Poems of Provocation & Witness: March 22-25, 2012
Getting Here and Getting Around DC
Getting to Washington DC | Getting Around in DC
Getting to Washington, DC
By Air
Washington, DC is served by three airports:
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
www.metwashairports.com/national | 703-417-8000
Located south of the city along the Potomac River, National is accessible on Metrorail's Yellow and Blue lines. Taxi fare to downtown is approximately $12-$15. Shared ride van service is also offered by SuperShuttle.
- Baltimore/Washington International Airport
www.bwiairport.com | 1-800-I-FLY-BWI
Just 30 miles from DC on commuter (MARC) and Amtrak rail lines.
- Washington Dulles International Airport
www.metwashairports.com/Dulles | 703-572-2700
Located 26 miles west of DC, this is the hardest to get to/from of the three airports. Washington Flyer provides bus service to West Falls Church Metro station with departures every 45 minutes. SuperShuttle will bring you into DC for about $30 ($10 for each additional party in your group). Taxis from Dulles into DC are expensive.
All the airports are served by the van service, Super Shuttle (www.supershuttle.com). For travel from National Airport into the city, the Metro is easy, and a cab is just as affordable as the van (and usually much faster).
By Rail
Amtrak - www.amtrak.com - serves Washington’s gorgeous Union Station, on the Metro's Red Line. 1-800-USA-RAIL
By Bus
- Greyhound - www.greyhound.com - 1-800-231-2222
The bus station is located at 1005 1st Street NE (corner of L Street), several blocks from Union Station and Metro's Red Line.
- Chinatown Bus - www.chinatown-bus.com - 202-370-7958
Discounted bus service between DC, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Arrives in Chinatown, on Metro's Green and Red lines. These buses fill up fast and often overbook, so get to the departure site early!
- Megabus, Bolt, and DC2NY buses are relatively low-cost options, and offer free wi-fi on the bus. These buses fill up fast and often overbook, so get to the departure site early!
By Car
Consider leaving your car at home. All festival sites will be Metro accessible, and parking can be difficult, especially around the city, including venues for the readings.
A few tips for driving in DC:
- Numbered streets run north to south, in four quadrants of the city. All the festival activities will take place in the Northwest quadrant, notated as NW.
- In Northwest, the numbers increase as you head west. Letter streets are in alphabetical order, running east to west.
- W is the last letter street, just a block north of Busboys and Poets. Next begin east to west street names that contain two syllables, beginning with A and heading up alphabetically, then three syllables.
- State-named avenues run diagonally.
Getting Around in DC
Your registration materials will include maps. We'll also post maps on our Venues page.
Use Metro
We highly recommend taking Metro. All festival sites are within easy walking distance of the Metro. Fares for Metro increase by 10 cents on February 28; subway rides start at $1.75 (and may increase with the distance you ride). We recommend that you buy a Metro fare card with enough for several trips on it, to save time. Machines in each station take cash and credit cards. If you’ll be around longer for sightseeing or lobbying, consider buying a 7-day pass. These must be bought online at www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/store.
Use Capital Bikeshare!
- Washington DC is the first jurisdiction in North America to launch a bike share system! Capital Bikeshare allows you rent bikes on-demand from kiosks located all around the city. Go to any Capital Bikeshare station and follow the directions at the kiosk. Use a credit card to join for the day. You can take a bike as many times as you'd like for 24 hours or 3 days. For more information, go to www.capitalbikeshare.com.
MidCity Business Association offers a map of the U Street and 14th Street corridors.
We hope to be able to provide assistance for those with mobility needs. Please let us know if you have a need.