TAW

Arrive IAD approx 4pm on a Tuesday, pick up rental car and head to Williamsburg for first stop. Mapquest shows it to be about 155 miles and almost 3 hrs. Will we run into heavy work traffic around that time? The route is VA-28S/VA-234S/I-95S/I-295S/I-64E...or is there a better way to go?
TIA

Ackislander

I hate to tell you this, but traffic is likely to be awful at that time, and it will probably take you more than 3 hours.

That is a reasonably direct route but a good bit of the first part of it is on busy suburban highways, if I recall correctly.

Would you be better off going in to 495 on the toll road and joining the exodus from Washington there? Once you are below Fredericksburg, you should be fine.

I hope someone else can advise.

emd

Are you checking bags? It can take quite a while to get bags at Dulles (good day, half hour, bad day, an hr.), then you have to go get the rent car. By then it could be 5:30. Personally, I would then find something to do (early dinner) rather than go near 95S at rush hour. It will be very heavy traffic for many many miles. I'd do it after 7 p.m. if taking that route.

TAW

Yes, we will have checked bags. I agree it can take a while to do all of that including getting the car. So we'll probably go somewhere close by for dinner or whatever and wait it out...sounds just like the Bay area where I live (San Jose)
Thanks

cheapbutnice

I need to vote for getting the drive over with. I just made the same trip, wasted close to an hour in traffic but got to WMB in time for a great sandwich near W&M. I never seem to have luck with waiting for traffic to get better in metro areas. I promise, once you get there the stress will be worth it!

cab5s

You might be better off trying to find the quickest way to Route 17.

TravelingMom

It depends on how circuitous you want to get. I used to live in northern VA and have family in Virginia Beach, so we did 95/64 frequently.

If you have 3 or more people (or a motorcycle, which I assume you don't!) you can take HOV, which is definitely worth it. Traffic can still be pretty painful though!

If you want a really back way, you could get on 15S. You can take this to 17 to 95 and continue on that way, or you could take 15 all the way south to Route 64. This puts you about 15 miles east of Charlottesville, VA and would take about 2 hours. Once you get on 64, it's about another 2 hours to Williamsburg. Definitely longer, but less traffic as well. If you're coming soon, the leaves on the Route 15 drive should be beautiful!

Weespxx

I live in Williamsburg and we have flown many times out of IAD. The HOV lanes are an option, but they stop long before Fredericksburg on 95 S. I'm also a fan of eating and then leaving, especially if you've got some time in Williamsburg. The traffic can be brutal. Hope you enjoy it down here no matter what your choice.

Birdie

I don't know what time the Udar-Hazy (sp?) Air & Space Museum closes but it would be a very worthwhile stop. It is right next to Dulles and is the new addition to the Smithsonian Air & Space museum.

tovarich

From IAD get on the 15 and in Opal take the 17 the the 33 to connect with the 64 to Wlliamsburg .Paul

blamona

If you mean Tuesday as in tomorrow, there is no school because it's election day, that means traffic will be lighter on 95, or not just "rush hour". There is a radio station 103. (? ask where you pick up the car) traffic and weather every 8 minutes.

emd

103.5 FM WTOP, traffic and weather on the 8s (8 after the hr, 18 after 28 after, etc.)

blamona

TAW: fyi-Carl's closes for the season on Nov 19th, and then doesn'y open until middle of Feb-I hope you make it!
8-)

Roundtrip

This thread's a bit old, but I basically want to do the same thing, except use public transportation instead of a rental car. My flight arrives at IAD at 5pm on Friday, April 6. We won't depart DC until the 15th, so we thought we'd do Williamsburg at the start of our trip. Are there trains to Williamsburg in the evening on weekdays?

Birdie

You'll have to check the Amtrak website for the train schedule. That is the only way to get to Williamsburg from DC on the train. I don't know if the metro hooks up with the train anywhere else except downtown DC.

MoonGirl

As Birdie says, you need to check Amtrak schedules for service from the DC area to Williamsburg. The public transportation options from IAD into DC are not great, and my personal choice would be to take a cab from IAD to DC's Union Station to catch your train, especially if you have luggage. (You'll be going the opposite way of most rush hour traffic at that hour). Fare is probably about $70; there are the usual shared shuttle services into the city that are cheaper.

If you are truly wedded to public transportation all the way, your options from Dulles are basically to catch a special (private company) bus that goes to the West Falls Church metro station, or a different public bus (I think the 93) that stops at the Rosslyn and L'Enfant Plaza metro stations. All metro stations metioned are on the orange and blue metro lines. Union Station is on the red line. FYI, some southbound Amtrak trains also stop from the King Street Station in Alexandria, Virginia, but the logistics of getting there from IAD are probably no easier at that time of day than going into downtown D.C., and may in fact be worse . . .

Roundtrip

After checking out the schedules for Amtrak (no evening trips to Williamsburg on Friday) and Greyhound (one change + 5 hours!), it appears the best option is to rent a car like the OP and follow the suggested routes. At least we'll save on taxi fare.