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Three airports serve Washington – Reagan Washington National, Dulles International, and Baltimore/Washington International. Twenty-four US, Canadian, and regional airlines have flights to one or more of these. For downtown Washington, Reagan is the airport of choice.

Most major European airlines serve Dulles, either direct or by changing planes in New York or Boston. These include Air France, British Midland, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS, and Virgin. British Airways also serves BWI.

Air Canada provides a service via Halifax to Sydney; Qantas and American Airlines fly via Los Angeles. Connections are available from any of the D.C. airports.

Grupo Taca has flights between more than 40 cities in 19 countries in North, Central, and South America. United and American Airlines have routes between Washington and Central and South America, via Miami.

The layout of this airport is a long walkway with a semicircular bend at the end – use the shuttle bus that stops at marked locations. A Metrorail stop is right outside the northern terminals. Taxi service from the airport to the National Mall is about 10 minutes and costs around $10. The SuperShuttle provides transit door to door.

The terminal consists of a main building and two midfield concourses reached by shuttles. The Washington Flyer coach provides transportation to the West Falls Church Metrorail station. Oneway taxi fares to the city are about $50 but shuttle transportation to many hotels can be arranged from the terminal. The airport is 26 miles (42 km) from Washington.

There are five concourses here. A BWI Express Metrobus provides transportation to and from the Greenbelt Metro station. BWI also has its own rail station. Taxis to the city cost about $60. The terminal is 30 miles (48 km) from Washington.

Amtrak provides intercity rail transportation to Washington. The new Acela Express and regional high-speed trains provide shorter travel times, but Metroliners offer less expensive alternatives. Amtrak has a reduced-fare USA Rail Pass for international passengers. Union Station is the main terminal.

Washington has the second worst congestion in the country, which makes driving a less attractive way to get to the city, but larger hotels have parking (about $15 per day), and garages are available. Driving routes to D.C. are I-95 and I-270 from the north, I-66 from the west, I-95 and I-395 from the south, and US 50 from the east.

For most destinations in the city, Metrorail, the subway-surface rail system, is the best way to get around. Service is frequent, cars are clean and comfortable, stops are convenient to major sights, and the system is among the safest in the world. Fares depend on distance traveled, ranging from $1.35 to $3.90. There is information on Metrorail’s website and the telephone information service. There are 1-day, 7-day, and 28-day passes that allow unlimited trips for a reduced fare.

The public bus system serves all areas of the city, including destinations not served by Metrorail. Exact change is required – regular routes are $1.35. Vouchers allow passengers to make bus connections within two hours. Information is available from Metrorail.

Tourmobiles are blue-and-white buses that provide an easy way to see major tourist areas. The American Heritage tour, for example, covers 24 stops including Arlington National Cemetery. Passengers can disembark and reboard at any stop. The Old Town Trolley provides similar service with 19 stops.

Washington taxis have a “zone system,” with a standard fare from one area to another. Zones are displayed on the back of the driver’s seat. A typical trip is $5. This pricing system is currently under review.

Washington is a city built for walking: sidewalks are wide, intersections have pedestrian walk signs, and drivers are courteous. But scale can be misleading, so wear comfortable shoes.

An innovative hourly car rental program, operated by Metro and Flexcar, can be a boon. Plan members ($25 membership fee) can reserve a car, pick it up at the Metro station nearest their destination, then return it.

Rental car companies are located at all airports, Union Station, and many other locations. The Yellow Pages will help find the nearest. Renting a car requires a valid driver’s license and a major credit card. Drivers must be at least 25 years old. Most cars are automatic, but some companies offer stick-shift controls if requested in advance.

Parking at a car lot will cost $12–$20 per day and $6–$12 for two hours. Street parking meters have a two-hour maximum, and fines are high. Parking is prohibited on many downtown streets during rush hour, with hours posted on curbside signs. Your car will be towed if you disregard them.

Transportation to outof-town attractions such as Mount Vernon is available from the tour bus lines. Some excursions are also served by rail. Most outof-town destinations have ample parking.

The center for both tourist and business travel to Washington, the organization has an outstanding website and provides information by mail. The site has search capabilities for hotels, shops, restaurants, tourist sights, and transportation.

