WE REALIZE THERE ARE MANY FACTORS (cost, number of people traveling together, distance, time, etc.) involved in choosing a mode of transportation, and there are plenty of options when it comes to Washington, each with pros and cons. Here are the basics.
IF YOU DRIVE, you will most likely arrive on one of three interstate highways, I-95 from the north or the south, I-66 from the west, or I-70/270 from the northwest; US 50 from the east; or the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, which parallels I-95 between Baltimore and Washington.
All of these routes connect with Washington’s Capital Beltway, I-495, which is where it gets confusing. Part of the Beltway is numbered both I-95 and I-495 because I-95 doesn’t cut (at least not yet) directly through Washington; instead, it’s rerouted along the southern and eastern half of the Beltway. One section that does continue halfway into the District is marked I-395; another section that slices off part of the Beltway on the eastern side of the Anacostia River and hooks back up to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway is labeled I-295. I-695, the new name for the 2-mile-long Southeast Freeway, also branches off from 395 near the Capitol and then hooks back up to 295. (It’s still marked Southeast Freeway on many maps). There are signs that say take one ramp onto 495 toward Virginia and another toward Maryland, but depending on exactly where you’re going, they may lure you into taking the longer way around. The signage along the George Washington Memorial Parkway is so complicated that even locals find themselves headed either to see Lincoln and Jefferson instead of into Virginia.
Much of the highway construction in recent years is designed to make life easier for commuters, but it can make driving even more stressful for outsiders. There are HOV, or high-occupancy, lanes on many area highways, but their hours of restriction vary, as do the number of passengers required to use the lanes; some even reverse from morning to night. Express lanes have opened in the middle of the Beltway around the massive Springfield Interchange, where the Beltway meets I-95 and much of the battling signage begins, and run around the southwest quadrant of 495 to around Tysons. There are a limited number of exits, and using the express lanes requires an E-ZPass, so we suggest you just don’t do that, either. The express road to Dulles Airport parallels the Dulles Toll Road from the Beltway, but it has no exits, so don’t try to cheat. There is also a new toll road between I-270 and I-95, officially Maryland Route 200 but locally known as the ICC for Intercounty Connector; it has four intermediate exits and also requires an E-ZPass. (Former residents somewhat familiar with the Beltway can look into these additions at 495expresslanes.com or mdta.maryland.gov.)
Drivers coming from I-70/270 headed into central downtown should take the Beltway east to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and exit south. Bear right onto New York Avenue where the Parkway splits; it goes straight to downtown, near Union Station. If you’re going to the Maryland suburbs of Bethesda or Silver Spring, stay on I-270 to I-495 West. If you’re going to Northern Virginia or the more westerly neighborhoods, such as Reston, take I-495 south toward Virginia and use the prettier George Washington Memorial Parkway. Just pay close attention to those signs.
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You’ll hear constant references to the “Inner Loop” and “Outer Loop” in directions (and traffic reports). These refer to the twin circles of the Beltway. Because Americans drive on the right, the Inner Loop runs clockwise and the Outer Loop counterclockwise. Those of you from the UK, grit your teeth.
If at all possible, avoid rush-hour traffic, especially between 6:30 and 9 a.m. and about 3 to 7 p.m. When locals talk about “gridlock,” they are not referring to politics, but to traffic jams. In particular, try to avoid what is called the “Friday getaway” between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And remember, a majority of commuters have to cross some bridge or other to get into the city; one fender-bender and the highway becomes a parking lot. The Beltway is a wonderful convenience to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there.
RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT Of the area’s three airports, this—variously shorthanded as Reagan or National—is by far the most convenient, located a few miles south of D.C. on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, and the favored airport of Congress members headed home to their districts. But its proximity to the capital (with its restricted airspace for security reasons) and so many residential neighborhoods has resulted in limits on overnight flights and those outside a 1,250-mile perimeter (because larger jets are louder); if, as Eve knows all too well, you are seriously delayed by bad weather, you may find yourself landing not at National but BWI or Dulles.
So National is more of an East Coast short-hop airport and a U.S. Airways hub. If you can’t get a direct flight into National, search out a connection; it will still likely be faster and more convenient than flying into either of the other two airports.
Reagan National offers several options for getting into the city or suburbs. The airport’s own Metro station is the most obvious: Both the Blue and Yellow Lines stop here, offering connections to other lines at several crosspoints in the system. Two pedestrian bridges connect the Metro to the main terminal, although if you have extra baggage or are transferring terminals, you can take a free shuttle. On weekend and holiday mornings, Metrobus numbers 13F and 13G shuttle between downtown, circling around Federal Triangle, Penn Quarter, the Smithsonian, and the airport (wmata.com/bus/timetables). Two ground-transportation centers located on the baggage claim level provide information on Metro, taxi service, SuperShuttle vans, and rental cars.
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All three Washington regional airports have designated animal relief areas for those traveling with pets and USO lounges for members of the armed services and their families (and service animals). All three also participate in the TSA’s PreCheck program.
Union Station is also on the Metro, although on the Red Line, which means you’d have to transfer at Gallery Place or MetroCenter; however, if Washington is only one stop on your vacation, the subway-train connection might be useful. (There’s also an Amtrak stop in Alexandria by the King Street station.)
Cab fares are about $12 to downtown or $15 to the convention center. You could certainly rent a car, but you’ll have to negotiate some of the busiest traffic just to get out of the immediate area.
SuperShuttle shared-service vans leave every 15 (or fewer) minutes to any destination in the D.C. area. Fares start at $14 (additional members of the party are $10 each) for travel into the District of Columbia. Three SuperShuttle ticket counters are located at National; look for the WASHINGTON FLYER/SUPERSHUTTLE signs posted throughout the airport. For more information, exact fares, and reservations, call e 800-BLUE VAN (258-3826) or go to supershuttle.com.
For detailed information about Reagan National Airport, go to mwaa.com/reagan.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy annex, 2½ miles from Dulles Airport, houses a Concorde, the space shuttle Enterprise, and the Enola Gay, among other aviation and aerospace legends.
WASHINGTON DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Located 26 miles west of downtown in the sprawling Virginia suburbs, in a soaring landmark building designed by Eero Saarinen (which was copied by the Taiwan airport authorities), Dulles International is 45 minutes to an hour from the city by car. There is no direct public transportation downtown yet; an extension of the Metro, the Silver Line, is under construction but is not scheduled to open until 2016.
Dulles is primarily known as an international hub—more than 20 international companies fly here—but a dozen domestic airlines are here as well: United Airlines has a major hub at Dulles.
The building has four terminals, two of which have been renovated and the other two of which are to be replaced by a more ergonomic building. Dulles has underground passenger trains between three terminals, though there are still some elevated van-like “people movers” in use to Terminal D. For complete information on the airport and services, go to mwaa.com/dulles.
