Travel to Washington, DC

Flying to Washington, DC

Airlines offering flights to Washington, DC from the UK include British Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic. Prices rarely fluctuate throughout the year, but flights do tend to be a little more expensive from July to September. All the major US airlines operate domestic flights to the city.

Flight times

From London - 8 hours 30 minutes; New York - 1 hour 15 minutes; Los Angeles - 4 hours 45 minutes; Toronto - 1 hour 25 minutes; Sydney - 20 hours (including stopover).

City Airports: 
Telephone:+1 703 417 8000
Website:www.flyreagan.com
Location:

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is situated 7km (4 miles) south of Washington, DC in Arlington County, Virginia.


Money:

A full-service bank is situated before security in Terminal B; several ATMs are also located in each terminal. Foreign currency exchange is available in Terminal C.


Luggage:

There are no left-luggage facilities or lockers at the airport. Lost property is handled by the Authority Police (tel: +1 703 417 0673). Baggage assistance is available from Skycap porters in each terminal, or alternatively, trolleys can be hired for a small fee.

Travel by road

Summary:

The minimum driving age in Washington, DC is 16 years and traffic drives on the right. The speed limit on all roads within the DC area is 40kph (25mph) unless otherwise indicated.

Technically overtaking should only be done on the left lane, although, in reality, cars on a five-lane highway often pass on both sides. At traffic lights, right turns on the red light are permitted if the way ahead is clear.

At crossroads without traffic lights, the four-way stop system means that it is first come first served, or if two cars arrive simultaneously, the one on the right has the right of way. All traffic must stop when school bus hazard lights are flashing. Visitors must possess a full national driving licence to drive in the USA.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: +1 866 636 2377; http://midatlantic.aaa.com) can provide information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

Emergency breakdown service:

AAA (tel: +1 800 222 4357).

Routes:

I-66 heads west into Virginia; I-50 to Annapolis in Maryland; I-95 to Baltimore, Richmond, Philadelphia and New York; and I-270 to Maryland and beyond.

Driving times:

From Baltimore - 1 hour; Richmond - 1 hours 50 minutes; New York - 4 hours; Philadelphia - 2 hours 30 minutes.

Coaches:

Greyhound (tel: +1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com), Peter Pan Bus Lines (tel: +1 800 343 9999; www.peterpanbus.com) and Megabus (tel: 1 877 462 6342; www.megabus.com) operate long-distance buses from Union Station at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE. Buses and ticketing can be found at 0 level of the station.

Travel by rail

Services:

Rail services in and out of Washington, DC are frequent and reliable, but not always the most cost-effective mode of transport. The vast Union Station is on 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, and its extensive facilities include restaurants, shops, ATMs and left luggage.

Operators:

Amtrak (tel: +1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) operates long-distance services to and from Washington, DC, including regular departures to Philadelphia (Acela Express), New York and Chicago.

MTA/MARC (tel: +1 410 539 5000; mta.maryland.gov) operates local services, including to Baltimore and other towns in Maryland.

Journey times:

From Philadelphia - 1 hour 40 minutes; New York - 3 hours; Chicago - 17 hours 25 minutes.




Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.