Advertised as “one-stop shopping” for visitor information, this center comes close to meeting its claim. The center gives advice to walk-in visitors, makes hotel reservations with special discounts, and provides information on tourist sights.

Hotels generally have metro information and maps, but the metro’s website is also excellent (see Metrorail, Metrobus), and system information is displayed in all stations and stops.

Before you arrive in Washington, the Smith-sonian’s website is the most convenient source of information. Once in the city, anyone heading for Smithsonian museums or the zoo should visit the Smithsonian Information Center, which also provides interesting displays of its own.

Many of the sites on the National Mall, especially monuments and memorials, are the responsibility of the National Park Service. Park Service employees will be able to answer most questions.

This internationally respected newspaper is an institution in D.C. As well as news and politics, it is indispensable for its coverage of what’s going on in the entertainment and cultural worlds of the city. In it’s Friday Weekend tabloid, nearly everything that is current is listed. The Post’s website (www.washingtonpost.com) is almost as good.

The City Paper ’s readers are devoted to its coverage of the local music scene and its irreverent look at local culture in general. Available at newsstands and bars and restaurants.

A city lifestyle magazine, Washingtonian provides listings and commentary on cultural institutions and events. It is well known for its coverage of restaurants, featuring the 100 Best. Its website (www.washingtonian.com) has a listing of 100 Best Bargain Restaurants.

At Dulles International Airport, foreign-language assistance is available on the lower level at the west end of the concourse near international arrivals.

Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, security precautions have been strengthened in Washington. Visitors need a government-issued photo ID to enter most government buildings, some office buildings, and even some nightclubs. Visitors to public buildings, including the Smithsonian museums, are prohibited from carrying aerosol and non-aerosol sprays, cans and bottles, food, knives of any sort or other sharp objects such as razors or box-cutters, and mace or pepper spray. Large backpacks are also not allowed, but there is no standard definition of size. Handbags and briefcases will be searched. People have also been delayed or even arrested for remarks officials consider “inappropriate,” so don’t crack jokes about bombs or weapons.

The openness of the Mall can make distances look shorter than they are. If you start at the Smithsonian metro station, walk to the Lincoln Memorial, to the Capitol, and back to the Metro stop, you will have covered 5 miles (8 km). Whether in D.C.’s humid summer or windy winter, that can be a tiring hike, especially for children.

The city plan of D.C. arranges all addresses within four quadrants, centered on the dome of the Capitol. Numbered (north-south) and lettered (east-west) streets start on each side of the Capitol. There is a 1st St east of the Capitol and a completely different 1st St west of it. An E St lies north of the Capitol and a different E St south of it. To locate an address, the extension NW, NE, SE, or SW must be noted.

In July and August, temperatures range from about 85°F (30°C) to 95°F (35°C), but the real problem can be humidity. Walk slowly and drink lots of fluids – or visit at some other time of the year. Winters, especially January and February, are windy and raw. Snow and ice storms produce beautiful scenery around the monuments and gardens, but they can paralyze the city temporarily.

The greatest protection from street crime is alertness. Thieves depend largely on surprise. Don’t carry large amounts of cash or valuables. Keep an accurate record of what’s in your wallet, including card numbers and phone numbers of credit card issuers.

Tourist zones are safe day and night, but if you want to go to a destination outside these areas, especially at night, ask at your hotel desk for their recommendation.

Traffic congestion can interfere with plans. Inside the city, traffic moves erratically and slowly. Getting into and out of the city in rush hour (about 6:30–9:30am and 4–7pm) may incur delays of 45 minutes.

Metrorail uses a farecard system in which the turnstiles deduct the cost of your trip as you leave the station. You must have a farecard both to enter and to leave, so don’t throw it away after getting on the train.

No matter where you park, don’t leave anything in the passenger compartment. If your car radio or CD player is removable, take it with you.

If there’s one shopping area convenient to Downtown to head for, it would have to be the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The high-quality, high-service Nordstrom’s is the anchor store, accompanied by Macy’s and over 150 other stores. Name aside, it’s not just for fashion. Tysons Corner (see Tysons Corner Center and Galleria at Tysons II) is a gigantic complex of two enclosed malls with a huge number and variety of stores and is the most popular shopping destination in the area. Take the Metro Blue or Yellow Line to Pentagon City.

