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Travel Tips

Otels Inc.
2111 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700
Arlington, Virginia  22201  USA
(+1) 703-875-8711




DChotels.com (and BethesdaHotels.com) hope you enjoy the following Travel Tips
Best wishes on your next trip to the DC area!


 

Travel Tips for Washington, DC
 

Arriving by Train into Union Station:  Instead of a taxi, try the region's subway system, known as "Metro" (DC subway map).  Another convenient option is the DC Circulator bus (www.DCcirculator.com), which costs only $1 and departs every 10 minutes (from 7 am to 9 pm) from Union Station, heading west to Chinatown and the Convention Center (at 9th Street, NW), and then continuing further west along K Street through the business district all the way to Georgetown.  (Another Circulator route runs north-south along 9th Street to the National Mall.)
   
 Arriving by Plane: 3 airports serve the DC area:
 

Reagan National Airport (DCA) lies right across the Potomac river in Arlington, Virginia and is the most convenient airport to downtown DC.  A taxi to downtown costs $15 (or less) for one person.  Or simply hop on the Metro (DC subway map), which serves Reagan National Airport and is only a 2-minute walk from the terminals there.

 

Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) is roughly 1 hour northeast of DC by car (and 20 minutes west of Baltimore).  From the airport terminal, ride a shuttle bus for a few minutes to BWI Airport's train station, then take a M.A.R.C. train (Mondays to Fridays only) or an Amtrak train for the 35-minute ride to Union Station in downtown Washington.  From there you can walk to the Capitol in 5 minutes or transfer to the Metro (subway) system or hop a D.C. Circulator bus (as noted above).

 

Dulles Airport (IAD) in Northern Virginia is a 45-minute drive west of downtown DC.  There is no subway access yet, so your options include:
 

"Washington Flyer" coach bus (www.washfly.com) departs every 30 minutes (until 10:15 pm) from outside the baggage claim area ... and for $8 will take you more than halfway to downtown DC, dropping you at the West Falls Church Metro station, where you can get on the subway's Orange line (expect to pay approx. $3 for a subway ride). Total travel time to downtown (including subway) is approximately 1 hour.
 
Metrobus #5A is a bargain at $3 and departs from the baggage claim area every 60 minutes (until 11:35 p.m.) and runs along the Dulles Toll Road (with 1 stop at the "Tysons / Westpark Transit Station") all the way to the Rossyln Metro station (across the Potomac River from the Georgetown neighborhood of DC), where you can get on Metro's Orange or Blue lines.  This Express Bus #5A then continues into DC, making one more stop at L'Enfant Plaza Metro station (7th & D Streets, SW), just 3 blocks south of the Smithsonian Museums on the Mall.
     
• For those in a hurry, taxis from Dulles Airport (www.flyertaxi.com  703-661-6655) cost approx. $45 for a ride to downtown DC.

 

SuperShuttle minivans also serve all 3 airports.  They try to group travelers at the airport who are heading to the same section of town, which often causes slight delays in departure.  If you wish them to pick you up at your home or office, please call 800-BLUE VAN (258-3826). 

 

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