Google Transit

Ouch...I would never use the public transportation in Baltimore myself (and I've lived here for two years). --Take a taxi from the airport to the city. It may cost more, but is cheaper than a trip to Shock Trauma with a gunshot or knife wound.

Tips for travelers to Baltimore:

The bus system almost ALWAYS runs late--sometimes the buses have been known to be an hour late.

Baltimore is NOT a SAFE city. Because it has some of the highest drug traffic, Baltimore is the second most violent city (the first being Detroit of course).
--Baltimore has over 700 assaults per day.
--Over 300 people are killed each year.
--Safe parts of Baltimore and bad sections are usually only a few blocks away from each other. Rolland Park, home of the wealthy and old-established families, is about five blocks away from the ghetto-esque Waverly. Ask locals or policemen to tell you where to avoid. (In Mount Vernan, for example, it is only safe two blocks east of Charles St and one block west of Charles St).
--Watch for the blue lights. The police department of Baltimore places flashing blue lights on top of streetlights in high-crime areas.

Other tips to White travelers:

Racial tensions are still prevalent in Baltimore today. Segregation still exists. Percentage-wise, the upper class is mostly White, and the lower-class is mostly Black. The middle class has long moved to the suburbs to escape the growing tensions.

--Do NOT look people directly in the eye.
--Stay indoors during the night. (Especially do not wander streets that you are unfamiliar with).
--Avoid Greenmount St.
--If an area has multiple blue lights, a police car every block, or feels unsafe, leave.
--Do not use the light train for transit. People get stabbed.
--If you are a male under 30 and see a group of early-teenage boys at dusk or later, keep an eye out and move to the other side of the street. (One of the gang initiations is to beat up a college student).

For more information about Baltimore, watch "The Wire", a HBO show about the drug trafficking and the locals admit it is very accurate in its portrayal.

I have to agree with bcblom. I think, that while Baltimore is an INCREDIBLE city, bcblom really nailed Baltimore's major liabilities. In my opinion, the biggest liability is how in a blink of an eye you can go from a relatively safe area to an unbelievably dangerous area. I have lived in the Baltimore Washington corridor since I was 4 years old, so we're talking over 40 years. I love it here and am very proud of the area, it offers so many unbelievably cool things to see and do. You should however, be EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS when you visit Baltimore. For all of the amazing things to see and do in Baltimore, it is a dangerous city. What bcblom wrote is pretty much the best advise, for visiting Baltimore or any city your not familiar with, that I've seen in a while. A little bit of common sense will go a long way. It can make the difference between a great trip and a trip to the ER. Now that I have gone on and on about scary Baltimore, remember to have fun at the Baltimore Comic Con.

Good god, how can you live there? It'd be frightened all day long. Really couldn't imagine living in a city where you can't walk around freely because of the high crime rate.

Geez Louise, I'm glad I read this thread after my trip to the Baltimore Comic Con! If I read this first I would have been scared stupid. I didn't have any problems on this trip thankfully, but I also didn't travel too far from the Con. I parked across the street for $15 and had a lovely day at the Con. I think the rain on Saturday kept pretty much everyone huddled at bus stops and doorways and no one wanted to stray to far anyway.

Wow, this town is tough. On my way to the swimming pool I was mugged by Michael Phelps for my swim fins.
I was killed three times on my way to the convention center and as a result I was almost late for it.
The gangs here are so tough, they make you help them move your furniture when they rob you.
But boy are they organized, One guy asked me to give him a reciept when he mugged me.

But seriously, Baltimore is not worse than any other large city. Granted I'm not going to stand here and say that it is perfect and nothing bad happens here. But this person is exaggerating. The convention center is built in the better part of town (The convention center, the stadium, and the shopping mall.) Not in the ghetto. I took the light rail train and I was not beaten up, stabbed, or murdered. I was disappointed. I was hoping to get in a life or death fight with Dave Kellett.