Until the Silver Line is complete, Dulles remains the least convenient of the three airports serving Washington, despite the existence of the airport-only Dulles Access Road, which connects with the Capital Beltway and I-66. (In fact, a survey by Travel + Leisure magazine recently ranked it as the seventh worst airport in the country, in great part for its location and long security lines—and remember, you’re going through twice.) Cab fare is about $55–$65 to downtown Washington.
Washington Flyer coach service to the West Falls Church Metro station leaves about every 30 minutes, seven days a week ($10 one-way, $18 round-trip); depending on traffic, it takes 20 to 30 minutes. Cab fare to West Falls Church station is $46, so the better bargain might depend on the number of people in the party. For more information, call 
888-927-4359 or visit washfly.com. SuperShuttle shared-ride vans will take you anywhere in the D.C. metropolitan area; there’s usually about a 30-minute wait and fares start at about $29 to the downtown area (additional members of the party are $10 each).
Metrobus has service from the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station with stops at the Rosslyn Metro and the Tysons-Westpark Transit Station, which might be handy for those staying in the Virginia suburbs. The 5A bus leaves L’Enfant Plaza every 25–45 minutes weekdays and on the hour between 6:30 a.m. and 11:40 p.m. on weekends; the trip takes close to an hour and costs $6 each way ($3 for seniors and those with disabilities). For more information visit wmata.com/bus/timetables. For information on SmarTrip service, see the section on “Taking the Metro”.
If you happen to be staying or working near Dulles Town Center, there is also bus service from there to the airport, with five stops in between. The Dulles 2 Dulles Connector leaves from the town center every 45–60 minutes between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. weekdays. The trip takes about 45 minutes and costs only 50 cents. (This shuttle also stops at the Udvar-Hazy museum.) For more information call 877-777-2706 or go to vatransit.org/?s=dulles+2+dulles.
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL THURGOOD MARSHALL AIRPORT There’s a reason “Baltimore” comes first in the name; it’s located only 10 miles south of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor but about 35 miles—a 50-minute drive in the best of traffic conditions—from downtown D.C.
Although it is a true international port, BWI handles primarily domestic air traffic. It’s a Southwest Airlines hub, which accounts for more than half the traffic, and also a secondary hub for AirTran. Its popularity as a lower-cost, high-efficiency airport has kept business booming; nearly 2.2 million passengers came through BWI in July 2012 alone. Aviation.com has named it one of the Top 10 easiest airports to get to, in great part because, despite its out-of-the-way location, it has public transportation links to Washington via both Amtrak and the Metro. (In contrast to Dulles’s bad rating in the Travel + Leisure survey, BWI ranked sixth best, with high rankings for on-time flights and swift TSA screening.)
Cab fare from BWI to downtown starts at about $90 without tip. Metrobus B30 offers express service to the Greenbelt Metro station on the Green and Yellow Lines, leaving every 40 minutes from about 6 a.m.–10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.–10 p.m. weekends; the fare is $6 ($3 for seniors and disabled passengers), and the transfer onto the subway system is free. Greenbelt is also a stop for the MARC Camden Line (described below), which terminates at Union Station.
Amtrak has a designated station at BWI, and the free shuttle ride from the airport over to the station takes only a few minutes. Depending on the time of day, day of week, and the particular train, one-way tickets to Union Station range from $13 to $39, but there is also an Amtrak stop at New Carrollton, which is a subway stop and might be closer to some Maryland destinations, such as College Park, home of the University of Maryland. Travel time from BWI to Union Station is about 30 minutes, and 15 minutes to New Carrollton; for information call 800-USA-RAIL (872-7245) or go to amtrak.com. MARC trains, which use the same stations as Amtrak, are inexpensive ($4 from Greenbelt to Union Station), but it’s primarily a commuter service that is only available on weekdays and infrequently at that; for schedule information call 866-743-3682 or go to mta.maryland.gov/marc-train.
For more information on Baltimore/Washington International Airport, go to bwiairport.com.
UNION STATION, LOCATED NEAR CAPITOL HILL, is the major Amtrak terminal in Washington. Once inside the newly restored train station (which also houses restaurants, a multiplex, a food court, and plenty of shopping, in case you missed a meal or your best suit), you can jump on the Metro, located on the lower level. To reach cabs, limousines, buses, and open-air tour trolleys, walk through Union Station’s magnificent Main Hall to the main entrance.
Amtrak also has a station adjacent to the King Street Metro Station in Alexandria, which might be more convenient for those Virginia-bound. For information and schedules for Amtrak, the national passenger train service, call 800-872-7245 (TTY 800-523-6590) or visit amtrak.com.
In addition to Amtrak, Washington’s Union Station is served by the Maryland commuter system (MARC) and Virginia Railway Express (VRE), which might be useful for those staying with family or friends farther out or who wish to make a day trip to some of the regional attractions.
MARC operates three lines: the Penn Line, connecting to Baltimore’s Pennsylvania Station (the Amtrak terminal) with stops at the New Carrollton Amtrak/Metro station and BWI airport; the Camden Line, which ends in downtown Baltimore near the Inner Harbor and the Baltimore Orioles’ and Ravens’ stadiums; and the Brunswick Line, going northwest through the Montgomery County suburbs along the Potomac River into western Maryland with a stop at Harper’s Ferry and an extension to Frederick, Maryland. Note, however, that MARC operates Monday through Friday only. For schedules and more information, go to mta.maryland.gov/marc-train or call 800-325-RAIL (TTY 410-539-3497).
VRE operates two commuter lines, one south to Fredericksburg and the other west to Manassas. Most service is inbound in the mornings and outbound in the afternoons, but some trains serve day-trippers as well. VRE also operates weekdays only; 703-684-1001 (TTY 703-684-0551) or 800-RIDE VRE (743-3873) or visit vre.org.
GREYHOUND MAY BE THE VETERAN on the block and have the most memorable slogan, but it’s not up (yet) to the standards of some of the hipper modern bus lines, the routes aren’t always direct, and it’s not even always a bargain. If you happen to be traveling from New York, Philadelphia, or along the Northeast Corridor, you might also check into some of the new luxury bus lines, which offer free Wi-Fi, bottled water, and/or video screens. Tickets start as low as $1, and though that’s obviously a very limited promotional rate, most tickets range from $20 to $50; departure and arrival points vary.
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The easiest way to compare bus fares is to go to Bus Junction (busjunction.com), which monitors a dozen bus lines, including the old grey dog.
As noted in Part 1: Planning Your Visit, the Greyhound bus terminal is near Union Station, which gives you fairly easy access to the subway or taxis, but if you have much more than a carry-on, it’s something of a schlep. Those new coach lines along the corridor mentioned above have various arrival points, all of them at or very near major Metro subway stops. The DC2NY (dc2ny.com) stops at Dupont Circle; Washington Deluxe Bus (washny.com), which makes a 20-minute pit stop and runs family-friendly movies, will drop you off near the Farragut North, Dupont Circle, or Union Station Metro stops (the route depends on the time you leave New York); VamooseBus.com (vamoosebus.com) stops in Bethesda and Arlington. The gimmick at BoltBus (boltbus.com), which arrives at the Metro Center subway station, is that the earlier you make reservations, the cheaper the seats—starting at $1—and if you buy eight trips, the ninth is free. Megabus also terminates at Metro Center, and fares can also dip to the bargain bin if you book several weeks ahead (megabus.com).
