Washington, D.C

[Rheavon]

Does anyone have recommendations (or not-so-recommendations) for on/off tours that stop at the station? I have about an 8 hour layover and I predict my legs will be screaming after four days at a fitness convention in Orlando, so the on/off tours seem like a good idea.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

Can't help with the on/off tours, but I can recommend the DC Circulator bus service, which has routes starting in front of the station, and one from the bus garage at the rear of the station. You can buy a $1 ticket each time you get on, so although there will be no commentary (which some see as a blessing...

) you can create a self guided tour quite cheaply. If you can't face walking, you can ride the bus route from end to end.

I think there is an all day pass available also, but can't quite remember, it has been a few years.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/dc-circulator-bus-1040435

Ed.

 

[TinCan782]

Does anyone have recommendations (or not-so-recommendations) for on/off tours that stop at the station? I have about an 8 hour layover and I predict my legs will be screaming after four days at a fitness convention in Orlando, so the on/off tours seem like a good idea.

My wife and I used the Hop On Hop Off service a couple of years ago. She was 5 months into a new hip, used a walker and that worked better for us than trying to use the city bus service considering her mobility situation.

We did use the Metro (subway) to get from our hotel to spots where we could catch the Hop On Hop Off and continue from where we ended the day before. The cost will be more than if you used the DC Circulator (which I did consider) but that is something you will need to evaluate.

Enjoy the visit.

 

[Rheavon]

Hi,

Can't help with the on/off tours, but I can recommend the DC Circulator bus service, which has routes starting in front of the station, and one from the bus garage at the rear of the station. You can buy a $1 ticket each time you get on, so although there will be no commentary (which some see as a blessing...

) you can create a self guided tour quite cheaply. If you can't face walking, you can ride the bus route from end to end.

I think there is an all day pass available also, but can't quite remember, it has been a few years.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/dc-circulator-bus-1040435

Ed.

It looks like they have a section on their website to check up on when the next bus will be at the next stop. This is definitely promising- especially for the rate (cheaper than a single ride on our local buses)! I don't need commentary- I just really wanted to make sure that I pay my respects at the Vietnam Memorial and maybe run around a museum or two. Thank you!

 

[Twin Star Rocket]

Right across the street from Washington Union Station is the National Postal Museum (Smithsonian operated, I believe.) Lots of interesting exhibits, a gift shop, and a post office!

Two of my favorite exhibits are the Railway Post Office car inside and the preserved body of Owney, the famous wandering Railway Mail Service dog.

 

[Twin Star Rocket]

One of the best--and most economical--deals in Washington are the circulator buses. DC circulator buses cost $1 per day ($0.50 for seniors), operate 10 minutes apart, and ply fixed routes. There 6 routes, each one designated by a color. The most important one is the Red circulator which operates from in front of Union Station at Louisiana Ave. and operates around the National Mall to most of the popular sites. Just hop off and later hop back on! They are air-conditioned too.

www.dccirculator.com

 

[City of Miami]

Unless there's been a change Circulator fare is not per day - it is good for 2 hours (if you use SnartTrip card), then you pay again. Still a great deal!

 

[Twin Star Rocket]

Correct, it's $1 or one senior fare per trip unless you have certain passes. I used it just once in May so I never tried getting off and back on with the same fare.

Mea culpa!

 

[ehbowen]

Just thought I'd drop in a plug for the International Spy Museum, which is one mile west of Union Station (Google calls it a 21 minute walk) and just a block away from the Chinatown station on the Red Line. It is a paid admission museum, but we found it to be worth the ticket price. I visited in 2012 with my #2 nephew and #3 niece (ages 13 and 9 at the time) and they loved it. We paid the extra for the "Operation Spy" experience as well; both of the kids enjoyed that. One little tip for the latter...if you come into a room and someone says everything has to be put back the way you found it, then have someone in the group with a smartphone take a picture of the room before you start and compare against it before you leave!

 

[JRR]

The Spy Museum is a lot of fun.

 

[AmandaBeth]

Is the layover on way back from Florida in DC purpsofully long? They do realize we won't have much if anything left right as we are on back from vacation in Florida. 2 hour layover in DC on way down to Florida. Way back to Indiana 7am-4pm roughly the time in DC. If just seems weirdly suspicious to me.

