Washington is a well connected city, and offer options of travel by land (by road or rail), over water or by air, there are plenty of choices to get around in Washington State, from the conventional to the anomalous: buses, trains, monorail and ferries. As a first time visitor, most convenient form of transportation is hired taxi or sedan service. Taxi's are cheap, popular and hassle free mode of transportation in Washington.
Taxi Cabs
Throughout the Capital Region's urban center's, taxis are most convenient & popular form of transportation. Taxis can generally be hailed on the street, although it is a good idea to bring along the number of a local taxi company if visiting a more remote neighborhood. Tipping taxi drivers is customary throughout the country and highly appreciated.
Car Rental
Although often unnecessary in urban areas like Washington or Baltimore, rental cars are an ideal way to explore the city and neighborhoods. In case you want to enjoy scenic byways, car rental is your best option. Cars with built-in GPS systems are available with many rental agencies for an additional charge. Information on car rental companies is available on local yellow pages.
Rail
Rail service is available throughout the Capital Region and beyond on the nationwide Amtrak system. With its hub at Washington, DC's Union Station, Amtrak high speed Acela service provides multiple daily connections to Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Within the Capital Region itself, Amtrak offers "The Carolinian," which serves Baltimore, BWI Airport, Washington, DC and the cities of Alexandria, Fredericka, Richmond and Peters-burg in Virginia; "The Crescent," which offers transportation between Baltimore, Washington, DC and the cities of Alexandria, Manassas, Culpeper, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Danville in Virginia; and the "Northeast Regional," offering service to Baltimore, BWI Airport, Washington, DC, Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Richmond and Williamsburg, terminating in Newport News, Virginia. A new line now offers service to Lynchburg, Virginia as well.
