Bus / Tours, Washington D.C.

This is a great way to get around seeing DC for the first time, just to get the jest of the landscape where everything is and the enormity of the traffic....lol! I say take the metro myself! Yet, I had enjoyed taking this Trolley Tour since it picked us up at our fancy hotel and dropped us off here at the end of a very long day:-) They driver/tour guides were friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, and just dang wonderful. I had the best time hopping on and off the Trolley at your leisure. As long as you have a pass and map to where they can pick you up, you'll do fine. The Trolleys are pretty cool, because during winter the winter flaps coming down on the sides and the heat was blasting. During summer the flaps are up to enjoy the beautiful weather!

Attractions:
Union Station, US Capitol, ESPN Zone, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Chinatown, Spy Museum, Ford's Theatre, Hard Rock Cafe, White House (Photo Stop,) Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials, World War II Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington Harbour, Georgetown, Embassy Row, Washington National Cathedral, National Zoo, Adam's Morgan, National Aquarium, Ronald Reagan Building, DC Visitor's Center, Washington Monument, Holocaust Museum, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Mall Area, National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art.


Dates Available-Tour Time-Days Available-Ticket Price
Jan 1, 2005 - Mar 31, 2005 8:15 AM SMTWTFS ADULT (USD $28.00)
CHILD 3-11 (USD $14.00)
Apr 1, 2005 - Mar 31, 2006 8:15 AM SMTWTFS ADULT (USD $32.00)
CHILD 3-11 (USD $16.00)

No, this isn't a special transport for sausage to the numerous Adams Morgan restaurants. Rather, the Link Shuttle is an affordable supplement to Metro Bus and Metro Rail about which I wish I knew upon emerging from Dupont Circle (saving me the healthy walk to The Diner). It only costs 25¢ and it runs from 6am to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 6am to 3am Friday; and 10am to 3am Saturday.

If you are in New York and you want to get to Washington DC, check out charter buses. They are a comfortable, easy, and inexpensive way to get between the two cities. Most people don't really consider them because of the conventional routes such as bus, plane, or train...but take a look and you will be pleasantly surprised. For about $20 one-way or $35 round-trip, you will find yourself at one of these two great cities.

Check out:

http://www.staticleap.com/chinatownbus/
or
http://www.washingtondeluxe.com/
or
http://www.ivymedia.com/washingtondc/

About 4 hours from NYC on the non stop bus it can be a VERY cheap way to arrive here. My last greyhound ticket was $20 one way. The buses are comfortable enough and for the price when on sale you really don't mind.

Of course Greyhound can get you anywhere in the country with enough time. So most are familiar with the idea at the least.

The tourmobile offers various tours besides Arlington cemetery

Here is a list of some of their tours:

- American Heritage Tour of Washington, D.C. & Arlington National Cemetery

- George Washington's Mount Vernon: Estate and Gardens Tour

- Frederick Douglass Historic Site

- Washington by Night (Seasonal call for information)

Go to their website for more info and costs...

At Arlington Cemetary.. you have the option of walking.. taking a tram or taking a bus tour. The tram is easy, nice if you have been walking all over the city already haha.. You can get on the tram and take your time at each stop.. if it leaves before your ready, you can just hop on the next tram as it comes by.

It goes to the most popular stops.. John F. Kennedy's gravesite, Tomb of the Unknown soldier and Arlington house.

Cost: Adult $6.00, Child (3-11) $3.00

For $26 for adults & $13 for children, you can start your tour at any one of their stops (17+ stops) and get off at each one or just a couple, then get back on the next trolley; all for the one price. How the Tour Works: The trolleys travel through Washington on a continuous loop. Start the tour at any one of the 17 stops. (we started at Union Station which is the official starting point). Stay on board and get a fascinating narrative and a great overview of the city, until you return to your starting point in about 2 hours - OR hop off the trolley at a few of your favorite sights. Trolleys will roll by at least every 30 minutes. Then reboard and continue on with the tour until you return to your starting point. The earlier you start, the more time you have for visiting attractions, shopping, or dining. Tours begin daily at 9:00 am.

We got off at the Old Post Office and at the War Memorials. Got back to our starting point just in time to meet our son inlaw when he got out of work. Only had to wait 10 minutes for us.

I felt that it was very convenient. We didn't have to worry about parking or finding our way around by car in heavy traffic either. You get the added bonus of a tour guide that knows a lot of history about the area.

If you ever think of going to NY, Philadelphia and Richmond, or if you are planning to come from those places to DC, then the Chinatown buses are a good option.
I took two of them:
- the DC2NY, http://www.dc2ny.com/
Very good and comfortable, it can take passengers from Massachussettss Ave and the 20th, which is closer to most hostels and hotels than Chinatown, and they even provide free WiFi for those who travel with laptops. Picked passengers on time, and arrived to NY on time. It's only a tiny bit more expensive than the others (US$22 per ride compared to the US$20 of others) but it is really worthy.
- Todays (http://www.todaysbus.com/)
This one was good, although some seats had their air conditioning not working properly, so some passengers were freezing and others, like me, felt hot. It departed even earlier than expected (it was already full). The fare is US$20 per ride.
These and other options can be found at http://www.gotobus.com/chinatown
You can also go to other destinations (e.g. Boston) making connection with other Chinatown buses in NY. See http://www.gotobus.com for more info on destinations.

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Scheduled buses run by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) are called metrobuses. The company runs metro system, too and covers Washington DC and adjacent areas of Maryland and Northern Virginia.

METROBUS LINES AND STOPS
The metobus lines are named by 1 or 2-digit number and one letter (5A, 16A, 24P etc.). Metrobus stops are always marked by a sign, like on the picture, taken by Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington.

IDENTIFYING METROBUS
The route number and destination is displayed above the windshield. A destination sign is also located on the boarding side of the bus. Board the bus using the front door and either show the driver your pass/SmarTrip card or buy a single fare.

HOW TO PAY
When you board the bus you must have a change to buy a metrobus fare unless you have a pass or SmarTrip card. Metrobus drivers do not carry cash.

HOW MUCH TO PAY
There are Regular buses ($1.25) and Express buses ($3.00). Kids up to 4 years old travel free (up to 2 per one adult).

REGIONAL ONE DAY PASS ($3.00)
The pass gives a full day of unlimited rides regionwide on regular Metrobuses and other local buses. On express buses, the pass covers $1.25 of $3.00 fare. Pass expires at 3 am.

If you must fly into Dulles (my least favorite airport) you will spend about an hour getting to downtown Washington almost no matter how you go, taxi, shuttle or bus. The best deal is on the Metrobus 5A which runs between Dulles and L’Enfant Plaza just south of the Mall at the Smithsonian end. Buses run hourly from around 6:00 a.m. until 10:30 or 11:30 p.m. The cost is $3 each way (as opposed to $50-$60 for a taxi) and the trip takes about an hour. At Dulles you can find it by exiting the baggage claim area just in front of the Traveler’s Aid desk, going to the sidewalk outside and turning left. A little way down you will see a sign at the curb or overhead indicating the Metrobus 5A route. Downtown the bus stop is just outside the L’Enfant Plaza metro stop at the Department of Transportation Building. The bus also makes stops at Rosslyn Station and Tysons West Park Transit Station.

When we were there we made 3 roundtrips from Dulles as our granddaughter was on a different schedule. I figure the bus saved me about $300 over the taxi