IN WASHINGTON, GEOGRAPHY ISN’T SO MUCH DESTINY as destination. The District of Columbia is a city of nearly 620,000 people, but metropolitan Washington (formally the National Capital Region), which includes Arlington County, the town of Alexandria, Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties in Virginia, and the Maryland counties of Montgomery, Prince George’s, and parts of Howard and Frederick, totals nearly 5.4 million residents. Rockville, a few miles north of the D.C. line, is Maryland’s second-largest city, after Baltimore. Loudoun County, west of Fairfax County, is the fastest-growing and, according to some surveys, wealthiest county in the nation.
Although it isn’t technically accurate, residents generally use “Washington” to refer to the entire metropolitan region, and “D.C.” or “the District” to indicate the central city.
Washington’s most important geographical features, the Potomac River and, to a slightly lesser degree, the Anacostia River, can be challenges to both tourists and suburban commuters. The few bridges that cross the river are rush-hour bottlenecks; in town, there are a number of particular driving challenges—alternating one-way streets, streets that are two-way most of the time but one-way at certain hours, and, of course, the two blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue immediately in front of the White House, tourist central, that are closed to vehicles—that just add to the confusion. Not to mention constant construction obstructions and detours, accidents, official motorcades….
On the other hand, while it’s routinely exhausting to drive around Washington, the street layout—i.e., what tourists need to know on the ground—is more logical than it might seem. (Poor Pierre L’Enfant, he was just ahead of his time.)
Many of Washington’s streets, especially downtown, are arranged in a grid, with numbered streets running north–south and lettered streets going east–west. The Capitol is the grid’s center (although if you look at the map, you’ll see that the White House is much closer to the geographical heart), with North Capitol, South Capitol, and East Capitol Streets spoking out in those directions. What would be West Capitol Street, in effect, is the green swath of the Mall.
What takes getting used to are the avenues—Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, etc.—which are named after states and which cut across the grid diagonally; they tend to lead into traffic circles or park squares that, though picturesque on a map, are the nemesis of many drivers. (Eve spent several days driving Massachusetts Avenue all the way from Southeast D.C. to Bethesda before she could do it without getting off on at least one wrong spoke of a traffic circle.)
To make it worse, those diagonal state place names will disappear for the length of the square: Vermont Avenue temporarily vanishes at either end of McPherson Square; Connecticut Avenue runs toward, and away from, Farragut Square, and so on.
Our advice is to look at the map long enough to understand that underlying pattern—and to count the alphabet on your fingers once in a while. If you are trying to find an address on a lettered street, such as the National Building Museum, at 401 F Street NW, that’s fairly obvious: it’s on F Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets NW, so the International Spy Museum at 800 F Street NW is quite simply at the corner of Eighth and F Streets in the NW quadrant. (Those NWs are important because there can be multiple examples of the same address; there is, for instance, an Eighth and F Streets SE, a similarly named intersection in NE, and despite the Southwest Freeway and a few office buildings, you could find yourself wandering very near the old Eighth and F Streets SW as well.)
On the other hand, if you are looking for an address on a numbered street, your digits will come in handy, especially after the 900s. Ford’s Theatre at 511 Tenth Street NW is on Tenth between E and F Streets, E being the fifth street, and Ford’s being a few buildings headed toward F, the sixth street. However, there is no J Street NW, so The Washington Post building at 1150 15th Street NW, which one might look for between K and L Streets NW, is actually between L and M Streets NW.
Although longstanding legend has it that it was because Pierre L’Enfant so disliked U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay that he refused to acknowledge even the homonym, it was actually because in those days the letters “I” and “J” were written so much alike that it would have caused confusion.
Even if your destination is on an avenue named after a state, the underlying grid of number- and letter-named streets will get you there and can even help you locate your block. An example: A popular destination for both tourists and power seekers is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Because this well-known street snakes through downtown and into Georgetown, pinpointing an exact address can seem tough. The clue, however, is in the street address: the White House is near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 16th Street. Here are some of the major avenues that visitors will likely encounter in the city or in directions:
Among those aforementioned circles and squares are some that are major landmarks or reference points and often lend their names to entire neighborhoods. Among the most important are:
These are some of the streets visitors should be familiar with:
Several scenic parkways also do double duty as major thoroughfares:
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Here are two important things to know: Do not text or talk while driving. It is against the law in all local jurisdictions to talk while driving unless you have a hands-free device, and you may not text at any time. Also, the entire region is rife with red-light cameras, so obey the signals as well as the speed limit.
Incidentally, if you do find yourself driving these parkways, watch your watch! Sections of Rock Creek Parkway and Canal Road are one-way at rush hour (following the commuter traffic). Some of the busier in-town roads have one-way periods as well, including 15th Street NW (as Eve discovered her first week in Washington) and 17th Street NW, or have lanes that change direction in rush hour.
IF WE HAVEN’T ALREADY MADE IT CLEAR why you don’t want to drive around Washington, we’ll point out the other problem: you’ll have to park somewhere.
Though there are more than 17,000 street meters in D.C. alone, many only allow for 2 hours of parking (at up to $2 an hour), and police are quick to issue tickets for expired meters. All around the region, construction and redevelopment take whole lots out of commission for years on end. Street meters and lots may now require you to pay via credit card or have a cell phone–debit charge account; worse, various neighborhoods use different companies for that, so you must be sure where you want to go. Some neighborhoods have “blocks” of parking slots to be paid for at a single machine; others have individual meters. Also, a lot of legal spaces turn illegal during rush hour.
The lingering hope is to find a space after 5:30 p.m., when many used to become free—although increasingly, meters in high-demand areas run until 7 p.m. or, in “premium demand” zones of Bethesda, Penn Quarter, Adams Morgan, Mid City, and Georgetown (among others), until 10 p.m. Plus, if you are in a restricted zone rather than a garage, it is illegal to “add on” more money after your parking expires. Be sure to check the times on parking signs; they may be at the end of the block.
Note: Unlike many jurisdictions, the District of Columbia enforces meter fares on Saturdays. And if your car is in a traffic lane at rush hour, no matter how much you put in that box, you’re outta there, so don’t even think about it. Tens of thousands of vehicles are towed each year for rush-hour violations alone.
The old-fashioned (so to speak) parking garages charge anywhere from $12 to $18 a day or $7 an hour, and most of those are moving toward automated or smart phone payment as well. Valet parking for dinner at a hot spot can easily cost you $10. In some residential neighborhoods, such as Georgetown and Adams Morgan, parking is restricted to 2 hours, unless you have a residential parking permit on your windshield.
