Travel and Tourism Information
for the Washington, DC Area
There are many convenient options for getting to and around Washington, DC. The safe and clean subway is easy to use. DC streets are lettered and numbered, making navigating less stressful.
Arriving in Alexandria
Air
Three airports serve the Washington, DC area and they are:
· Reagan National (DCA),
· Dulles International (IAD), and
· Baltimore Washington International (BWI)
Reagan National Airport is the closest to our convention hotel, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town. Reagan National is also a stop on the Washington, DC Metro Subway System, and our hotel offers a free 15-minute shuttle ride every half an hour to and from that airport. You can find the shuttle at airport doors 5 and 9. (see Crowne Plaza Old Town Shuttle below). If you prefer to take a taxi to the hotel, the cost is approximately $15.00. The Holiday Inn and Suites Hotel is nearby and is also served by the free shuttle to and from Reagan National Airport.
See these directions from Reagan National Airport to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town.
Dulles Airport, located in Chantilly, Virginia is the next closest airport. Most international flights arrive at Dulles Airport. You may take the Super Shuttle from Dulles Airport to the Crown Plaza Hotel Old Town or to the Holiday Inn and Suites at a cost of approximately $30. Each additional person is only $9 and you can rent the entire van (which seats 7 people) for $85 so you may wish to make arrangements with other convention guests to travel together from Dulles to the hotel. A taxicab ride from Dulles Airport is approximately $55.
In addition to Reagan National and Dulles Airport, you may also fly into Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). From BWI, you may take the Super Shuttle to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town or to the Holiday Inn and Suites at a cost of approximately $42 for one person. Each additional person is only $10 each. You may rent the entire van (which seats 7 people) for $95 so you may wish to make arrangements with other convention guests to travel together from BWI to Alexandria. Taxi fare is approximately $70.
The Super Shuttle airport shuttle service connects all three airports. For more information go to the Super Shuttle website.
Train
There are two Amtrak stations convenient to our hotel:
· Alexandria, VA (ALX)
· Washington - Union Station, DC (WAS).
The nearest Amtrak station to our hotel is the Alexandria station. It is approximately a 20-minute walk to the hotel or you may wish to take a taxi from the train station to the convention hotel.
Union Station is Washington, DC's historic Amtrak train station located in the heart of our Nation's capital, and like the train stations of Europe, majestic Union Station also teems with upscale shops and restaurants. It's also a stop on the Metro, and from there you can continue to the Reagan National Metro Station and catch the free shuttle to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town or to the Holiday Inn and Suites.
Maryland Rail Commuter - MARC Trains run weekdays between points in Maryland and West Virginia to Union Station, Washington, DC.
Virginia Railway Express - VRE Trains are commuter trains running from points in Virginia to the Alexandria Amtrak station.
Car
All the major car rental agencies are available at the airports and at Union Station. For driving directions visit the hotel site or your favorite Internet map site.
The convention hotel addresses are:
| Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town 901 N. Fairfax Street Alexandria VA 22314 Phone: (703) 683-6000 |
or | Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites 625 First Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 548-6300
|
Getting Around Washington, DC
Subway
The Metrorail subway system is clean, safe, modern, and convenient. For more info see: www.wmata.com
The two subway stops closest to the Alexandria hotels are the King Street Station and the Braddock Road station. However the free hotel shuttle does stop at Reagan National Metro Stop, which is closer to DC. The closest Metro station to the convention hotel is the Braddock Road station which is only a 20-minute walk from the hotel or you may take the DASH bus for $1 for an 8-minute bus ride to the subway station.
From Braddock Road you can easily reach the National Mall (where many of the monuments are located) and the Smithsonian Institution museums via a 20-minute subway ride.
Hours: Monday-Thursday 5AM-12PM (midnight)
Weekends 7AM-3AM
Fares: Minimum $1.35
Maximum $3.90
One Day Pass $6.50*
7-Day Fast Pass $32.50
You may purchase Metro cards at any Metro station from a farecards machine. We recommend purchasing the one-day pass. Please note the one-day pass is good after 9:30 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.
