Washington, D.C.
Travel Guide > North America > USA > Southern United States > Washington, D.C.
Introduction
America's capital city, in addition to being the center of the country's politics, is also home to a large number of significant cultural institutions, memorials and historic monuments. The city lies on the banks of the Potomac River, between Virginia and Maryland, on the east coast of the US. The city was built in the 18th century to serve as the national capital and lies within its own federal district, the District of Columbia (D.C.).
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
The Mall, Washington D.C.
The Washington D.C. Mall is one of the most amazing sights in city. In this wonderful park located in the heart of Washington, D.C. is home to several amazing sights. Some of these sights are the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and several of the of Washington D.C.'s finest museums are located around the edge of the mall. If anything the mall is just nice green space in the heart of the city.
Government Related
- Capitol Building
- White House
- Arlington National Cemetery is one of the nicest national cemeteries in the country and the changing of the guard can be very moving.
The Smithsonian Institutions
- Smithsonian Castle
- Air & Space Museum
- Natural History Museum
- National Gallery
- National Museum of the American Indian
- National Museum of American History
Other Museums
Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting There
By Plane
There are three major airports that serve the Baltimore-Washington Area. Getting from each of these airports into town is a mixed bag. They all have the standard taxi, shuttle services and rental cars. Public transportation on the other hand is lacking.
Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). Located 10 miles (16 km) south of Baltimore and 30 miles (48 km) north of Washington, D.C., this airport's main carriers are Southwest Airlines and US Airways. BWI has a light rail train that will get you into downtown Baltimore, there is a also a nearby train station that will get you into the Amtrak system. DC Metro system runs a bus from BWI to Greenbelt Metro station.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). This airport is located three miles (5 km) south of Washington, D.C. in Arlington County, Virginia. US Airways is the carrier with the most flights to across the country. DCA is the best connected public transportation wise as it has its own Metro stop.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). This airport is located 25 miles (40 km) west of Washington, D.C., in Dulles, Virginia. United Airlines, JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are the main airlines in this airport. IAD is served by a private bus company that picks you up at the terminal and drops you off at a Metro station in DC. For a cheaper option, one can take the Metro Bus, which runs on a slightly longer schedule, every hour or so.
By Train
Amtrak runs many regularly scheduled trains from Washington, DC to Boston, Chicago and many other cities. The trains are:
- The Acela Express between Washington and Boston.
- The Capitol Limited between Washington and Chicago, via Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
- The Cardinal/Hoosier State between Washington and New York and Washington and Chicago, via Cincinatti and Indianapolis.
- The Carolinian/Piedmont between Washington and New York and Washington and Charlotte, North Carolina.
- The Crescent from New York via Washington to Atlanta and New Orleans.
- The Northeast Regional between Boston and Newport News, via New York and Washington DC.
- The Silver Service/Palmetto between New York and Tampa/Miami, stopping in Washington DC, Charleston, Savannah and Jacksonville.
- The Vermonter between Washington DC and St. Albans, Vermont, via New York City.
By Car
Like Rome, all roads lead to Washington, DC
By Bus
Greyhound runs regular bus between all the major cities. There exist on the East Coast a system commonly referred to as the 'Chinatown Bus'. These buses are run by several companies, some use old retired buses to brand new ones. Tickets go from $10 to $20 roundtrip between Washington, DC Chinatown to New York City, with optional stop in Baltimore.
By Boat
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This is version 16. Last edited at 19:12 on Oct 22, 08 by Utrecht (+1851). 9 articles link to this page.
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