 

[Ryan]

Suspicious how?

It's merely a product of time and distance.

 

[AmandaBeth]

Suspicious how?

It's merely a product of time and distance.

I just mean weird because layovers on way back from Florida generally seem longer on way down. Maybe like DC wants whatever little we may have on way back from vacation. My brain is weird.

 

[JRR]

Is the layover on way back from Florida in DC purpsofully long? They do realize we won't have much if anything left right as we are on back from vacation in Florida. 2 hour layover in DC on way down to Florida. Way back to Indiana 7am-4pm roughly the time in DC. If just seems weirdly suspicious to me.

Coming from and going to Florida, we have these layovers all the time. We use it to visit the museums and other points of interest. The red bus line and hop on hop off tour are ways to get around if you are not into walking.

 

[daybeers]

In case anyone finds themselves in D.C. near Union Station with just a bit of time, right next door to it is the National Postal Museum. I was able to pop in there for about 20 minutes this past weekend, and even what little I was able to see was great! It's definitely an underrated hidden gem in the city. It's part of the Smithsonian Institution, so it's free, and it was recently remodeled, with the stamp collection exhibit being LEED certified (I forget which level).

Also, though Union Station is very easily accessible by the Metro's Red Line, for certain times and/or destinations, a car is needed. So, here's a tip for being dropped off at Union Station: never ever have someone come into Columbus Circle because the traffic is almost always terrible. We're talking waiting 15-20 minutes for your Lyft or Uber ride to show up. When getting dropped off, use First Street and either walk around to the front entrance or use the Metro entrance, which is a nice shortcut if you're running late, as you can go directly to the tracks from the escalator without even having to enter the station. When getting picked up, you can also use First Street, or go out the front entrance, turn right, and have them pick you up in front of the Postal Museum.

 

[MARC Rider]

The Old Post Office Tower

If you want nice views of the city from on high without waiting in long lines to go up the Washington Monument, the Old Post Office Tower is your ticket. The tower is the 3rd tallest structure in the city. Riding to the top is free, and the only wait is for the elevator (there is rarely a line). You do have to go through magnetometer and put your bag through an x-ray machine, but it's not too much of a hassle.

Getting there is pretty easy. The building is located at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street NW in Downtown Washington. From Union Station, you can take the Red Line to Metro Center and exit to 12th Street to walk a few blocks south. Or at Metro Center you can transfer to the Blue/Orange Line and go one stop to Federal Triangle, which is directly across the street from the Old Post Office. You could also walk or bike. It's 1.3 miles from Union Station. And there's a bike rental place right next to the station (on First Street NE @ Massachusetts Ave).

I second this suggestion. It's 100% free, and when I went yesterday, there was no security check. The Park Service rangers are very friendly, and perhaps a little lonely; I was the only one there.

You have to ride two elevators, first to the 9th floor, then up the tower. The first elevator gives a nice view of the atrium of the Old Post Office, now the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria (former Trump) Hotel. The top of the tower is more or less open to the elements, so it's best to go in nice weather, not like I did yesterday with 40 degree F temperatures and what felt like near gale force winds.

When you're done, you might want to go down to the lower level of the plaza where the escalator from the Federal Triangle Metro station pops out and find Timgad Coffee, my go-to place to get coffee when I was working in the William J Clinton Federal Building, which is right above.

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

Amtrak has long connections all over the system due to potential delays, two hours is short. If the train misses the connection, you get a free hotel room or a bus bridge, assuming you booked the reservation all the way through.

Washington DC is one of the world's great tourist destinations, 25 million people a year can't be wrong. From Virginia, after a visit or two to the Mall museums, DC used to mean Georgetown, and it still does to a large extent. You can get there from the station in about thirty minutes. Wisconsin Avenue but also down the hill along the river. Shopping, dining, and some sights.

Short list DC guide: museums are free, some exceptions, as is public sculpture; US Botanic Garden, and further afield the Arboretum; beautiful neighborhoods; river trips; Vietnam Memorial; trains to Baltimore for less marble. Free performances every day at 6pm at the Kennedy Center between the Washington Monument and Georgetown.