Washington DC

International visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries can stay up to 90 days without a visa (requires ESTA authorization). Others need a B-2 tourist visa. Verify at travel.state.gov.

By Air: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is closest to downtown. Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington (BWI) are larger hubs.

By Train: Amtrak connects to Boston (7 hours), New York (3.5 hours), Philadelphia (2 hours) from Union Station.

By Car: I-95 corridor. Parking downtown is expensive and difficult.

English is the primary language. DC is very international but English is universal.

US Dollar (USD). Cards accepted everywhere. ATMs widely available. Tipping: 18-20% at restaurants, $1-2 per drink, 15-20% for rideshare.

Metro: 6 lines covering DC, Maryland, Virginia suburbs. Clean and efficient (single ride $2-6 depending on distance/time). SmarTrip card recommended.

Buses: Metrobus network complements metro.

Capital Bikeshare: Extensive bike share system.

Uber/Lyft: Widely available ($15-35 for most DC trips).

Walking: National Mall, monuments, downtown very walkable. DC is designed for pedestrians.

DC Circulator: Tourist-friendly buses to major sites ($1).

From Reagan (DCA):
Metro: Blue/Yellow lines to downtown (15-20 min, $2-3).

Uber/Lyft: $20-30 to downtown (15-25 min).

From Dulles (IAD):
Silver Line Metro: Direct to downtown (60 min, $6).

Uber/Lyft: $50-70 to downtown (35-60 min).

From BWI:
MARC/Amtrak train: To Union Station (40-60 min, $8-16).

Uber/Lyft: $60-90 to downtown (45-75 min).