Children: Up to two children, 4 years and younger, ride free with each adult paying full fare.
Seniors and Disabled: Pay 1/2 of the regular fare not to exceed $1.95.
For visiting persons with disabilities who reside outside the WMATA service area, Metro will issue a one-time courtesy WMATA disability ID card good for up to one month.
For more information about qualifying for a Metro ID card and buying Reduced Fare farecards, SmarTrip® cards and passes, see Metro Senior ID and Metro Disability ID information or call 202/637-7000 (TTY 202/638-3780).
Free orientations on how to use accessible Metrobus and Metrorail services are available to persons with disabilities and senior citizens by calling 202/962-1100 (TTY 202/962-2033).
Bus
DASH, Alexandria’s local bus system, provides service to various locations and historical sites within the city and serves all of Alexandria’s Metro stations. The Route 4 bus line stops right in front of the convention hotel and will take you to the King Street shopping and dining district as well as the King Street and Braddock Road Metro stations. It only costs $1 each way to ride the DASH buses. Additionally, during weekends, there is a fee to ride DASH About Weekend Shuttle, which travels from the King Street Metro station to Old Town’s Market Square (and all the great shops, restaurants, galleries and attractions in between).
Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town Shuttle
The Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town runs a free shuttle service to and from Reagan National Airport and the Reagan National Metro daily from 6:00AM to 10:30PM. You can find it at doors 5 and 9 at the airport. From 2:10PM to 10:10PM. The same shuttle stops at the Holiday Inn and Suites hotel. It will also take hotel guests to the King Street historic shopping and dining district in Alexandria (corner of King and Fairfax Streets in front of city hall). You may walk the 7 blocks from the hotel to the King Street shopping and dining district, but we suggest you take the free hotel shuttle if available.
Running from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, this free trolley runs between
N. Union Street and the King Street Metro station, making lots of stops
for hopping on and off to check out all the shops, restaurants and
attractions found along Old Town's main thoroughfare
Taxi
If you prefer to take a taxi to the hotel, the cost is approximately $15.00 from Reagan National Airport. A taxicab ride from Dulles Airport is approximately $55 and from Baltimore Washington it is approximately $70.
Old Town Alexandria is serviced by several taxicab companies, all of which can be obtained by the hotel’s concierge. Simply alert the front desk that you wish to take a taxi and they will take care of the rest!
Parking
Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town
There is a 24 hour in/out garage with self parking. We have negotiated a special rate for our convention guests at $5 per car per day.
Alexandria
Other parking lots in the area may charge you as much as $5 per hour. You may park at any of the metered parking spaces in Old Town Alexandria, however, be advised these are really difficult to find.
If you still wish to drive, we suggest you go to the Ramsay House Visitors Center, 221 King Street and obtain a free 24-hour parking proclamation. The passes are valid at two-hour metered spaces only and only to non-Alexandria residents.
Washington, DC
Parking on the streets of Washington, DC is mostly free, but the 2008 GerardButler.Net U.S. Charity Convention will be held during the National Cherry Blossom Festival and free parking will be very difficult to find. Parking lots are available but are expensive ($10 or more for a 2-hour stay) and not very close to the Washington, DC sites and monuments. Your best bet would be to ride the Metro.
Traveling to New York
Buses
The following companies have daily bus service from DC to NY:
Climate and Weather
April is one of the most beautiful times to visit the Washington, DC area. The average April temperature is a low of 42 degrees F (5.5 degrees C) and a high of 66 degrees F (18.8 degrees C) with an average rainfall of 3.26 inches. The weather can be rainy and cool one day and sunny and very warm the next day. Therefore, we suggest you pack a light jacket and a sweater or two in addition to your casual wear and comfortable walking shoes.
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