By Air The major gateways to Washington, D.C., include National Airport (tel. 703/419-8000), in Virginia, 4 miles south of downtown Washington; Dulles International Airport (tel. 703/661-2700), 26 miles west of Washington; and Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport (tel. 410/859-7100), in Maryland, about 25 miles northeast of Washington. Flying time is one hour from New York, two hours from Chicago, and five hours, 40 minutes from Los Angeles. Carriers
Carriers serving National Airport include Air Canada (tel. 800/776-3000), America West (tel. 800/235-9292), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212), Midway (tel. 800/446-4392, Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525)TWA (tel. 800/221-2000), United (tel. 800/241-6522), and USAir (tel. 800/428-4322).
For service to Dulles, contact Air Canada (tel. 800/776-3000), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), TWA (tel. 800/221-2000), United (tel. 800/241-6522), and USAir (tel. 800/428-4322), and Western Pacific (tel. 800/930-3030.
Flying into BWI are America West (tel. 800/235-9292), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792), TWA (tel. 800/221-2000), United (tel. 800/241-6522), and USAir (tel. 800/428-4322).
Between the Airport and Town
By Bus
National and Dulles airports are served continuously by Washington Flyer (tel. 703/685-1400). The ride from National to downtown takes 20 minutes and costs $8 ($14 round-trip); from Dulles, the 45-minute ride costs $16 ($26 round-trip). The bus takes you to 1517 K Street NW, where you can board a free shuttle bus that serves downtown hotels. The shuttle bus will also transport you from your hotel to the K Street address to catch the main airport bus on your return journey. Washington Flyer also provides service to Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Fares may be paid in cash or with Visa or MasterCard; children under age six ride free.
BWI SuperShuttle buses (tel. 800/809-7080) leave BWI every hour for 1517 K Street NW. The 65-minute ride costs $15 ($25 round-trip); drivers accept traveler's checks and major credit cards in addition to cash.
Some hotels provide van service to and from the airports; check with your hotel.
By Limousine
Call at least a day ahead and Diplomat Limousine (tel. 703/461-6800) will have a limousine waiting for you at the airport. The ride downtown from National or Dulles is about $75; it's $90 from BWI. Private Car (tel. 800/685-0888) has a counter at BWI Airport and charges $63 from there to downtown; or call ahead to have a car waiting for you at National ($45) or Dulles ($73).
By Subway
If you are coming into Washington National Airport, have little to carry, and are staying at a hotel near a subway stop, it makes sense to take the Metro downtown. The station is within walking distance of the baggage claim area, but a free airport shuttle stops outside each terminal and takes you to the National Airport station. The Metro ride downtown takes about 20 minutes and costs either $1.10 or $1.40, depending on the time of day.
By Taxi
Expect to pay about $13 to get from National Airport to downtown, $45 from Dulles, and $50 from BWI. Unscrupulous cabbies prey on out-of-towners, so if the fare strikes you as astronomical, get the driver's name and cab number and threaten to call the D.C. Taxicab Commission (tel. 202/645-6018). A $1.25 airport surcharge is added to the total at National.
By Train
Free shuttle buses carry passengers between airline terminals and the train station at BWI Airport. Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245) and Maryland Rail Commuter Service (MARC, tel. 800/325-7245) trains run between BWI and Washington's Union Station from around 6 AM to midnight. The cost of the 40-minute ride is $10 on an Amtrak train, $4.50 on a MARC train (weekdays only).
By Bus Washington is a major terminal for Greyhound Bus Lines (1005 1st St. NE, tel. 202/289-5160 or 800/231-2222). The company also has stations in nearby Silver Spring and Laurel, Maryland, and in Arlington and Springfield, Virginia. Check with your local Greyhound ticket office for prices and schedules.
By Car I-95 skirts Washington as part of the Beltway, the six- to eight-lane highway that encircles the city. The eastern half of the Beltway is labeled both I-95 and I-495; the western half is just I-495. If you are coming from the south, take I-95 to I-395 andcross the 14th Street Bridge to 14th Street in the District. From the north, stay on I-95 south before heading west on Route 50, the John Hanson Highway, which turns into New York Avenue. I-66 approaches the city from the southwest, but you may not be able to use it during weekday rush hours, when high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) restrictions apply: Cars must carry at least two people from 6:30 AM to 9 AM traveling eastbound inside the Beltway (I-495) and 4 PM to 6:30 PM traveling westbound. If you're traveling at off-peak hours or have enough people in your car to satisfy the rules, you can get downtown by taking I-66 across the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to Constitution Avenue.
I-270 approaches Washington from the northwest before hitting I-495. To get downtown, take I-495 east to Connecticut Avenue south, toward Chevy Chase.