This has long been an outstanding area for shopping for antiques, fashion, and the unique and unusual (see ). If you plan to visit Georgetown for shopping, taxi is the best way to get there; the Georgetown metro connection provides a shuttle from the nearest metro-rail stations, but carrying packages through two transit connections can be tiring.

No-sales-tax weeks are popular in Washington. Usually two or three weeks before Christmas, these events shave extra percentage points off prices that are often already reduced. As with everywhere in the US, after-Christmas sales are magnets for shoppers. Sales promotions are common for Presidents’ Day in February, July 4th, back-to-school in the last weeks of August, Columbus Day in October, and Veterans’ Day in November.

Retailers from small shops to huge department stores have sales on special merchandise, overstocks, and regular products to attract customers. The newspapers are the way to find these savings, such as the Washington Post (see Washington Post) and the Washington Times . Sunday editions, in particular, have many coupons.

The sales tax on general merchandise in Washington is currently 6 percent (10 percent for food/beverages). In most Virginia jurisdictions, it is 4.5 percent, and in Maryland it is 5 percent.

Mall and chain stores are usually open from 10am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday. Downtown and independent shops operate 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Most shops in Georgetown stay open until 9pm.

The museum shops (see Items in Museum Stores) have merchandise at all prices. Items costing less than a dollar are lined up next to others costing several hundred dollars or more. Much of the stock in the better museum shops can be purchased nowhere else, so they are well worth a visit.

These have thinned on Washington streets as a result of heightened government security. Interesting, cheap T-shirts are still available, however, along with other souvenir clothing.

Private garage and yard sales are held throughout the city, usually on Saturday or Sunday mornings beginning at 8–9am, and bargains are still to be found. Find listings in the Washington Post and the Washington City Paper or the many online classified advertising sites.

In Washington and surrounding jurisdictions, the legal age for purchasing or drinking alcoholic beverages is 21. The law is strictly enforced. You will need a photo ID if you look young enough to raise doubt. Many clubs and other venues allow under-21 patrons to enter and enjoy the show, but without a wristband or stamped marking, they are not allowed to buy alcohol. It is becoming common for clubs and rock concert venues to require photo ID from everyone, regardless of age.

Tax on restaurant food and on food for immediate consumption is 10 percent. Diners with budget concerns should take this into account, along with tips. A $20 meal with tax and tip actually costs about $26.

The metro closes at midnight during the week and at 2am on Saturday and Sunday mornings, but many clubs, bars, and restaurants stay open later. In most areas there should be no problem finding a taxi on the street. Failing that, you can telephone for a taxi, but there is a surcharge. If your hotel is in the suburbs, the taxi fare can be expensive.

Washington is a good place to enjoy unconventional and microbrewed beer. Capitol City Brewing Company has a number of locations in the area. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and John Harvard’s Brew House have varieties of hand-made beers. The Brickskeller Saloon-Bar has more than 800 different kinds of beer.

Restaurant checks rarely include a charge for service. In most restaurants, leaving 15–20 percent of the total charge, including tax, on the table is the common practice. Customers at a bar may leave 10–15 percent of the bar bill or $1 per drink. In a few of the finest restaurants, it is appropriate to tip the maître d’ $5 or more if he or she stage-manages the service at your table.

At most restaurants, it is considered bad manners to leave cell phones turned on or to carry on phone conversations inside.

The trend in the city’s restaurants is toward being completely non-smoking. Quite a few restaurants permit smoking in designated areas, especially in parts of town better known for their bars and clubs.

For carry-around food and drink, think farmers’ markets. These are popular features and often have locally grown fresh produce and other products. There’s a year-round Saturday and Sunday market at Eastern Market and an April to December seasonal market on Sunday morning at Dupont Circle.

With its embassies, government affairs, and high-powered dinner parties, Washington is a big wine and food city. There are tastings and cooking demonstrations or classes almost every day. Washingtonian Magazine (see Washingtonian Magazine) keeps an up-to-date registry on its website.

