Airports
Washington DC is served by three area airports:
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is the closest to the city center. It’s located in Arlington, VA, just a few miles south of DC across the Potomac River, and the MetroRail system has a station there on the blue line.
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
Another option is the Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), located about 30 minutes east of DC by highway. The BWI Express Metro bus runs between this airport and the Greenbelt MetroRail station, at the northeast end of the Green Line. Senior (half-fare) prices apply. Metro's on-line Trip Planner will give you detailed instructions about which bus and Metro to take to get to your hotel, including the times and costs. You can access it from a mobile device as well. The senior fare from BWI to a Mall-area Metro station is less than $2. In addition, there are free shuttle buses running from the airport terminal to the BWI Train station located a short distance from the airport. From there you can take the MARC (about $7) or Amtrak train ($15 to $33) to Union Station, which contains a Metro station. Please note that MARC only operates Monday through Friday.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
The third airport option is Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which is located about 30 minutes west of DC, with dedicated highway access along Route 267, the Dulles Airport Access Road. Metrobus 5A runs approximately hourly to the Rosslyn and L'Enfant Plaza metro stops, stopping a few times on the way at commuter parking lots in Virginia. It costs $3 each way - exact change only. A more expensive option is the Washington Flyer Bus, which provides transportation between the airport and the West Falls Church metro station at the cost of $8 one way or $14 roundtrip. It's another few dollars to get in from the West Fall Church metro to DC. All airports are served by numerous major airlines and have ample car rental options as well as taxi service.
Train
As an alternative to flying, visitors may take Amtrak into DC. Trains arrive and depart in the lower floor of the popular Union Station, and the MetroRail system conveniently has a station there as well. Additional area Amtrak stations are located in Virginia in Alexandria, Franconia-Springfield and Woodbridge, and in Maryland in Baltimore, BWI Airport, New Carrollton and Rockville.
Bus
The Greyhound bus station is a 5 minute walk from Union Station, but be cautious about walking around in that area at night, especially very late. A number of other independent bus companies, many of which are based in Chinatown, offer service from New York.
Driving
Several East Coast cities are within reasonable distance for those who prefer to drive. Visitors coming from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Pittsburgh or Cincinnati can arrive in a day’s drive. Drivers should be aware that interstate traffic on I-495 and I-95 becomes very congested between 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm and can easily add an hour to your driving time.
Off-Site Links:
- http://www.mwaa.com/national
- http://www.wmata.com
- http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/Statio...
- http://www.bwiairport.com
- http://www.bwiairport.com/ground_tran...
- http://www.wmata.com./metrorail/syste...
- http://www.wmata.com/tripplanner_d/tr...
- http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/m...
- http://www.metwashairports.com/Dulles
- http://www.wmata.com/timetables/dc/5a...
- http://www.washfly.com
- http://www.unionstationdc.com
- http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/Statio...
- http://www.staticleap.com/chinatownbus