By Train More than 80 trains a day arrive at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station on Capitol Hill (50 Massachusetts Ave. NE, tel. 202/484-7540 or 800/872-7245).
Getting Around By Car A car can be a drawback in Washington. Traffic is horrendous, especially at rush hours, and driving is often confusing, with many lanes and some entire streets changing direction suddenly at certain times of day. The traffic lights in Washington sometimes stymie visitors. Most of the lights don't hang down over the middle of the streets but stand at the sides of intersections. Radar detectors are illegal in Virginia and the District.
Parking in Washington is an adventure; the police are quick to tow away or immobilize with a "boot" any vehicle parked illegally. (If you find you've been towed from a city street, call 202/727-5000.) Since the city's most popular sights are within a short walk of a Metro station anyway, it's best to leave your car at the hotel. Touring by car is a good idea only if you're considering visiting sights in suburban Maryland or Virginia.
Most of the outlying, suburban Metro stations have parking lots, though these fill quickly with city-bound commuters. If you plan to park in one of these lots, arrive early, armed with lots of quarters. Private parking lots downtown are expensive, charging as much as $4 an hour and $13 a day. There is free, two-hour parking around the Mall on Jefferson Drive and Madison Drive, though these spots always seem to be filled. You can park free-in some spots all day-in parking areas off of Ohio Drive near the Jefferson Memorial and south of the Lincoln Memorial on Ohio Drive and West Basin Drive in West Potomac Park.
Car Rental
The major car-rental companies represented in Washington, D.C., are AAA Rental Car, Alamo (tel. 800/327-9633; in the U.K., 0800/272-2000), Avis (tel. 800/331-1212; in Canada, 800/879-2847), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700; in the U.K., 0800/181181), Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000; in the U.K., 0990/565656, where it is known as Eurodollar), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131; in Canada, 800/263-0600; in the U.K., 0345/555888), and National InterRent (tel. 800/227-7368; in the U.K., where National is known as Europcar InterRent, 0345/222525). Rates in Washington begin at $40 a day and $149 a week for an economy car with unlimited mileage. This does not include tax on car rentals, which is 8%.
By Mass Transit The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) provides bus and subway service in the District and in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. The Metro, opened in 1976, is one of the country's cleanest and safest subway systems. Trains run weekdays 5:30 AM-midnight, weekends 8 AM-midnight. During the weekday rush hours (5:30-9:30 AM and 3-8 PM), trains come along every six minutes. At other times and on weekends and holidays, trains run about every 12-15 minutes. The base fare is $1.10; the actual price you pay depends on the time of day and the distance traveled. Children under age five ride free when accompanied by a paying passenger, but there is a maximum of two children per paying adult. Buy your ticket at the Farecard machines; they accept coins and crisp $1, $5, $10, or $20 bills. If the machine spits your bill back out at you, try folding and unfolding it before asking a native for help. The Farecard should be inserted into the turnstile to enter the platform. Make sure you hang onto the card-you'll need it to exit at your destination.
Some Washingtonians report that the Farecard's magnetic strip interferes with the strips on ATM cards and credit cards, so keep the cards separated in your pocket or wallet.
For $5 you can buy a pass that allows unlimited trips for one day. It's good all day on weekends, on holidays, and after 9:30 AM on weekdays. Passes are available at Metro Sales Outlets (including the Metro Center station) and at many hotels, banks, and Safeway and Giant grocery stores.
WMATA's red, white, and blue Metrobuses crisscross the city and nearby suburbs, with some routes running 24 hours a day. All bus rides within the District are $1.10. Free transfers, good for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, are available on buses and in Metro stations. Bus-to-bus transfers are accepted at designated Metrobus transfer points. Rail-to-bus transfers must be picked up before boarding the train. There may be a transfer charge when boarding the bus. There are no bus-to-rail transfers.
For schedule and route information, contact the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (tel. 202/637-7000, TTY 202/638-3780; open daily 6 AM-11:30 PM).
By Taxi Taxis in the District are not metered; they operate instead on a curious zone system. Before you set off, ask your cab driver how much the fare will be. The basic single rate for traveling within one zone is $3.20. There is an extra $1.25 charge for each additional passenger and a $1 surcharge during the 4-6:30 PM rush hour. Bulky suitcases are charged at a higher rate, and a $1.50 surcharge is tacked on when you phone for a cab. Maryland and Virginia taxis are metered but are not allowed to take passengers between points in Washington. Two major companies serving the District are Capitol Cab (tel. 202/546-2400) and Diamond Cab (tel. 202/387-6200).