While there are no campsites or RV campgrounds within the District of Columbia, nearby sites are practical. Cherry Hill Park is served by municipal bus and tourbus lines and is just 3 miles (5 km) from the Greenbelt Metro stop. Capitol KOA runs free shuttle buses to the metro.

TicketPlace sells half-price theater tickets at its booth at the Old Post Office Pavilion. Tickets become available on the day of the performance. It is also a Ticketmaster outlet, so regular reservations can be made here.

Discount hotel rates become available during summer, when Congress is closed, and in the last two weeks in December, and early January. Many hotels offer weekend packages. April through June is the most expensive time to visit.

When making reservations at a hotel, ask whether any discounts are available. Many hotels provide discounts for AAA (American Automobile Association) and AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) members. The Visitors’ Center (see Sources of Information) can book rooms at a discount rate for many hotels.

One resource for finding lower airfares is often neglected today: an experienced travel agent. Fares contracted through a reputable travel agency are almost always lower than those offered by airlines. Similarly, online air reservations can save money. Expedia (www.expedia.com), Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), and Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) are the most popular.

Many smaller hotels that do not have room service or a full-time restaurant will allow patrons to order takeout, delivered to the hotel.

Delis and produce stores serve every neighborhood. Picnics take finesse in high-security times: if you plan to visit museums or government buildings, you can’t carry a knife. Think bite-size items such as cherry tomatoes and pre-cut cheese, and buy drinks on site. You also can’t take food inside, so plan an outdoor spot.

Take advantage of free entertainment whenever you can. The film and concert series at the Library of Congress are wonderful. The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center has a great free performance every day. The National Gallery of Art also has a concert series, and the Hirshhorn Museum (see Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden) shows movies.

You won’t find the traditional $3.99 meatloaf dinner in Washington anymore, but Washing-tonian Magazine ’s “Real Cheap, Real Good” list is a great starting point for affordable food in pleasant surroundings – entrées for as low as $8 in genuinely good restaurants (see Washingtonian Magazine).

The metro is fully accessible to disabled travelers. The website gives detailed information about accessibility and has a link for out-of-town visitors who will be using the system temporarily. Tactile maps for the system are available at the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind. Over 70 percent of Metrobus equipment consists of kneeling buses or buses with lifts.

This bus service (see Tour Bus Lines) provides access to mobility-restricted passengers, who can transfer from their wheel-chairs to priority seating. Wheelchair storage is available. Passengers who need a chair lift can request one at any stop, and a vehicle will be dispatched. Old Town Trolley Tours (see Tour Bus Lines) also provide access.

Most have good access for the disabled, but require advance notice for special services such as signed tours. In some instances, accessibility has been lessened due to heightened security measures. The information numbers (see Sources of Information) will have current accessibility conditions.

Most of the newer or recently renovated shopping malls are easily accessible. Union Station is notable because it has a metro stop in the building. Other accessible shopping areas in the city limits include the Old Post Office Pavilion, Georgetown Park Mall, and The Shops at National Place (see Shopping Areas).

This company publishes the Access Entertainment Guide for the Washington, D.C. area. Its website provides reviews of many business and tourist attractions from the point of view of disabled access. It also covers airports, hotels, museums, arenas and concert venues, shops, cinemas, and transportation.

Nearly all major hotels have some rooms that are wheelchair-accessible. Some have roll-in showers. Other services, such as flashing-light fire alarms, tactile paging, or door-knockers, are widely but not universally available. Information can best be obtained by calling a hotel directly.

Many places in Washington are welcoming to people with disabilities, but probably none more so than the FDR Memorial. All four outdoor rooms of this monument are completely accessible. Inscriptions are given in Braille. A sculpture of Franklin D. Roosevelt in his wheelchair has been added to the memorial.

Washington’s Zoo has disabled access to nearly all its public areas. The newly refurbished panda environment, for example, is designed with ramps, and viewing angles are calculated to suit the mobility-impaired. Visitors in manual wheelchairs should be warned that the grades on some of the paths are steep.

These are allowed anywhere the general public is admitted. It can be convenient to have special harnesses, but these are not required.

ATM machines are found everywhere in the city, including at the majority of major sights. Cirrus, Plus, and NCYE are the most common networks. Use ATMs to withdraw money during the day in well-populated areas, minimizing the risk of robbery.

