Getting There

By Plane

Three airports serve the Washington, D.C., area. General information follows that should help you determine which airport is your best bet. See the appendix at the back of this book for the listing of airline 800 numbers and websites.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) lies 4 miles south of D.C., across the Potomac River in Virginia, a trip of only a few minutes by car, 15 to 20 minutes by Metro in non-rush-hour traffic. Its proximity to the District and its direct access to the Metro rail system are reasons why you might want to fly into National.

Approximately 12 airlines serve this airport, which has nonstop flights to 69 U.S. cities, plus Nassau, Bermuda, Montreal, and Toronto. Nearly all nonstop flights are to and from cities located within 1,250 miles from Washington. The exceptions are flights between National and Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City. Among the airlines serving National Airport are Air Canada, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways, and discount airlines Frontier and AirTran. Delta and US Airways shuttles, together, offer hourly or nearly hourly flights between National and Boston's Logan Airport, and National and New York's LaGuardia Airport.

National Airport's traveler-friendly services include ticket counters that provide access to passengers with disabilities, about 36 eateries, 33 shops, one currency-exchange station, 13 ATMs, commissioned artwork displayed throughout the terminals (go on a tour if your flight's been delayed), and climate-controlled pedestrian bridges that connect the terminal directly to the Metro station, whose Blue and Yellow lines stop here. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority oversees both National and Dulles airports, so the website is the same for the two facilities: www.mwaa.com. Check there for airport information, or call tel. 703/417-8000. For Metro information, call tel. 202/637-7000.

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is 26 miles outside the capital, in Chantilly, Virginia, a 35- to 45-minute ride to downtown in non-rush-hour traffic. Of the three airports, Dulles handles more daily flights, with about 30 airlines flying nonstop to 127 destinations, including 40 foreign cities. And though the airport is not as convenient to the heart of Washington as National, it's more convenient than BWI, thanks to an uncongested airport access road that travels half the distance toward Washington.

Dulles is closing in on the completion of a decades-long expansion. In 2009, the airport plans to debut its underground airport train system and station, replacing the cumbersome mobile lounges that until now have transported most travelers to and from the main and midfield terminals. Other recent improvements include the addition of a fourth runway, new concourses, a parking garage, and a pedestrian walkway between the main terminal and concourses A and B. Eventually, the airport will add a fifth runway and more than triple its annual passenger traffic to 55 million.

Among Dulles's major domestic airlines are American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways, and discount airlines AirTran, JetBlue, Southwest, Ted, and Virgin America. The airport's major international airlines include Aeroflot, Air Canada, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Air France, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, ANA Airways, and Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Dulles has 45 eateries, 37 shops, 4 currency exchange stations, 1 bank branch, 12 ATMs, and 7 public computer terminals with Internet access.

The airport's website is www.mwaa.com, and its information line is tel. 703/572-2700.

Last but not least is Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), which is located about 45 minutes from downtown, a few miles outside of Baltimore. A vast expansion has added 11 gates to a newly improved concourse, skywalks from parking garages to terminals, and triple the number of parking spaces. One factor especially accounts for this tremendous growth, the same that recommends BWI to travelers: the major presence of Southwest Airlines, whose bargain fares and flights to nearly 40 cities seem to offer something for everyone. (Southwest also serves Dulles Airport, but in a much smaller capacity.)

In all, 16 airlines serve BWI, flying nonstop to 70 destinations, including 8 foreign cities. Major domestic airlines include American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways and discount airlines AirTran, Southwest, America West, and USA 3000. Major international airlines include British Airways, Air Greenland, and Air Canada.

Among BWI's on-site attractions are 43 eateries, 28 shops, 3 currency exchange stations, and 1 bank branch.

Call tel. 800/435-9294 for airport information, or point your browser to www.bwiairport.com.

Immigration & Customs Clearance -- International visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. U.S. airports have considerably beefed up security clearances in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and clearing Customs and Immigration can take as long as 2 hours.

By Car

About one-fifth of leisure visitors to Washington arrive by plane, and if that's you, don't worry about renting a car. In fact, it's better if you don't, since the traffic in the city and throughout the region is absolutely abysmal, parking spaces are hard to find, garage and lot charges are exorbitant, and hotel overnight rates are even worse. Furthermore, Washington is amazingly easy to traverse on foot -- so easy, in fact, that the Brookings Institution recently named it the most walkable city in the country. Our public transportation and taxi systems are accessible and comprehensive, as well.

But if you are like most visitors, you're planning on driving here, traveling on one of the following major highways: I-70 and I-270, I-95, and I-295 from the north; I-95 and I-395, Route 1, and Route 301 from the south; Route 50/301 and Route 450 from the east; and Route 7, Route 50, I-66, and Route 29/211 from the west.

No matter which road you take, there's a good chance you will have to navigate some portion of the Capital Beltway (I-495 and I-95) to gain entry to D.C. The Beltway girds the city, about 66 miles around, with more than 56 interchanges or exits, and is nearly always congested (especially during weekday morning and evening rush hours, roughly btw. 5:30-9:30am and 3-7pm). Commuter traffic on the Beltway rivals, maybe surpasses, that of major L.A. freeways, and drivers can get a little crazy, weaving in and out of traffic.

