Travel to Washington DC

Travel to Washington, DC

Washington, District of Columbia (DC), is the nations capital and seat of the government. This lively city is home to more than half a million people, spread out over several vibrant neighbourhoods. As a popular tourist destination, DC offers a myriad of historic landmarks, a flourishing cultural and arts scene, many beautiful parks and numerous excellent restaurants.

Transportation to Washington, DC

Washington DC is home to three airports: Washington Dulles International, Ronald Reagan Washington National and Baltimore-Washington International. Amtrak rail service operates daily trains to Washington from New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland. Greyhound buses provide connections to all U.S. states and Canada.

For those travelling by car, several major highways lead to DC from all parts of the country: I-270, I-95 and I-295 from the north; I-95 and I-395, routes 1 and 301 from the south; route 50/301 and route 450 from the east; and routes 7 and 50, I-66, and route 29/211 from the west. The Capital Beltway (I-495 and I-95) skirts the city.

What to see

Downtown Washington DC covers the area roughly between 7th and 22nd streets NW going east to west, and P Street and Pennsylvania Avenue going north to south. This area is home to some great restaurants, good shopping as well as historic hotels. The White House is the main attraction here.

Capitol Hill houses not only the capitals key icon, but also the Supreme Court building, the Library of Congress, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Union Station and the US Botanic Garden. The splendid dome can be seen from many points in the capital, simply thanks to the beautiful wide open spaces and spacious avenues. The Mall is a lovely area between Constitution and Independence Avenues, housing most of the Smithsonian Institution museums. You can walk from Capitol Hill to the obelisk shaped Washington monument, the citys tallest structure, offering a great viewing point. Other popular attractions here include the Baroque styled Jefferson Memorial and the sombre, avant-garde Vietnam memorial.

Day trips

About an hour northwest of Washington, off Route 66, is the town of Leesburg. Horse farms and wineries dot the area, making for a relaxing drive. In the historic area several art galleries, delicious restaurants and shops can be found. Cross the Memorial Bridge into Virginia and take the George Washington Parkway south for about 15 miles to arrive at the first U.S. presidents treasured 8,000-acre Mount Vernon estate on the banks of the Potomac River. Visitors can explore Washingtons mansion and see the bedroom where he died.

Activities and leisure

Washington DC is a great city for bikers and many cycle paths criss-cross the city leading to as far as Mount Vernon. The Potomac River, traversing the city, offers plenty of opportunities for boating, as well as some more serious white-water rafting. American football is one of Washingtons most popular spectator sports and the citys Washington Redskins have won the prestigious Superbowl three times.

Safety issues

The former murder capital of the US, Washington DC can still be a very dangerous city if you end up in the wrong areas. Keep to the well-lit, well-travelled streets at night.