You can be almost certain that all banks will be open 9am–2pm Monday to Friday and 9am–noon on Saturday except federal holidays. Some branches have extended hours. Most banks in tourist areas will have the usual services for travelers, including redeeming travelers’ checks and currency exchange.

A credit card is essential for car rentals. Bank debit cards are not accepted for this purpose. Nearly all tourist-related businesses and institutions accept credit cards. It is a good idea to keep a record of the telephone number for reporting credit card thefts.

Travelers’ checks in US dollars are accepted the same as cash almost everywhere. Restaurants, stores, and tourist sites usually don’t even ask for identification, although banks will often ask for a photo ID. Travelers’ checks in foreign currencies can be cashed and exchanged at some, but not all, banks or major hotels, with a valid passport. Keep the proof of purchase separate from the checks.

The Washington, D.C. area code is 202. Nearby Virginia is 703; Maryland is 301 and 410. Directory assistance from most phones is reached by dialing 411. Cell and wireless coverage is excellent in the immediate area. Using the telephone in your hotel room is the most expensive way to make calls.

Union Station and all three airports (see Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport) provide postal services for travelers. Blue postal drop boxes are located all over the city. Stamps can be purchased at many hotels, museum and tourist-site gift shops, larger grocery stores, and, of course, post offices. You can find the post office nearest you on the Postal Service website or from their toll-free number.

Many tourists like to mail home gifts they have bought rather than tote them in baggage. The Postal Service can be used for this, but United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express have more convenient drop-off locations. It is possible to arrange pickup at most hotels.

Washington and the surrounding areas are thoroughly wired, but the installation of new fiber-optic cabling explains why many streets are torn up. Most major hotels have fax facilities and provision for connecting to the Internet, either in-room or in a business center. Internet cafés are listed in the Yellow Pages .

The US currency is the dollar, and one dollar is made up of 100 cents. Visitors from outside the US should become familiar with the currency in advance. The new counterfeit-proof bills can be difficult to distinguish from each other.

Anywhere in or near the city, dialing 911 will summon police, fire, and rescue personnel and equipment as needed. The local 911 system has caller-ID and is able to automatically identify the address from which a call is placed. But this doesn’t work as effectively from a cell or wireless phone, so look around for landmarks before you call. To contact the police for a non-emergency dial 311. You can reach Metro transit police at 202-962-2121.

Fire engine

The CVS drugstore chain has a 24-hour pharmacy at Dupont Circle, at 4555 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, and another at 1199 Vermont Avenue NW. Any of these can refer you to pharmacies in other areas.

Georgetown University Hospital provides a free physician referral service from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The District of Columbia Dental Society operates a free dental telephone referral service, 8am to 4pm. Most hotels also can make physician and dental referrals.

An ambulance can be dispatched to emergency health situations by calling 911. Hospital emergency rooms, if you are nearby, are a possible alternative in a crisis, but ambulance crews start stabilizing treatment immediately.

This is a real possibility in summer. Wear light clothing, set a leisurely pace, stay in the shade when possible, and drink plenty of fluids. If you feel very fatigued, light-headed, or weak, get something to drink and sit in the coolest place available. If you don’t feel better soon, get medical attention – serious heat exhaustion can be life-threatening.

Drivers and all car passengers, front and back, are required to wear seat belts. Children four years old and under must be seated in a child-restraint seat. Laws against drinking and driving are very strictly enforced by the police.

Washington drivers are not as hazardous as those in some cities. The biggest exception is running red lights. Make certain that opposing traffic has stopped before you venture into the crosswalk.

Washington is a city of escalators, and there have been a surprising number of deaths and injuries. Use the handrail, and keep loose clothing and shoelaces away from moving parts at the sides and bottom and top of the escalator. Use an elevator if you have children in a stroller or are carrying heavy luggage.

The system can be very crowded during rush hour. Especially if you are traveling with children, be certain to keep your party together. Locals generally have a plan for what to do if a child ends up on the train and the parents don’t, or vice versa. The usual drill is for the child to get off the train at the next stop and wait for the parents to arrive. If it’s the child that doesn’t get on, he or she waits for the parents to backtrack to the station.