Orientation

On the one hand, Washington, D.C., is an easy place to get to know. It's a small city, where walking will actually get you places, but it also has a model public transportation system that travels throughout D.C.'s neighborhoods and to most tourist spots. A building height restriction creates a landscape in which the lost tourist can get his bearings from tall landmarks -- the Capitol, the Washington Monument -- that loom into view from different vantage points.

On the other hand, when you do need help, it's sometimes hard to find. The city lacks a single, large, comprehensive, and easy-to-find visitor's center. Signs to tourist attractions and Metro stations, even street signs, can be frustratingly inadequate. In the wake of September 11, stricter security precautions at some sightseeing attractions have made touring procedures cumbersome, and the ongoing changes can be disorienting.

The District is continually working to improve the situation. But in the meantime, you can turn to the following smaller visitor and information centers, helpful publications, and information phone lines.

Information Centers

At the Airports -- If you're arriving by plane, you can think of your airport as a visitor information center; all three Washington-area airports offer all sorts of visitor services.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport -- (BWI; tel. 800/435-9294; www.bwiairport.com; airport code: BWI) BWI services include five information desks (tel. 800/435-9294 for information and paging) located throughout the upper and lower levels; a customer service center (tel. 410/859-7387) located on the upper level, between concourses B and C (the airport's Lost and Found office tel. 410/859-7387 lies within the customer service center); two Maryland Welcome Centers (tel. 410/691-2878), both located on the lower level, near baggage claim carousels 3 and 13/14; three locations (tel. 410/859-4466) for exchanging currency and providing faxing and other business services; several ATMs; plenty of public phones, many equipped with dataports and some with TDD services and voice-relay phones; many restrooms, restaurants (all equipped with high-speed wireless Internet access), shops, and bars; a playroom for kids; a small aviation museum; and even two massage services, or "relaxation destination locations," as the airport dubs them.

Other useful phone numbers: police tel. 410/859-7040 and parking lots and garage tel. 800/468-6294 or 410/859-9230.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport -- ("National"; tel. 703/417-8000; www.mwaa.com/national; airport code: DCA). You'll arrive on the second level; ticket counters are on the third level, baggage claim and ground transportation are on the first level. The second, or concourse, level is where you'll get your questions answered. Business/currency exchange centers (tel. 703/417-3201 or 703/417-3200) are located between terminals B and C. The airport has four Traveler's Aid desks, one in each of the three terminals and on the baggage claim level (tel. 703/417-1806, 703/417-3972, or 703/417-3974). Traveler's Aid volunteers can help with all sorts of situations, from answering general travel and airport information, to providing foreign language assistance, to helping in a crisis, to paging a passenger. About 150 pay phones equipped with dataports are located throughout terminals B and C. The airport has at least seven ATMs and nearly 100 shops, restaurants, and other concessions, mostly found in "National Hall," on the second level of the main terminal.

Other useful phone numbers: lost and found tel. 703/417-0673, parking lots and garage tel. 703/417-7275, and police tel. 703/417-8560.

Washington Dulles International Airport -- ("Dulles"; tel. 703/572-2700; www.mwaa.com/Dulles; airport code: IAD). A vast expansion of Dulles continues apace, closing in on a 2009 deadline. Among improvements so far are a new concourse and a pedestrian walkway that connects the main terminal and concourses A, B, and Z. Most flights arrive at midfield terminals, where you follow the crowd, either to the pedestrian walkways or to mobile lounges, which take you to the main terminal. In time, the plan is for an underground rail system to replace the mobile lounges altogether. The satellite terminals are actually rather attractive and offer decent shopping. As at National Airport, you can count on getting help from Traveler's Aid, which operates desks at two locations in the main terminal: near the baggage claim carousels in the international arrivals area, and at the information counter near baggage claim (tel. 703/572-8296 or 703/572-2536). Phone numbers for other help desks include tel. 703/572-2946 or 703/572-2969 for general service, foreign currency exchange, and insurance purchases. There are about 100 eateries and shops, and plentiful ATMs, restrooms, stamp vending machines, and phones.

Other useful numbers: police tel. 703/572-2952, lost and found tel. 703/572-2954, and parking lots and rates information tel. 703/572-4500.

Baggage claim areas are at ground level in the main terminal.

At the Train Station -- Historic Union Station (tel. 202/371-9441; www.unionstationdc.com), 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE, offers visitors a pleasant introduction to the capital. The building is both an architectural beauty and a useful stopping place. Here you'll find a three-level marketplace of shops and restaurants, direct access to Metro service (you'll see signs directing you to the Metro's Red Line station even before you reach the main hall of Union Station), and, when you proceed through the grand arcade straight out through the station's front doors, a stellar view of the Capitol Building.

