Things to do / Travel Guide
Washington DC is home to the Metro, one of the cleanest and most modern-looking public transportation systems in the United States. The Metro is comprised of the nation's second-longest subway system and fifth-largest bus system.
Characterized by the honeycomb-like curved roofs that can be found in stations throughout the system, the subway is often the best and cheapest way to get around the city. Almost every major tourist area is accessible via the Metro with the exception of Georgetown, which can be reached by a shuttle bus from the Foggy Bottom, Rosslyn, or Dupont Circle stations.
A fairly complex geometric street layout with numerous traffic circles, underpasses, and streets that tend to change the direction of traffic depending on the time of day can make driving confusing at times for those unfamiliar with DC. Traffic is heaviest during the morning and evening rush hours, but at other times of day it is quite manageable.
While renting a car will be quite helpful if you plan on venturing out into the suburbs and visiting the attractions in the surrounding states, DC itself can be most easily navigated using the Metro.
Baltimore, about an hour's drive from DC, is not connected to the Metro system, but can be accessed via one of the 19 trains which leave in that direction from Union Station each day. Within Baltimore, a subway system runs on one line. The MTA bus system operates 70 different lines around the city. As the vast majority of Baltimore's attractions and sites of interest are within walking distance of, or accessed via the water taxis of, the Inner Harbor, public transportation is not really necessary.
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