Get yourself a good map before you do anything else. As mentioned earlier, Destination D.C.'s website, www.destinationdc.com, posts downloadable maps that are quite helpful. Another great source is the American Automobile Association (AAA; tel. 800/763-9900 for emergency road service and for connection to the mid-Atlantic office; www.aaa.com), which provides its members with maps and detailed Trip-Tiks that give precise directions to a destination, including up-to-date information about areas of construction. AAA also provides towing services should you have car trouble during your trip.

If you are driving to a hotel in D.C. or its suburbs, contact the establishment to find out the best route to the hotel's address and other crucial details concerning parking availability and rates.

The District is 240 miles from New York City, 40 miles from Baltimore, 700 miles from Chicago, 500 miles from Boston, and about 630 miles from Atlanta.

Car Rentals -- If you need to rent a car while you're here, you have several options.

Residents and tourists alike seem to be turning to car-rental clubs that allow you more flexible car-use arrangements, whether you need a car for an hour or for a month, with parking and other services included. One such company in Washington is Zipcars (tel. 866/494-7227; www.zipcar.com), which has a downtown office at 403 8th St. NW, entrance on 8th Street (tel. 202/737-4900).

Here's how it works: You apply and pay a membership fee or application fee ahead of time online, order the car online or by phone using a credit card, and establish exactly when and where you need a car. You receive a special card in the mail, which you use to activate the specific car you've reserved at the specific location, time, and day you've pre-arranged. The idea is that this special card unlocks the reserved car and you climb inside to retrieve the keys, following instructions you're given ahead of time. Zipcar's rates start at $7.65 an hour and this fee covers gas, insurance, and parking.

Or, you can go the usual route and rent a car from one of the major car-rental companies.

Car-rental rates can vary even more than airfares. Check out Breezenet.com, which offers domestic car-rental discounts with some of the most competitive rates around. Also worth visiting are Orbitz, Hotwire.com, Travelocity, and Priceline.com, all of which offer competitive online car-rental rates.

If you're visiting from abroad and plan to rent a car in the United States, keep in mind that foreign driver's licenses are usually recognized in the U.S., but you should get an international one if your home license is not in English.

It helps to do your homework: Take the time to shop around and ask a few key questions and you might save hundreds of dollars:

• Are weekend rates lower than weekday rates? Ask if the rate is the same for pickup Friday morning, for instance, as it is for Thursday night.
• Is the weekly rate cheaper than the daily rate? Even if you need the car for only 4 days, it may be cheaper to keep it for 5.
• Does the agency assess a drop-off charge if you don't return the car to the same location where you picked it up? Is it cheaper to pick up the car at the airport or at a downtown location?
• Are special promotional rates available? If you see an advertised price in your local newspaper, be sure to ask for that specific rate; otherwise, you may be charged the standard cost. Terms change constantly.
• Are discounts available for members of AARP, AAA, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions?
• How much tax will be added to the rental bill? Local tax? State use tax? Local taxes and surcharges can vary from location to location, even within the same car company, which can add quite a bit to your costs.
• What is the cost of adding an additional driver's name to the contract?
• How many free miles are included in the price? Free mileage is often negotiable, depending on the length of your rental.
• Are there extra charges if you're under 25? For instance, Avis tacks on an additional $25 for those 21 to 25. Note: All car rental agencies require drivers be at least 21.

Some companies offer "refueling packages," in which you pay for an entire tank of gas upfront. The price is usually fairly competitive with local gas prices, but you don't get credit for any gas remaining in the tank. If a stop at a gas station on the way to the airport will make you miss your plane, then by all means take advantage of the fuel purchase option. Otherwise, skip it.

For information on insurance, review your own car insurance policy and contact the American Automobile Association (AAA; tel. 800/763-9900) for advice and helpful information.

By Train

Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) offers daily service to Washington from New York, Boston, and Chicago. Amtrak also travels daily between Washington and points south, including Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, cities in Florida, and New Orleans. Amtrak's Acela Express trains offer the quickest service along the "Northeast Corridor," linking Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington. The trains travel as fast as 150 mph, making the trip between New York and Washington in about 3 hours and 30 minutes and between Boston and Washington in about 7 hours. Amtrak runs fewer Acela trains on weekends, and honors passenger discounts, such as those for seniors and AAA members, only on weekend Acela travel.

Amtrak offers a smorgasbord of good-deal rail passes and discounted fares; although not all are based on advance purchase, you may have more discount options by reserving early. The bargain fares can be used only on certain days and hours of the day; be sure to find out exactly what restrictions apply. Tickets for children ages 2 to 15 cost half the price of a regular coach fare when the children are accompanied by a fare-paying adult. For more information, go to www.amtrak.com and click on the website's "Hot Deals" section, where you'll find assorted discount possibilities. Note: Amtrak requires reserved seating on its regional trains running between Boston and Newport News, Virginia, which means that every traveler is guaranteed a seat.

International visitors who plan to travel to other places in the country can buy a USA Rail Pass, good for 15 or 30 days of unlimited travel on Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com). The pass is available online or through many overseas travel agents. See Amtrak's website for the cost of travel within the western, eastern, or northwestern United States. Reservations are generally required and should be made as early as possible. Other rail passes are also available.

Amtrak trains arrive at historic Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE (tel. 202/371-9441; www.unionstationdc.com), a short walk from the Capitol, across the circle from several hotels, and a short cab or Metro ride from downtown. Union Station is a turn-of-the-20th-century Beaux Arts masterpiece that was magnificently restored in the late 1980s. Offering a three-level marketplace of shops and restaurants, this stunning depot is conveniently located and connects with Metro service. Taxis are almost always available.