Getting there
Most flights from the UK arrive in Washington at Dulles International Airport which is around 26 miles away from Washington.
British Airways operate direct flights from London Heathrow to Dulles and operate a comprehensive route network within the UK if you don’t live near London. BA also operate a flight into Baltimore Washington International (BWI) which is around 30 miles from Washington.
Virgin Atlantic also operate direct flights from London Heathrow to Dulles. We love them for their great choice of movies together with a traditional ice cream or popcorn snack while you’re viewing.
If neither of these options appeal we like Skyscanner for a competitively priced listing of all the operators running flights, including the one flight a day currently running directly from Manchester Airport to Dulles.
If you are looking for a bargain you can sometimes get a cheaper option by catching a connecting flight rather than travelling direct. If possible, try and catch a connection into Ronald Regan Airport as it is much closer to downtown Washington and it is on the metro system. Again, Skyscanner is a great place to look for connecting flights.
Getting from Dulles Airport to Washington DC
Dulles is not on the Washington rail system. You can catch a dedicated Washington Flyer Coach service from the airport that hooks up with the metro system at West falls Church Station. The journey costs around $10.
There are also 2 shared van shuttle services which run from the airport to downtown. In our experience these do not tend to be much cheaper then a taxi unless you are travelling alone so check any prices carefully.
There is a 24 hour taxi service from the airport. Rates vary according to where you want to go. Currently it is $56 to get to the White House to give you an idea. Make sure you get a licensed taxi from the official rank and do not accept offers from touts in the baggage hall.
Further information is on the airport website.
Getting around Washington D.C
Public transport in Washington is provided the Metro system which includes an underground railway and a bus system. We have found the Metrorail system to be clean, efficient and easy to use. As in any large city, we made sure to avoid it at rush hour so we also found it pleasantly quiet, but I am sure this opinion could be changed had we caught a 5.00 train.
The Metro website has all the information you will need including a journey planner and information on the various types of tickets you can buy.
A lot of the travelling around you will end up doing in Washington D.C is likely to be on foot. Please be particularly careful around the Mall where the wide open spaces make the distances very deceptive. It does not look very far at all from The Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, but it is actually around 2 miles. Wear comfortable shoes!