Washington DC is served by three major airports , two on
the outskirts and one right in the city center. Dulles
International Airport , 26 miles west in northern Virginia, and
Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), halfway
between DC and Baltimore, get the majority of the international
traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and its
major state-of-the-art terminal, along the Potomac River just west
of the Mall, is mostly used by domestic flights. Taking a
taxi downtown from BWI or Dulles costs around $50, but
express buses run from both airports to a downtown terminal
at 1517 K St NW, just three blocks north of the White House.
Washington Flyer Express (tel 1-800/927-4359) serves Dulles (every
30min; 40min journey; $16 one-way, $26 round-trip) and the
SuperShuttle (tel 1-800/BLUE-VAN) runs from BWI (every 30min; 1hr
journey; $30 one-way). From Dulles, the cheapest method, though
more time-consuming, is to take the Washington Flyer Express as far
as West Falls Church Metro station ($8) and the Metro subway system
from there. A SuperShuttle runs from National (every 30-60min; $13
one-way), though this airport is on the Metro system, just a short
ride from downtown. Taxis downtown from National cost around
$15.
By train - from Philadelphia, New York and Boston, as
well as direct from BWI Airport - you arrive amid the gleaming
malls of bustling Union Station , 50 Massachusetts Ave NE,
two blocks north of the US Capitol and with its own Metro station.
Greyhound and other buses stop at a modern station at 1005
First St NE, in a fairly dodgy part of the city, ten blocks from
downtown; take a cab, especially at night, at least as far as Union
Station Metro (around $6). Driving into DC is a sure way to
experience some of the worst traffic on the east coast - the main
I-95 and I-495 freeways circuit Washington on the Beltway ,
jammed eighteen hours a day.
Once in the city, stop at the DC Chamber of Commerce Visitor
Center , Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
(Mon-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun noon-5pm; tel 202/328-4748), which can help
with maps, tours, bookings and citywide information. Look for
visitor information desks at the airports and Union Station. The
White House Visitor Information Center , 1450 Pennsylvania
Ave NW (daily 7.30am-4pm; tel 202/208-1631), supplies free maps and
handy guides to museums and attractions; the most useful is the
free Washington DC Visitors Guide .
The main post office is across from Union Station on
Massachusetts Avenue and Capitol Street NE (Mon-Fri 7am-midnight,
Sat & Sun 7am-8pm; tel 202/523-2628; zip code 20002).