No, it would not be best to get a taxi to Dulles.

I would price in city locations and DCA locations. I would also check the cost of taking Amtrak to Richmond and then renting a car there. I don't know what "and district" means at the end of your first sentence.

Thanks, I think your suggestion of getting a taxi to Dulles would be ideal as our intention is to drive the Skyline drive.
We are staying just outside Richmond and then have 3 days in that area.

I didn't suggest taking the taxi to Dulles. I said the opposite. You didn't say anything about the Skyline drive to begin with. I would just price your options and then decide.

Regardless of whether you are doing the Skyline Drive, just get the car in DC and drive. The taxi to Dulles will cost about $70.00.

Thanks, Any suggestions on easy to reach from Georgetown car hire places in DC

Put your address in google maps and then search nearby for car rental. I think there is an Enterprise on 22nd St NW

You will SAVE MONEY by not renting at an airport location. As I recall you are actually leaving town from Dulles and I would simply make sure that you can return your car to a Dulles location to avoid driving all the way back into town.

You also save a lot of money on car rental if you rent from a town other than Washington DC. In April, we found that by renting the car in Annapolis instead of Washington DC, we saved about $600. But we were already planning to go to Annapolis anyway. We got there from Washington DC by taking a bus for around $4 per person to Annapolis. But that city might not be convenient for you. You might check other towns around.

We just rented a car in Washington DC for our upcoming trip. The previous poster is correct, google your hotel and then click its icon and do a "search nearby" and enter car rental.
The only caveat is sometimes at these neighborhood branches, the hours are more just the business day hours. We found several agencies also had car rental sites near Union Station open until 10 pm if that is a priority.

The best deals we found were for Budget, using the Entertainment book, both coupon AND website link. If you look, you can get deals at most companies though it takes a little time. Your memberships to things like AAA or Costco may also get you a discount.

Why go to Dulles? You can rent a car at Union Station or take the Metro to Reagan National which is much more convenient than Dulles.
You could also take the Amtrak train to Richmond and rent there.

Dukey,

He MIGHT save money using airport locations - especially for a one-way rental.

Stargate won't know until he does some research.

Try Orbitz, Travelocity, or Priceline and see what comes up for your dates using different pickup/dropoff locations. But use DCA as a beginning airport pickup location, NOT IAD!

Also - check the weekly rate even if your stay is less than a full week. It's likely to be less money.

A taxi to Dulles could be 1/3 the cost of a weeks car rental!

How old are you? If you are 62 or older, AMTRAK to Richmond is 2 hours and very cheap. You can rent a car to pick up at Staples Mills station, on the edge of the city. Do Richmond, then the Skyline Drive, and end your trip at Dulles.

How long is the train ride to Richmond if you are under 62?

<<<How long is the train ride to Richmond if you are under 62?>>>

Bardo, one of our local newscasters used to sign off the early news "Until 11:00, I'm Fred LaCosse". We'd always ask, "and who do you become after 11:00"?

If I understand correctly from the OP's first thread, the OP is traveling home to the UK from Dulles leaving 9 am and has a hotel booked in the Dulles area their final night. Staying in Georgetown while in DC.

Car pick up and drop off at Dulles makes some time and money sense.

Taxi will be $60+ but the hotel will know more specifically the amount. Supershuttle to Dulles is another option, less expensive. The cheapest option 5A Metro bus leaves from Rosslyn to Dulles which is close trip via Circulator bus ($1) or cab from Gtown. Also metro to Falls Church to pick up Washington Flyer.

All of the other suggestions involve traveling somewhere to either get a car or get a train and incur the additional costs to take the train or return the car to a spot that wasn't the pick up spot. And then travel to the Dulles area at the end of the trip.

I'm not a spendthrift but time has some value on a transatlantic week long trip.

The train you want out of WAS is the one that leaves at 7:40AM.
You get to Richmond 3 hours later(10:35AM) with everyone that is under 62. The 15% discount fare will be $38.25 which would be less than your taxi to Dulles.

If you are under 62, you are better off driving!

