IS THIS YOUR FIRST TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C.?
Don’t panic. Washington D.C. is one of the easiest cities to travel in...and one of the cheapest. So let’s get started with your options.
There are three airports that serve the D.C. area: For information log on to http://www.mwaa.com and select the airport of your choice.
Reagan National Airport (DCA) -- located in the heart of metropolitan D.C.
Dulles International Airport (IAD) – about 30 miles from the hotel
Baltimore Washington International (BWI) – about 30 miles from the hotel
From Reagan National Airport your two best travel options are taxi or Super Shuttle.
• A taxi will cost about $15-17 for one person, one way.
• The Super Shuttle is a shared-ride and makes multiple stops and costs $15 -17 one way (1-800 Blue VAN or http://supershuttle.com/default.aspx )
As a third option, the Marriott Key Bridge is located within three blocks of the Rosslyn Metro Station. More adventurous travelers can take the Metro Blue line from Reagan National to the Rosslyn Metro station and walk the three blocks down hill toward the hotel.
The Washington D.C. Metro system is very clean, safe and easy to ride. Log on to http://www.wmata.com. From there you can download information on maps and stations, schedules and fares, how to travel etc.
Metro Travelers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: After you get your baggage look for the ground transportation signs and find one that leads you to the Metro Station. You will come to an area where metro cards are sold.
Go to one of these machines and follow the instructions for putting your money in to receive a pass. How much you enter depends on how much traveling in the area you think you will be doing. You can always add to the ticket later on. Minimum fare is $1.35. After the machine takes your money an amount will flash on the screen. You can opt for less money than you put in at this time by pushing the down keys until you get to the right amount. Then push the button to receive the fare card and change, if needed.
As you go through the gates you will put your fare card into a slot. It will pop back out and you will remove it from the slot. The gate will open and you may go on through to the train platform. There will be a platform on both sides. A large brown pole will have a name on it which will indicate the end station on the line that serves the station you are in.
Both the blue and yellow lines go to and from the airport. You must take the Blue line to get to the Marriott Key Bridge. Find the pole that says Largo Town Center in blue. Get on that side of the platform. The trains will have a colored light on the engine over the window that will indicate the color of the line.
Dulles International Airport is about 30 miles from the hotel. A taxi will cost you about $50. The Super Shuttle can also take you to the hotel for about $26 one way. Check the cost on the web site. The Washington Flyer Coach Service provides a convenient link between Dulles and the West Falls Church Metro station. West Falls Church is on the orange line so you would have to go to the Rosslyn station (6th stop towards New Carrollton). This again would require the 3 block walk to the hotel.
You can also fly into Baltimore-Washington International. It is also about 30 miles from Washington D.C. Both Amtrak and the Marc train go into Union Station. Union Station is on the Red line. Go toward Shady Grove and change to the Orange line at Metro Center going toward Vienna. Rosslyn is the 4th stop. This again would require the 3 block walk to the hotel.
BWI Express Metrobus goes between BWI and the Greenbelt Station in Washington D.C. The Greenbelt Station is on the green line. Go to L’Enfant Plaza and transfer to the Orange line going toward Vienna. Rosslyn is the 7th stop. This again would require the 3 block walk to the hotel.
Look on the www.jcep.org web site and find the PILD Guide to Visiting Washington D.C. for more places to go and things to see.
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