Getting Around Washington DC

Tourmobile Sightseeing Bus in Washington, DC

When some people think of the Washington DC area, they think of bumper-to-bumper gridlock traffic on the Capital Beltway.  Driving around the DC / Northern Virginia area can be challenging - finding a parking space in DC can be even more challenging.

If you must drive around the Beltway or other congested DC thoroughfares, make sure you check out the Googlemaps Traffic View that depicts traffic in green, yellow, and red.

The public transportation system in the DC area is robust and should be taken advantage of.  For many years, we used to drive into DC, fighting the traffic, then frustratingly circle the blocks over and over until finally finding a parking space.  The whole time, we used to think how much better it would be if we simply took the metro...

Take advantage of the public transportation system in the DC Metropolitan area.  If you are flying into DC and land at Reagan National Airport, the Metro stops right there and you can hop on the subway right there.  If you decide to drive into DC, your best bet is to find a parking garage and pay the fee for parking.  Looking for free parking can be a tedious chore - especially around summertime or a holiday weekend.

Washington DC Metrorail - King Street Station, VA

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority operates the second largest rail transit system and the fifth largest bus network in the United States.  The Metro Rail (subway) system is a great way to travel into and around the Washington, DC area.  Trains run from 5:00 AM to midnight on weekdays and until 3:00 AM on Friday and Saturday nights.

For excursions into DC, we like to drive to the Pentagon City Mall in Arlington, VA and park in their parking garage.  In the bottom floor of the mall is an entrance to the Metro subway.  From here, we take the metro into DC and get off at either L'Enfant Plaza or Metro Center to do our sightseeing and museum-visiting.  This way we avoid the hassles of driving into DC and take the quick and efficient public transportation.

Check out the official Washington Metro website for maps, fares, and schedules of the Metro bus and Metro rail system.  Check out this Metro Rail map overlaid with googlemaps showing the routes as well as local attractions.

Getting around DC while sightseeing can also be done via trolley car.  There are various guided tours of DC that allow you to get on and get off anywhere throughout their route - at your own pace.  Such narrated tours include the popular Sightseeingmobile and Old Town Trolley.

Additionally, there are many taxicabs in DC and both Reagan National and Dulles airports carry the full assortment of rental car companies.  If you are arriving at Reagan National Airport, travel via the Yellow Metrorail line to downtown DC (Gallery Place/China Town). The Convention Center is one stop past Gallery Place. The Blue line has a longer travel time to down town destinations.