Train to Richmond. Rent the car there. The drive from Washington to Richmond is terrible - lots of construction and traffic. Richmond, then Skyline Drive / Charlottesville, then Dulles to drop off the car and fly home.

tomfuller, The OP will need to take a pair city buses or a $10 cab ride to get from Georgetown to Union Station for a 7:40am train. Neither of the Richmond train stations (downtown and Staples Mill Rd) have car rental on site. Car rental is nearby but if travel is on a weekend, hours on Saturday are limited and usually closed on Sunday.

Get to Dulles by taxi, Supershuttle or public transport. Get a car. You're west of DC and headed in right direction for the Skyline Drive.

Another reason to get a hotel near a Metro stop. Does Enterprise still pick you up?
Rent the car in downtown DC (several locations) drive west on I-66 and get on the Skyline Drive at Front Royal.
Get on I-64 East at Waynesboro if you have to go to Richmond-West if you want to go to Staunton to get on I-81 up through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley on I-81 and go back to DC to turn in the car.

If you are from UK or AUS your best bet is to book through hertz.co.uk
All taxes and fees will be included in your quote, including both liability and collision insurances

Hi, Thanks for all help, A bit of confusion seems evident about our plans so I will explain further. We are staying in Washington Dc for 4 nights in Georgetown. I need to pick up a car in the morning for our drive via Skyline to Richmond. I thn need to take the car back to Dulles for our flight out at 9am on the morning, having stopped in Richmond (west) for 2 nights.
So far, the vote seems to be pick up a car in downtown washington dc and return it to Dulles on the evening before our flight out. I am from the UK so I do want to pre-book.
Tomfuller, you suggested driving back to Dulles via I-81, approx how long will this take?
Thanks

Waynesboro to Harrisonburg is 45 minutes. Harrisonburg to Dulles is exactly 2 hours.
You get off I-66 at Exit 53 onto VA 28 straight to Dulles. It is about 12 miles to the airport after you get off I-66.
If there is no real need to go to Richmond I would avoid I-95 and trying to rent in Richmond. See if you can rent at Reagan National and return the car to Dulles.
There is nearly always less traffic on I-81 than on I-95 at any given time.
If you wanted to drive the Skyline Drive northbound you could drive to Waynesboro and come out at Front Royal on I-66.
I used to drive from Harrisburg PA down I-81 getting back on I-95 in South Carolina on my way to Florida.
I like the S. Valley much better than driving through or around DC and Richmond.

Thanks. Think I will look at hiring car from Reagan and returning to Dulles. Intention is to drive south n skyline drive and then come off at waynesborough to richmong. We are staying west of Richmond. We want to visit Williamsburg whilst down there. So your suggestion would be to avoid I95 and drive back via I66 to Dulles?

Coming back from Williamsburg to avoid I-95 try US 17 north to US 1 which runs alongside I-95 to Dumfries and then Rt. 234 into Manassas to get on 26 which will take you to Dulles just north of Chantilly. There is a new branch of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum next to the airport if that interests you.
Sometimes the traffic flows nicely on I-95 between the Washington Beltway and Richmond. Quite often it does not.

vjpblovesitaly gave the best advice for renting a car: "I would just price your options and then decide". Those options being pickup in D.C. or DCA or IAD and dropoff at IAD.

I would take I-95 from Richmond to get to Dulles Airport. Going via the Shenandoah Valley is twice as far.

>>I would take I-95 from Richmond to get to Dulles Airport. Going via the Shenandoah Valley is twice as far.<<

Agree. What morning of the week are you leaving DC for the Skyline Drive? You're all good if it's a weekend day. If it's a weekday you'll have substantial rush hour traffic to contend with. Just plan accordingly.

>>Coming back from Williamsburg to avoid I-95 try US 17 north to US 1 which runs alongside I-95 to Dumfries and then Rt. 234 into Manassas to get on 26 which will take you to Dulles just north of Chantilly<<

I think the OP is thinking of visiting Williamsburg while staying in the Richmond area, not going from Wmburg to Dulles. Besides, I-95 is just a road with cars on it.

I would check

metro to DCA(Reagan Natl) pickup with a drop off at Dullas