Incredibly, there’s free parking along the Mall beginning at 10 a.m. weekdays; the limit is 3 hours. Needless to say, competition for the spaces is fierce.
Every jurisdiction assesses fair fares differently. For instance, in Arlington, there are color-coded short- and long-term meters—allowing everything from only a half hour up to 10—which cost $1.25 up to 4 hours and $1 an hour, respectively. At least you can use either cash or credit.
Parking restrictions in most regions are only lifted on Federal holidays, although in the case of government shutdowns, enforcement might be problematic.
You can use your smart phone to pay for all meters in the District of Columbia if you sign up with parkmobile.com; download the app for meters in Bethesda, Wheaton, and Silver Spring in Montgomery County at mobile-now.com. (Northern Virginia has not yet put a system in place.)
The best thing to do, once you have chosen your accommodations, is to ask the hotel staff, or your friends, what method of parking is nearest.
IF YOU FOLLOW OUR ADVICE TO AVOID DRIVING to Washington but really want to take a day trip or go outside the mass transit circuit, you can rent your wheels without the rent-a-car counter. If you are already a member of the Zipcar auto-sharing nation (which allows you to rent by the hour as well as by the day), there are dozens of pickup locations; go to zipcar.com for details.
There is also a hugely popular bike-sharing network, with more than 300 stations around the metropolitan area, especially near subway stations. You can join for a month online, but you can also get a one-day ($7) or three-day ($15) membership right at the kiosk. Once you’re a member, you get the first 30 minutes of each trip free, with various hourly rates thereafter; go to capitalbikeshare.com for usage fees. For information on suggested commuter routes, maps, and expanded bike lanes in Washington go to ddot.dc.gov/bike or bikewashington.org. However, be aware that as yet only a few dedicated bike lanes have been put in place downtown, and even locals find them tricky.
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If you prefer that someone else provide the pedal power, check the tourist hot spots around the Mall and nightlife neighborhoods for a pedicab; to schedule a pickup or even a tour, contact DC Pedicab (
202-345-8065, dcpedicab.com) or National Pedicabs ( 202-269-9090, nationalpedicabs.com).
The Metro transit system is also bike-friendly. There are free bicycle racks at most Metro parking lots (available on a first-come basis), but you can actually take your bike—classic two-wheelers only, no tandems, etc.—on the subway at non–rush hours during the week and all day on weekends and most holidays. (Super-crowded days, such as the Fourth of July, are a no-go.) Use the first and last cars only. For more information go to wmata.com/getting_around/bike_ride/.
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If you take a Segway tour and get a license, you may be able to rent a Segway for independent touring; see Part Five.
EVEN IF YOU DO HAVE A CAR, adopt the park-and-ride method. The Metrorail system—nearly always called the Metro, though that refers to the Metrobus system as well—connects the outer suburbs to the city with 106 miles of track and 86 stations throughout the Washington area, with more stations under construction. It’s the second-busiest system in the country after New York City’s, transporting about 800,000 passengers every weekday, and it’s fully accessible. Each of the five color-coded lines—Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Orange—run from the outlying counties through downtown D.C.; the stylized route map looks like some mythical rainbow arachnid. The sixth line, which will run west from the District (piggybacking on some Orange Line stations) through Tysons Corner and Reston to Dulles Airport, will be Silver.
It’s a clean, generally safe, and, for the most part, efficient system that saves visitors time, money, and energy. The trains are fairly quiet, with a mix of seats and straphangers, and heating and air-conditioning that is relatively reliable. The stations are clean, if somewhat stark, with signature arching concrete panel ceilings; because in many stations the electrified tracks run along the wall and the platform is in the middle, this helps protect the walls from graffiti. The wide-open design also explains why Metro is less susceptible to the sort of pickpocketing and petty crime often associated with subways: there are few places for thieves to hide, especially with the extensive closed-circuit TV and car-to-operator intercoms. Metro also has its own police/security force.
Trains operate Monday–Thursday, 5 a.m.–midnight; Friday, 5 a.m.–3 a.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.–3 a.m.; and Sunday, 7 a.m.–midnight. (Holiday schedules vary; check the schedule at wmata.com.) During peak hours (weekdays 5 a.m.–9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m.), trains run every 3–6 minutes; off-peak hours, the wait averages 12 minutes and can go to 20 minutes late at night and on weekends.
Many, though unfortunately not all, street signs in Washington indicate the direction and number of blocks to the nearest Metro station. Station entrances are identified by brown columns with an “M” on all four sides, and the newer ones are marked with a combination of colored stripes in red, yellow, orange, green, or blue that indicate the line or lines serving that station. (The pylon at the entrance nearest the elevator will have a wheelchair symbol on it.)
Because most stations, especially in D.C., are underground, passengers usually have to descend to the mezzanine to ride, buy passes, or add money. Stations have stairs, escalators, and elevators; the escalators in particular have been dogged in recent years with mechanical troubles, and the system is undergoing a vast maintenance and improvement program, but breakdowns are not infrequent. If an elevator is out at a particular station, wheelchair users can ride to the next station, and shuttle service will be available.
For trivia freaks, Washington’s Metrorail system might be a tourist attraction in its own right: The Wheaton station boasts the Western Hemisphere’s longest single-span escalators, 230-foot-long behemoths that take 2¾ minutes to ride. The Forest Glen station, which is nearly 200 feet underground, doesn’t even have escalators, only elevators.
First-time visitors should get an official Metro Visitor’s Kit, which includes a pocket-size Metro map, sites of interest near Metrorail stations, and hours and fare information. You can download the kit, along with Metrobus routes for the District, Virginia, and Maryland, at wmata.com/getting_around/visitor_info/visitorkit.cfm. If you prefer to have it snail-mailed, call 888-METROINFO (638-7646) or 202-962-2773, but you need to allow about three weeks for delivery. However, there is a service kiosk just inside every station entrance, and the attendants will be happy to help you sort out your directions. Or ask a local; we don’t bite, and, in fact, many will volunteer assistance if you look bewildered.
You can also purchase Metro passes in advance at wmata.com/fares/purchase/store; they are available in denominations of $10 and $20. Other online options include one-day passes for $14 and a couple of seven-day plans (like the London Underground, Metro is geared to inner-city and longer-range trips). There is even an all-access monthly option for $230 that contractors or consultants might find useful.
The Metro Pocket Guide and map is available for downloading in English and five additional languages; several others can be read in translation on the website.
There are several rules you must follow. Most international visitors (and New Yorkers) are used to being able to eat and drink on their subway systems, but consumption of any sort is illegal in the Metro. In fact, you could be arrested for indulging on board (and don’t think all those teenagers get away with it, either). You may carry water or coffee in a mug or a burger in a bag, but keep it closed. Smoking is also illegal, which might also surprise some international visitors; and although some people cheat and light up as they’re running up the escalator, technically that’s off-limits too. You must use earphones for music and/or video devices and observe the signs for seating reserved for seniors and disabled riders.
