Travel to Washington, DC
Flying to Washington, DC
Airlines offering flights to Washington, DC from the UK include British Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic. Prices rarely fluctuate throughout the year, but flights do tend to be a little more expensive from July to September. All the major US airlines operate domestic flights to the city.
Flight times
From London - 8 hours 30 minutes; New York - 1 hour 15 minutes; Los Angeles - 4 hours 45 minutes; Toronto - 1 hour 25 minutes; Sydney - 20 hours (including stopover).
Travel by road
The minimum driving age in Washington, DC is 16 years and traffic drives on the right. The speed limit on all roads within the DC area is 40kph (25mph) unless otherwise indicated.
Technically overtaking should only be done on the left lane, although, in reality, cars on a five-lane highway often pass on both sides. At traffic lights, right turns on the red light are permitted if the way ahead is clear.
At crossroads without traffic lights, the four-way stop system means that it is first come first served, or if two cars arrive simultaneously, the one on the right has the right of way. All traffic must stop when school bus hazard lights are flashing. Visitors must possess a full national driving licence to drive in the USA.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: +1 866 636 2377; http://midatlantic.aaa.com) can provide information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.
Emergency breakdown services
AAA (tel: +1 800 222 4357).
Routes
I-66 heads west into Virginia; I-50 to Annapolis in Maryland; I-95 to Baltimore, Richmond, Philadelphia and New York; and I-270 to Maryland and beyond.
Coaches
Greyhound (tel: +1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com), Peter Pan Bus Lines (tel: +1 800 343 9999; www.peterpanbus.com) and Megabus (tel: 1 877 462 6342; www.megabus.com) operate long-distance buses from Union Station at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE. Buses and ticketing can be found at 0 level of the station.
Time to city
From Baltimore - 1 hour; Richmond - 1 hours 50 minutes; New York - 4 hours; Philadelphia - 2 hours 30 minutes.
Travel by Rail
Services
Rail services in and out of Washington, DC are frequent and reliable, but not always the most cost-effective mode of transport. The vast Union Station is on 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, and its extensive facilities include restaurants, shops, ATMs and left luggage.
Operators
Amtrak (tel: +1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) operates long-distance services to and from Washington, DC, including regular departures to Philadelphia (Acela Express), New York and Chicago.
MTA/MARC (tel: +1 410 539 5000; mta.maryland.gov) operates local services, including to Baltimore and other towns in Maryland.
Journey times
From Philadelphia - 1 hour 40 minutes; New York - 3 hours; Chicago - 17 hours 25 minutes.
