Travel
Washington, D.C.
D.C. has a temperate, maritime climate. November tends to be mostly dry and cool, with highs about 60°F (15°C), and lows around 40°F (5°C).
Eastern Standard Time zone, – 0500 UTC, 5 hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time.
Tourism
We're collecting links to tourist highlights in the D.C. area and placing them on a Tourism page. The number of links and tips will grow as we near convention time.
Getting Here
Airline
Three airports serve the Washington, D.C. area. For airline connections to each:
- Reagan National (DCA) [Domestic and Canada]
- Dulles International (IAD)
- Baltimore-Washington International (BWI)
Rail
Amtrak issues this alert:
Passengers are strongly urged to check the status of their train on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) for the most up-to-date departure and arrival times.
Union Station connects the Amtrak system to the Washington, D.C. Metro system.
Amtrak offers a 10% discount off the best available rail fare to Washington, D.C. between November 3 - November 12, 2014. To book your reservation call Amtrak at 1 (800) 872-7245 or contact your local travel agent.
Convention rates cannot be booked via Internet. Please be sure to refer to Convention Fare Code X59T-910 when making your reservation. This offer is not valid on the Auto Train and Acela Service. Fare is valid on Amtrak Regional for all departures seven days a week, except for holiday blackouts. Offer valid with Sleepers, Business Class or First Class seats with payment of the full applicable accommodation charges.
This Information for Passenger letter (pdf) has all the details.
Hotel Shuttle
The Hyatt provides free shuttle service every 15 minutes between the hotel and both Reagan National Airport and the Crystal City Metro Stop. Both Blue and Yellow D.C. Metro Lines stop at Crystal City.
Passport & Visa Requirements
International travel requires passports.
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries may travel to the U.S. without a visa for stays of 90 days or less. Visitors must still apply for ESTA authorization.
Visa information for citizens of other countries is available at the U.S. State Department web site.
Canadians do Not need visas or ESTA authorization.
Maps & Directions
- From Reagan National (DCA) ~~
Take the Hyatt shuttle van.
If renting and driving, from the airport access road take the Jefferson Davis Hwy South, then turn left (east) at the 27th St intersection. NOTE: GPS may tell you to make a U-turn at 27th St. This is wrong. - From Dulles (IAD) ~~
Take the Silver Line Express bus ($ 5) to Wiehle-Reston East, then the Silver Line metro [in the direction of Largo Town Center] to the Rosslyn station; transfer to the Blue Line metro in the direction of Franconia/Springfield to the Crystal City Metro Station. The Blue Line train to Crystal City at Rosslyn is on the lower level. The hotel bus stops there every 15 minutes.
Alternatively, take the Washington Flyer ($ 10) to East Falls Church, then either the Orange Line in the direction of New Carrolton, or Silver Line in the direction of Largo Town Center to Rosslyn, transfer to the Blue Line (see above) to Crystal City.
• Super Shuttle 1/2 $ 29/39, but see the WFC discount below.
• Taxi fare approx $ 65. - From Baltimore-Washington (BWI) ~~
Take the BWI Express Metro bus service to the Greenbelt Metro Station, then take the Green Line in the direction of Branch Ave (alternatively, if it is running at the Greenbelt station, the Yellow Line), transfer to the parallel Yellow Line at any station between Fort Totten and L'Enfant Plaza. Take the Yellow Line in the direction of Huntington to the Crystal City Metro Station.
Alternatively, take the MARC train from the BWI Marshall station to D.C. Union Station, then follow Union Station instructions below to Crystal City.
• Super Shuttle 1/2 $ 48/60, but see the WFC discount below.
• Taxi fare approx $ 85. - From Union Station ~~
Take the Red Line in the direction of either Shady Grove or Grosvenor to Chinatown, where you transfer to the Yellow Line in the direction of Huntington to Crystal City; or continue on the Red Line to Metro Center, where you transfer to the Blue Line in the direction of Franconia/Springfield to Crystal City. The Blue Line at Metro Center is on the lower level. (The Yellow line crosses the Potomac on a bridge while the Blue line goes via a tunnel)
• Limo $ 79.
• Taxi fare approx $ 18. - Schedules and prices subject to change.
- View Larger Map & Driving Directions
- Maximum WFC 2014 parking garage height is 6 ft 6 in.
- Alternate Parking Information
Super Shuttle Discount
Booking a ride online at the Super Shuttle web site will give you the WFC discount fare of
$ 27 from Dulles International (IAD) and
$ 43 from Baltimore-Washington International (BWI).
Booking round trip will get a $ 5 total discount. Group code: TLGB9.
Booking by telephone ( 1-800-BLUE-VAN ) will incur a $ 2 charge, and there is no discount available at the airport counters.
Public Transportation
Public transportation is run by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA; www.wmata.com). It consists of two parts, a heavy rail/subway system (the Metro) and a bus system (Metrobus). The web site includes a trip planner if you wish to go sightseeing.
The most economical (and convenient) way to travel on the system is to purchase a SmartTrip card. They are available from machines in all of the Metro stations. For $ 10, you get a refillable plastic card with $ 8 of fare on it. Most rides cost $ 2-3, depending on the route and the time of day. Do not buy a paper fare card! Every time you use a paper fare card, you will be charged $ 1 in addition to the fare for that ride. In addition, you can use the card on Metrobuses. When you go home, keep your SmartTrip card for your next trip to D.C. or leave it with Registration so that it can be donated to a good cause.