Warning: Do not shove your arm between subway car doors as they are closing. These do not respond like elevator doors and will not reopen because of the obstruction. Make sure you don’t let a purse strap or briefcase get caught, either, because you’re likely to see it dragged away.
And though it is not a true rule, there is something that will make you an object of the fury of hundreds of disgruntled fellow travelers: standing on the left side of the escalators. Washingtonians are divided into those who stand on the escalators—on the right—and those who walk up on the left. If you block the left half of the moving stairs, you are asking for a nasty remark at the very least.
Lastly, although Metro in general is very safe, it is a major people-mover, which means you may have to endure loud or rambunctious teenagers, sports fans, theater- or concert-goers, etc. Very rarely, they (or a homeless person or drunk) may seem more threatening. And there have been isolated incidents of violence at downtown stations, including a seemingly spontaneous but rather large fistfight at Gallery Place–Chinatown, and one at Union Station that apparently concerned a fight over an iPod. These are rare, but you should never be taken by surprise. And don’t flash that iPhone around, anywhere.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO KNOW before you drive to the Metro station. First, only 42 stations have parking lots, and most of those are outside the Beltway. (All have bike and motorcycle parking as well.)
None of the 86 stations accept cash or paper farecards at the parking lot exit; you must have a SmarTrip card or credit card to get your car out of the lot on weekdays after 10:30 a.m. Occasionally, the gate will go up before that, but it’s best to assume you’re going to pay. (A major exception is Grosvenor/Strathmore; whenever there is a concert or event at Strathmore Hall or concert center, the bars go up early.) Parking fees vary slightly, depending on the station, but are generally $4.50–$5 a day, except on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays, when you can get out of jail (so to speak) for free.
Most Metro lots and garages have close-in areas of parking spaces marked “Reserved.” These require a monthly permit but are only reserved until 10 a.m., after which you may grab an empty space. Don’t try to slip in too early; Metro police keep an eye out for that, and you’ll likely have competition from locals.
There are a limited number of metered spaces that you may be able to grab that allow you to pay in coin (follow the “Short-Term Parking” signs), but these are usually limited to 2 hours and cost $1 per hour. In a few cases, such as Rockville and Twinbrook, there are meters on the streets and in lots just outside the main parking lot as well; though these have longer allowable hours, they are still $1 for 60 minutes. Even trickier, these meters accept only quarters and $1 coins.
Only three stations allow multiday or longer-term parking: Franconia–Springfield, Greenbelt, and Huntington, all likely farther out than most tourists will be staying, although some business travelers may find it helpful.
METRO EMPLOYS A FARE SYSTEM BASED ON DISTANCE, unlike New York, for example, where all trips cost the same regardless of how many stops you pass. One-way fare is a minimum of $2.10 and a maximum of $5.75 at rush hour, and a minimum of $1.70 and a maximum of $3.50 at non–rush hour times, with a surcharge of $1 anytime a paper farecard is used (50 cents for seniors and disabled riders), so unless you are only in for a very short time, you should go for a SmarTrip card. Everyone over the age of 4 must have a fare pass; up to two toddlers per paying adult ride free.
Peak fares are in effect 5 a.m.–9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m. weekdays and from midnight to closing on weekends. Fares between specific stations are listed at the bottom of the color-coded system maps throughout the station, along with the estimated time of travel.
Getting a fare pass is very convenient, as all Metro stations have vending machines for both paper and SmarTrip cards; you can also purchase regular SmarTrip cards, though not the seniors’ version, at Washington-area CVS pharmacies and many Safeway and Giant grocery stores. Paper farecards hold from $2.70 (the minimum that must be on a farecard to enter the station) up to $45; they have magnetic strips that track your travels and deduct accordingly, and the remaining balance is printed onto the card as you leave so you’ll know when to reload. SmarTrip cards are the size of a credit card and have an electronic chip rather than a strip; the screens read out the balance as you go in and come out.
Though the vending machines can seem rather imposing in their long, square-shouldered ranks, buying a pass is actually fairly obvious: you stick in cash or a credit card, and out comes the SmarTrip card or farecard that you will use to get in and out of the subway.
Notice that we said in and out. If you are used to a subway system that has a one-price fare for all trips, you may be in the habit of stashing the ticket in your pocket or even disposing of it once you’re on board. Here you must hold onto it, whether you are using a farecard or a SmarTrip card; otherwise, like poor Charlie in that Kingston Trio song, you may ride forever ’neath the streets and never return. (Not really, of course, but it will be a pain.)
To buy a fare pass from the vending machine, you start with the large orange circle marked, not surprisingly, “1.” Next to that are buttons that point to lighted choices on a screen (pretty much like an ATM); you decide if you want a SmarTrip card or a paper farecard. Info circle number 2 leads you through the payment process (cash, coin, credit card) and if you’re using cash, allows you to adjust the actual value—i.e., if you put in three $1 bills but only need the $2.70 fare. However, in that case, try not to stick in a $5 bill; the machines only dispense coins, no bills, so you’ll have a heavy pocketful of change. (The maximum change dispensed is $4.95, so definitely don’t put in a $20 bill for a low fare, or you’ll have a high-balance card whether you wanted it or not.)
Like all machines that accept paper money, these occasionally turn snarky, spitting back bills they don’t like, so use new, stiffer greenbacks whenever you can or try smoothing wrinkled bills before inserting them. You can save yourself both time and aggravation by inserting or charging $10 or $20 at a time, which means you’re buying a ticket good for several trips at least.
For the past several years, Washington-area transit authorities have been working toward a unified system for paying fares. SmarTrip is already a mainstay of the subway system; can be used to exit any Metro station parking lot; and can be used on any Metro bus and nearly every regional bus and shuttle system (including, most importantly for tourists, the DC Circulator, described). The card itself costs $2 in the beginning, but it can be reused indefinitely, which could be a great convenience to business travelers who return frequently or those who have family members in the Washington area. If you register the card when you buy it—and if you buy it online or by mail, it is automatically registered—you can replace a lost card for $2, and all the money that was still on it will be restored. You can also register your card by going to smartrip.com.
SmarTrip cards are both sturdier and faster than paper passes, and you can load as much as $300 at a time (as opposed to $45 on paper). Instead of inserting them and waiting for them to reemerge, you simply press the face of the SmarTrip card to the large round plate so marked, and it calculates the fare electronically. All Metrobuses are equipped with SmarTrip readers that work the same way—touch and go—except that you only touch it once and the fare is automatically counted. If you have used the card at a Metrorail station or other Metrobus within the past 2 hours, the SmarTrip box automatically registers your fare as a transfer, and the second trip is free. And anytime you use the SmarTrip card on Metrobus or another related shuttle, you save 20 cents over the cash price.
