required arrival procedures take place before the group can leave. If the transfer precedes an appointment or registered conference activity, state that commitment separately. When a flight changes, update the arrival plan and ask the reservation contact to confirm the revised arrangement before relying on the original instructions.

BWI arrival planning

BWI's official passenger guidance places general passenger pickup at the Arrivals/Lower Level and advises contacting the pickup driver when ready to exit. Rideshare has separate Upper/Departures Level instructions. Obtain the pickup instructions for your chauffeured reservation; the rideshare area should not be presented as the chauffeur meeting location.

A BWI booking for this conference must name National Harbor and the Gaylord address, even when your flights were selected as part of a Washington trip. If attendees plan to meet each other after collecting luggage, choose who will communicate with the reservation contact. If they need separate transfers, record the flight and contact for each vehicle so one delayed arrival does not leave another booking ambiguous.

Hourly service for an itinerary with additional stops

A direct airport-to-Gaylord transfer and an hourly reservation serve different plans. Request a transfer for a single journey; consider hourly service when you want a vehicle reserved for a defined period with additional stops or appointments. Describe the whole sequence, including where it begins and where it ends, before selecting the reservation length. A vehicle is not automatically retained throughout the conference after a transfer.

Hourly reservations have a three-hour minimum. Sedan service is $120 per hour and SUV service is $150 per hour. Mercedes-Benz S-Class service starts at $230 per hour, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter service starts at $240 per hour. The booking form confirms the final S-Class and Sprinter price. The following totals apply to the hourly structure; they are not flat fares for any airport-to-National-Harbor route.

The point-to-point floors are $130 for a sedan and $160 for an SUV. Those minimums do not establish a National Harbor transfer price. Ask how hourly time is measured, what happens if the itinerary extends, and which charges or arrangements are included in the written quote. If you plan to leave the conference for another appointment and return, list both destinations and the proposed times instead of describing the reservation only as conference transportation.

Plan the return from the Gaylord separately

For departure day, provide the departing airport, flight number, requested vehicle class, passengers, and luggage. Tell the reservation contact whether you will leave directly after your final session or need time to collect belongings first. Conference dates establish the event window; they do not establish your personal pickup time. Use your registered program and airline requirements when choosing the departure plan.

Confirm the venue entrance or meeting point for the return car, along with a reachable traveler contact. Keep hotel checkout, luggage retrieval, and any colleague meeting point in the itinerary so everyone is ready at the agreed time. If one group member has a different airport or later flight, request the appropriate separate plan rather than assuming the return vehicle will make an unquoted extra stop.

A clear request for an attendee or delegation

Send a concise trip list: each arriving flight, travel date, passenger and luggage counts, airport code, and the Gaylord address. Include departure flights and any hourly periods as separate lines. For a group, identify a person authorized to confirm changes and a reachable passenger contact for each pickup. Request confirmation for seating, luggage space, child seats, or accessibility needs before selecting the vehicle.

Review the written quote for the correct destination, service type, pickup arrangement, final price, and change or cancellation terms. Share the confirmed instructions with the travelers and retain a copy for departure day. This keeps conference attendance, airport arrival, and the reserved transportation connected through specific details, without assuming a published Downtown route or a generic airport pickup instruction applies to the event.