Washington is the rare American capital that planned for pedestrians: a two-mile Mall lined with free museums, a Metro that reaches every neighbourhood a visitor uses, and an airport two stops from the middle. The car-free plan is the default here; the decisions are the base and the airport, and this page makes both.
Where to stay: within ten minutes of a station
| Area | Metro | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Penn Quarter | Metro Center, Gallery Place — every line | First visits, the Mall and museums on foot | Priciest; quiet on weekend nights |
| Foggy Bottom | Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue/Orange/Silver) | The west end of the Mall, Georgetown walkable | University energy |
| Capitol Hill | Capitol South, Eastern Market | The east end, a real neighbourhood, Union Station | Fewer hotels |
| Dupont Circle | Dupont Circle (Red) | Restaurants, embassies, a lively evening | Fifteen minutes to the Mall |
| Navy Yard / Wharf | Navy Yard, Waterfront (Green) | Newer hotels, the river, baseball | Not yet a sightseeing base |
| Georgetown | None | Shopping, the canal — visit, do not base | No station |
Subway: Six lines, but the visitor map is simpler: Blue, Orange and Silver run under the Mall from Foggy Bottom to Capitol South; the Red Line serves Dupont and Union Station; Green and Yellow reach the Mall from the south
Price: $180–350 Downtown and Foggy Bottom, $150–280 Capitol Hill, Dupont and Navy Yard (our band)
For a first visit, Downtown around Metro Center: the Mall, the White House and Chinatown's restaurants on foot, every line underneath, and Reagan National twenty minutes away.
The Metro and SmarTrip
Price: SmarTrip card or phone wallet, tapped in and out — fares by distance and time of day, higher in peak hours; a one-day pass covers unlimited rides (our estimate)
Hours: About 5am to midnight, until around 2am on Friday and Saturday nights
Note: Smithsonian and L'Enfant Plaza stations drop you on the Mall; Arlington Cemetery has its own stop on the Blue Line
Buses cover Georgetown and the gaps; Capital Bikeshare is the pleasant way along the Mall and the riverfront.
The three airports, graded
Getting there: Reagan National (DCA): a pedestrian bridge to a Blue and Yellow line station — about 20 minutes to Downtown. The airport to choose
Getting there: Dulles (IAD): Silver Line direct from the terminal, about 50 minutes to Downtown — cheap and slow
Getting there: BWI: free shuttle to the MARC Penn Line, about 35 minutes to Union Station; Amtrak also stops
Pay a little more for a DCA fare; the hour saved each way is the best money in the trip.
The Mall, on foot
Note: About two miles from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial; the museums are free and close at 5:30; the memorials are lit and open all night
Do it in one direction: Metro to Capitol South, walk west through the museums, end at Lincoln at dusk, Metro home from Foggy Bottom. Summer midday on the Mall is the one thing to avoid — the shade is in the museums.
The day outside
Getting there: Harpers Ferry — MARC Brunswick Line on weekdays, Amtrak's Capitol Limited daily, about 75 minutes; the Appalachian Trail crosses on the railroad bridge
What first-timers get wrong
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Sleeping in Georgetown without a car. Visit it; base somewhere with a station.
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Treating the Mall as a stroll. It is a five-mile day with the detours; shoes and water.
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Flying into Dulles to save a little. The Silver Line is honest and slow; DCA is the city's airport.
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Skipping the memorials at night. Lit, uncrowded, and the best hour on the Mall.
Beyond DC without a car
Philadelphia is under two hours by Amtrak, New York about three.
What is checked here and what is not
Lines, stations and airport links are stable and checked on the date shown; fares and hotel rates are our estimate of the current range.