For more information about SmarTrip, visit wmata.com/fares/smartrip.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR FARECARD or SmarTrip in hand, you can pass the gate into the Metro station proper. If you have a paper farecard, hold it in your right hand (sorry, but the machines are right-handed) with the brown magnetic stripe facing up and on the right. Walk up to one of the waist-high gates with the green “Enter” light and white arrow (red-light turnstiles marked “Do Not Enter” do not work both ways) and insert your card into the slot. It will be sucked in, the gate will open, and the card will pop back up for you to retrieve. If you have a SmarTrip card, press it against the magnetic reader on the right side of the gate (clearly marked with an image of the card).
Once you’re inside the gate, there will be escalators with the name of the end station indicating which platform your train will be on. Most stations have a single, middle platform, though some have dual platforms framing the tracks. You can confirm that you’re on the correct side of the platform by reading the list of stations printed on the pylons located there. (The Wheaton and Forest Glen stations are the anomalies, so far underground that they have individual tunnels for the north- and southbound trains, so you have less chance of getting on the wrong train.) The route and the appropriate stations are marked with the route color; if there are two routes that use that station but diverge farther on, make sure the station you want to get off at is marked with the correct color, or both.
If you do find that you are headed in the wrong direction, simply reverse course by walking across the platform, if it is in the middle, or go up the escalator over and down; just don’t go through the turnstile. The computer doesn’t know if you’re direction-challenged or not.
Some lines have shorter internal routes at rush hour, so that the busiest stations get more service. If you are staying in Bethesda, for example, you can take a Red Line train marked either Grosvenor–Strathmore or Shady Grove because both are beyond Bethesda. If you’re going to Rockville, however, you’d have to disembark at Grosvenor–Strathmore and wait for a Shady Grove–bound train. Also, some stations are served by more than one line—both the Blue and Yellow Lines will bring you from National Airport into town; and the Orange and Blue Lines and Yellow and Green Lines run together for several stops. Check the map or ask the agent.
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You can use the internal routes to your advantage. For instance, if you get on an inbound train at Rockville that is SRO, get off at Grosvenor-Strathmore and wait for a train that originates there; you’ll have plenty of seats to choose from. Headed back in bad weather? Get off at Medical Center, which is underground, and await the next train minus the cold and damp.
Above the platform are electronic signs on either track side that tell you how long the wait will be for the next several trains—the estimations are pretty accurate—and how far each particular train is going (Grosvenor vs. Shady Grove, Glenmont vs. Silver Spring, etc.) “Approaching” means the train has left the previous station and is within about a minute of arriving; “arriving” means just that. The signs also say how many cars are in each train, four being the shortest and eight the longest, which gives you an idea of not only how many seats there will be but also how far out toward the edges of the platform you can stand and still be near the doors when they open. Trains go in one direction only (like cars, on the right side forward), so you can tell which way your train is coming.
Let departing passengers exit, but then move smartly; the train stops for only a few seconds before the chimes and warning voice indicate that the doors are about to close. Remember, if you’re trying to squeeze into a train and hear the chimes, back off; if the doors close on you, you will seriously feel it, and there is often a less crowded train only a couple of minutes behind.
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As a train approaches a station, lights embedded in the floor along the granite edge of the platform begin flashing. As the train comes out of the tunnel, look for a sign over the front windshield that states the train’s line (Blue, Red, Green, Orange, or Yellow) and sometimes the destination. The terminus, but not the color, is also shown on the side of the train.
All trains have live operators who announce the next station over a PA system and give information for transferring to other lines, but you can’t always hear them over the din and the static. The newer cars have electronic signs at the front and rear that list the next station. Also, those large station signs on the walls over the tracks are visible through the car windows, so if you check the map and see which stop is just before the one where you want to get off, you’ll have a couple of minutes to gather your belongings (or kids).
Directions are always given as if you are facing forward, even though some seats face the side or the back. So if the conductor says, “Doors opening on the right,” he or she means the right if you are facing forward. If you can’t hear what the conductor is saying, watch the crowd shifting to one side or the other.
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Transfers between route lines are free but usually require going up or down a level. A straight-ahead arrow means go forward, but an upward arrow at an angle means look for an escalator.
When you get off the train, in most stations, you will have a choice of turning left or right to an escalator, and the signs are not always terribly instructive. At the Smithsonian station, for example, the choices are “The Mall” (which is almost certainly the one you want) and “Independence Avenue,” which means you tunnel beneath the street and come up over on the side with federal buildings. That’s not too hard to figure out. At Dupont Circle, on the other hand, one says “Q Street”—which brings you out north of the circle—and the other says “Dupont Circle,” which lets you up south of it. So if you aren’t sure of the exit in advance, it might be a good idea to ask the kiosk attendant at the first station so you don’t have to go through the turnstile before discovering you’re taking the long way around. But if worse comes to worst, you’ll be only a few blocks away from your intended destination.
Remember, you’ll have to use your farecard or SmarTrip card to exit. If your farecard still has money left on it, it will pop up as the gate opens and the sign will flash “Take Farecard.” If you bought exact fare, you won’t get your card back, but the gate will open and a little sign will flash “Exact Fare.” You will just walk through and out.
However, if your farecard doesn’t have enough value to cover your trip, the gate won’t open and the card will pop back out (or, with a SmarTrip card, the light will flash a warning that you have insufficient funds). In that case, look around and find an Exitfare machine, which looks pretty much like a farecard vending machine, somewhere just behind you. Insert the paper farecard or press the SmarTrip to the reader light, and the digital readout will tell you how much more money you need to exit the station. If you have a paper card, and are short 40 cents, that’s exactly how much you can add, and no more; the turnstile machine will swallow the card as you leave. If you have a SmarTrip card, you’ll be able to add on as much as you like, but note: Exitfare machines only accept cash. To add value with a credit card, you’ll have to go back to the main farecard machines.
Like approximately 8% of men, and a very few women, Unofficial Guide buddy Joe Surkiewicz is afflicted with red-green color blindness. On a map, he sees the Metro’s Red and Green Lines as nearly identical, and the Orange Line looks a lot redder than it should. The only lines on the system map he can distinguish by color are the Blue and Yellow ones.
No worries. While Metro maps do show the routes in color, at the ends of each route are circular symbols such are “RD” for Red and “GRN” for Green. The two lines only share two station stops anyway: Gallery Place–Chinatown, where they are on two different floors, and Fort Totten. Color-challenged visitors should (if possible) listen to the operator announcements in the station and make note of the stations at the ends of the lines. For instance, the Red Line is the “Glenmont–Shady Grove” line, while the Green Line is the “Greenbelt–Branch Avenue” line. (Just don’t forget that the Red Line also has some trains that terminate at Grosvenor-Strathmore and Silver Spring, etc.) That way, when you see the station name on the front of the train, you’ll know immediately that it’s your train. And even this is just a precaution: the train cars have signs on the front of the car spelling out both the destination and “red” or “green,” and the color is also on the sides.