The central information desk is in the main hall at the front of the building. You'll find ATMs in the gate area, near the side doors of the building (near the outdoor escalator to the Metro), and on the lower level, at the end of the Food Court. A Travelex Currency Exchange office (tel. 202/371-9220) lies across from gate G and a Traveler's Aid desk (tel. 202/371-1937) near gate D. A number of car-rental agencies operate lots here. For security, or for other help or information, call the main number, tel. 202/371-9441; for lost and found, call tel. 202/289-8355; for parking information, call tel. 202/898-1950.

Around Town -- The Washington, D.C., Visitor Information Center (tel. 866/324-7386 or 202/328-4748; www.dcvisit.com) is a small visitor center inside the immense Ronald Reagan International Trade Center Building, at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. To enter the federal building, you need to show a picture ID. The visitor center lies on the ground floor of the building, a little to your right as you enter from the Wilson Plaza, near the Federal Triangle Metro. From March 15 to Labor Day, the center is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm, and on Saturday from 9am to 4pm; from Labor Day to March 14, the center is open Monday through Friday 9am to 4:30pm.

Businesses have banded together in 10 D.C. neighborhoods to provide information, safety, and maintenance services for residents and visitors within their individual districts. The most established are the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District (Downtown D.C. BID), 1250 H St. NW (tel. 202/638-3232; www.downtowndc.org), which covers the territory between Union Station and the White House (Constitution to Massachusetts aves., and between 16th and First sts.); the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (Golden Triangle BID), 1120 Connecticut Ave. NW (tel. 202/463-3400; www.gtbid.com), encompassing the area between the White House and Dupont Circle (bounded by 16th and 21st sts. NW and Pennsylvania Ave. and Dupont Circle); and the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District (Capitol Hill BID), 30 Massachusetts Ave. NE, inside Union Station's garage (tel. 202/842-3333; www.capitolhillbid.org), which covers the streets around the U.S. Capitol and Union Station. Look for the patrolling, red-uniformed "SAMS" (Downtown D.C. BID's safety and maintenance workers) downtown, black and gold outfitted hospitality ambassadors in the Golden Triangle area, and blue and gold attired "STARS" near Capitol Hill, if you need directions, information, or any assistance at all. From March to October the Downtown D.C. BID also has special information kiosks stationed throughout the downtown.

National Park Service information kiosks are located inside the Jefferson, Lincoln, and FDR memorials and near the Vietnam Veterans, Korean War, and World War II memorials. Park rangers are on hand at the Washington Monument at its ticket booth at the bottom of the hill, at 15th Street NW and Constitution Avenue, inside the monument, and at the Ranger Station, located at the southwest point of the monument grounds, across from the Tidal Basin (tel. 202/619-7222; www.nps.gov/ncro).

The White House Visitor Center, on the first floor of the Herbert Hoover Building, Department of Commerce, 1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (between 14th and 15th sts.; tel. 202/208-1631, or 202/456-7041 for recorded information), is open daily (except for Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day) from 7:30am to 4pm.

The Smithsonian Information Center, in the "Castle," 1000 Jefferson Dr. SW (tel. 202/633-1000, or TTY 202/357-1729; www.si.edu), is open every day but Christmas from 8:30am to 5:30pm. Call for a free copy of the Smithsonian's "Planning Your Smithsonian Visit," which is full of valuable tips, or stop at the Castle for a copy.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has a large central office near the White House, at 701 15th St. NW, between G Street and New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005-2111 (tel. 202/331-3000). Hours are 9am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday.

Publications

At the airport, pick up a free copy of Washington Flyer magazine (www.fly2dc.com), which is handy as a planning tool.

Washington has two daily newspapers: the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) and the Washington Times (www.washingtontimes.com). The Friday "Weekend" section of the Post is a good source for finding out what's going on, recreation-wise. City Paper, published every Thursday and available free at downtown shops and restaurants, covers some of the same material, but it's a better guide to the club and art gallery scene.

Helpful Telphone Numbers & Websites

Smithsonian Museums (tel. 202/633-1000; www.si.edu). Call this main information line for the Smithsonian museums, then press "2" to listen to the recorded listing of daily events going on at each of the 19 Washington-area Smithsonian museums.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2008 Author: Elise Hartman Ford Pub Date: October 22, 2007 Price: $16.99				Related Titles: Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Washington, D.C., 6th Edition Frommer's Portable Washington, D.C., 6th Edition Frommer's Portable Washington, D.C., 7th Edition