The red/stop turnstile lights have a “bar” across them; the green/enter signs have an arrow.
WASHINGTON’S EXTENSIVE BUS SYSTEM, known as Metrobus, serves Georgetown, downtown, and the suburbs, but with 400 routes and more than 1,500 buses, Metrobus is complicated and better left to commuters, unless your hotel is right on an in-town stop—the 30 buses run through downtown to Georgetown, for instance—or your concierge has written your route down for you.
Similarly, while most of Washington’s suburbs have good subsidiary bus or shuttle systems that connect to the subway and the District, they’re probably too complicated, unless you are staying with friends who can show you the nearest stop.
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Circulator stop signs are also marked with a fish-shaped red-and-gold logo, while Metrobus stop markers are red, white, and blue. They are often, but not always, at the same intersections. Streetcars on the DC Trolley system resemble the Circulator buses.
However, the DC Circulator may be useful to tourists, especially those staying downtown or doing sustained sightseeing. (Some newer Metro maps show these shuttle routes as well, which is extremely helpful.) One route connects Union Station to Georgetown by way of the Washington Convention Center and K Street NW; the section between downtown (17th and K Streets NW) and Georgetown runs until midnight weekdays and 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Another shuttles between Dupont Circle and Rosslyn via Georgetown, primarily along M Street NW; and another connects McPherson Square (i.e., the Farragut North Metro station) with Woodley Park and Adams Morgan via the trendy 14th Street area and has late-night service (until 3:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and midnight the rest of the week). The route that connects Union Station to the Navy Yard by way of Capitol Hill stays open late when the Nationals play a home game.
The bright-red Circulator buses, with a distinctive fish-shaped gold route map on the side, run about every 10 minutes. A single trip is $1. Seniors and riders with disabilities pay $0.50, or ride free if transferring; children 4 and under ride free. You can pay cash (exact change) or touch the SmarTrip reader at the front driver’s door. Just as on Metrobus, a SmarTrip passage on the Metrorail within 3 hours will be registered as a transfer and cost $0.50.
You can purchase single-day, three-day, weekly, or monthly passes in advance at commuterdirect.com or at some CVS pharmacies. You can also get an all-day pass for $3 from one of the machines along the routes; the machines take change or credit cards but no paper bills. There are ticket machines all along the way (and also at the Gallery Place, Waterfront, and Mount Vernon Square–Convention Center Metro stations). For route maps and more information, go to dccirculator.com.
WASHINGTON TAXIS ARE PLENTIFUL and relatively cheap; there are more than 150 companies registered with the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission. Many companies also have wheelchair-accessible vans, but you should reserve those a day in advance (and get a confirmation number).
In the District of Columbia, meter fares start at $3 for the first few blocks, then a little over $2 per mile; additional passengers are $1 (up to $3) and baggage in the trunk is 50 cents per piece.
You’ll never mistake Pennsylvania Avenue for Park Avenue: Despite the rainbow of names among various cab companies, even yellow, D.C. cabs are now required to have a uniform paint scheme—a rich red, matching the Circulator buses, with a gray swoosh across the side and the company name in black. But you’ll still spot Barwood blue, Orange orange, etc. in the suburbs.
Various surcharges may be imposed for a driver waiting, being sent away without use, when gasoline prices go up, etc. Within the District of Columbia, the maximum fare is $19 absent emergency add-ons (25% in snow emergencies); children under age 6 ride free. The suburban taxi companies have their own rates; if you expect to use them, it is probably a good idea to call or go online to see what they are. D.C. cabs are required to have charge-card machines installed; most suburban cabs have them as well, but it wouldn’t hurt to specify if you’re calling for a reservation.
Cabbies can pick up other fares as long as the original passenger isn’t taken more than five blocks out of the way of the original destination. That’s good news if you’re the second or third rider and it’s raining; it’s not so hot if you’re the original passenger and are trying to catch a train.
IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY REALIZED IT, WASHINGTON—the District of Columbia in particular—is predominantly public territory. And since the federal government and the surrounding jurisdictions (even tobacco-proud Virginia) have finally conceded that indoor tobacco smoke is as hard on the human body as it is on art, archival materials, and even infrastructure, smoking is prohibited in all public facilities, including, but not limited to: federal offices; the Smithsonian museums (and all other museums as well) and major memorials; Metrorail and Metrobus, as well as most smaller transit services; performing arts venues and cinemas, the Verizon Center, and other indoor arenas; airports and train terminals; stores and shopping malls; restaurants; and hotel lobbies (and most hotel rest-rooms). Most open-air facilities—football and baseball stadiums, for instance—have restricted, designated smoking areas.
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In contrast to New York’s subway system, food and drink are prohibited on the Metro.
Consequently, if you are a habitual smoker, you’ll need to factor that in to your itineraries, or at least calculate where and when you can take a butt break. And that’s not a bathroom joke.
IS THE TIP YOU NORMALLY LEAVE AT HOME appropriate in Washington? Probably, but bear in mind that while a tip is a reward for good service, Washington waiters in particular tend to be a bit spoiled, so be sure you’re making a point if you tip lightly. Also, consider your hotel’s schedule: If your room is serviced twice a day, it would be nice to leave a tip for both the day and night staff—one of Eve’s golden rules—and it might earn you extra attention. Following are some general guidelines, but in truth, we recommend the high end—especially if you are hanging out at one of the area’s retro–cocktail-renaissance bars. Many of these mixologists have become celebrities in their own right, so if you want to command their attention, expect to flash the bigger bucks. Or don’t make a return trip. (On the other hand, if you are popping longnecks in a retro dive, do as the Brits do; leave the change on the bar.)
Porters, redcaps, and bellmen At least $1–$2 per bag and $5 for a lot of baggage
Cab drivers 15–20% of the fare; add an extra dollar if the cabbie does a lot of luggage handling
Valet parking $1–$2
Waiters 15–20% of the pretax bill
Bartenders 10–15% of the pretax bill
Chambermaids $1–$2 per day
Checkroom attendants in restaurants or theaters $1 per garment
Shoeshine guys $2 for shoes, $3–$4 for boots
THE WASHINGTON AREA IS SERVED BY SEVERAL AREA CODES: 202 inside the District; 301 and 240 for the Maryland suburbs; 703 and 571 for the closer Northern Virginia suburbs across the Potomac River; 540 for the outer Virginia suburbs; and 410 and 443 for Baltimore, Annapolis, and the ocean resorts. The Delaware ocean resorts use the 302 area code. All calls require the full 10-digit number; depending on your phone or calling plan, you may or may not have to dial 1 first. Most pay phone calls are 50¢—if you can still find one to call from.
THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE FAMILY IS LEGENDARILY ON GUARD for travelers with small bladders, a legacy from UG patriarch Bob Sehlinger. (And someday we’ll stop kidding him about it.) When we enter a marble edifice, you can be sure we’re not just scrutinizing the layout, the flow of the crowd, and the aesthetics: we’re also eyeing the real estate for the nearest public facility where we can unload that second cup of coffee.
So how does Washington rate in the restroom department? Really well. That’s because of the huge number of museums, monuments, federal office buildings, restaurants, bars, department stores, and hotels that cover the city, nearly all of which have clean and conveniently located restrooms.
Leading any list of great restroom locations should be the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall. For women who claim there’s no justice in the world when it comes to toilet parity, consider this: there are three times as many women’s restrooms as there are men’s rest-rooms. “And the men don’t seem to notice,” says a female Smithsonian employee who works at the information desk.
Other facilities of note on the Mall include those at the National Gallery of Art, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the National Museum of African Art. At the Arts and Industries Building, facilities are located far away from the front entrance (which means they aren’t as frequently, um, frequented). The restrooms in The Castle are easier to find and also usually not very crowded—perhaps because tourists tend to go there earlier in the day.
Nearly all the monuments have restrooms equipped for wheelchair users, including the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials (which are downstairs by the museum stores) and the Washington Monument (in the ticket lodge). The restrooms at the National World War II Memorial on the Mall and the FDR Memorial are very nice. The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center has more than two dozen restrooms, and there are more at both the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion and the White House Visitor Center. Downtown hotels, restaurants, department stores, coffee shops, and bars are good bets. You won’t find restrooms in Metro stations, although a few stations are located in complexes that do provide restrooms, including Union Station, Metro Center, Farragut North, Friendship Heights, and L’Enfant Plaza; ask the attendant which exit to take.
YOU MAY BE TAKEN ABACK BY THE NUMBER of homeless persons in Washington. Street corners and medians are filled with women and men, many claiming to be veterans (and who’s to disagree?), asking for money. All along town, you will see people sleeping in blankets and sleeping bags, their possessions piled up next to them. On streets lined with restaurants and shops, homeless women with small children beg for money. Drivers are approached at stoplights by people carrying cardboard signs reading “Homeless—Will Work for Food.” Many Metro exits are populated by people begging for money.
Most are lifelong D.C. residents who are poor, according to homeless advocacy groups. A disproportionate number are minorities and people with disabilities, mental or physical. And despite any stereotypes, studies show that the homeless have lower conviction rates for violent crimes than the population at large. Whatever you decide, you should be polite; even if the answer is no, look the person in the eye and say calmly that you can’t help right now. We believe that most of these people are what they claim to be: homeless. (If you watch closely, you’ll see that begging is a very embarrassing and difficult thing to do.) Carry a few dollar bills in outside pockets so that it’s not necessary to open a purse or wallet to donate.
Be honest: The cost of giving those homeless who approach you a dollar really does not add up to all that much in the great scheme of things—how much was that double latte you had at Starbucks?—and it is much better for the psyche to respond to their plight than to deny or ignore their presence. A little kindness regarding the homeless goes a long way in both directions. And a smile is always well spent. From Eve’s point of view, the “God bless you” of a person in such dire straits is worth a thousand times more than some clichéd “have a good one”—whatever one that is.
Just be alert. All the people you encounter on the street are strangers. They are most likely harmless, but they might be unstable.
TWENTY YEARS AGO, WASHINGTON WAS SLAMMED as the “Murder Capital of the United States”—even then a slight exaggeration. Since then, however, many of the neighborhoods that were associated with violence have been redeveloped and gentrified; and networks of surveillance cameras have been mounted in high-crime areas. Violent crime and property crime rates in D.C. have dropped by half since 1995, and local law enforcement officials call Washington very safe for tourists.
In fact, there are so many law enforcement layers, public and private, that the District might well be the most closely patrolled 68 square miles in the United States. In addition to the Metropolitan Police Department, there are the U.S. Park Police, which patrols all the monuments and parks, including the Mall; the U.S. Capitol Police, which has jurisdiction over not only the Capitol itself but the 20-square-block area around it; the Secret Service, which patrols the area around the White House, including the Treasury Building, as well as the Vice-President’s residence and foreign embassies and diplomats; the Marshals Service, which ensures the safe conduct of the federal judiciary, jurors, and any judicial proceedings; and the D.C. Protective Services, which guards all city buildings and agencies. The Metro transit system has its own police force. Many federal agencies—the FBI, the ICE, the TSA, and the now-famous NCIS, among others—have their own armed officers. On top of that, many museums hire their own police and security guards—the Smithsonian has its own federally trained police force patrolling inside the buildings and around the grounds—as do most embassies, corporations, and international associations. (Which is why you should get in the habit of traveling light and security gate–friendly.) And in case you somehow missed the tragic shooting at Navy Yard, the area’s SWAT and special units have mutual aid agreements.
Aside from all the officers on the ground (and horseback, bicycles, motorcycles, Segways, etc.), a network of security cameras has been added around the Mall by the Park Police, and the Metropolitan Police has installed a similar network in high-traffic areas, such as Georgetown, Union Station, and around the White House. And none of that even takes into account the ever-upgraded high-tech security measures that have become standard since 9/11.
Over the last decade, a new force of uniformed employees, armed only with clipboards, walkie talkies, and perhaps litter sticks, has been making downtown D.C. both safer and cleaner: downtown SAM (Safety, Hospitality and Maintenance) Teams, easily recognized by their bright red, white, and blue attire. Maintenance staff work a fairly common business day, but the safety/hospitality staffers are around until 10 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sundays. Visitors are encouraged to ask for directions, get a restaurant recommendation, or obtain directions to a landmark. If you are alone, one will escort you to the nearest subway, bus, etc.
Note: It is legal to carry concealed handguns in Virginia, even in bars, though some restaurants and malls, including Potomac Mills, have opted to refuse them. In theory, those bar patrons who are packing aren’t supposed to be putting it away—a sort of designated shooter program—but that’s hard to enforce. Neither Maryland nor the District recognizes out-of-state gun licenses or permits; The District does not issue any. Around certain well-lubricated holidays, at least, you may want to take geography into account.
Regardless of the level of security, random violence and street crime are facts of life in any large city—or subway system. You just need to be reasonably cautious and consider preventive measures that will keep you out of harm’s way, as well as an escape plan just in case. Don’t make yourself attractive as a target—or, put another way, make potential assailants see you as a bad risk. Good general strategies include:
And move quickly. Police will tell you that a would-be thief has the least amount of control in the first few moments, so short-circuit the crime scenario as quickly as possible. If someone demands your money, take out your billfold (preferably the fake one) and hurl it in one direction while you run shouting for help in the other. Under no circumstance allow yourself to be taken to another location—a “secondary crime scene” in police jargon—without a battle. This move, police warn, provides the assailant more privacy and consequently more control. However, in a worst-case scenario, you may have to submit in hopes of finding a way of escaping en route; keep your cool as much as possible.