I am coming to Washington D.C. in October from England for a few days. Please can anyone tell me the quickest way to get tickets for a tour of the FBI building. Any information on the White House Fall tour' (on 21st October) and recommendations for a day trip on public transport.
Also will be coming from Baltimore airport on a Saturday - best and cheapest ways to downtown Washington. Thanks.

From BWI, taking the train to Union Station in DC is the chepaest way. Go to the FBI buidling and get your tickets. Have your hotel plan a bus trip arounf DC - there are many, and your concierge can recommend a good one.

Citizens of the US can contact thier congressperson for VIP tickets to the White House..I don't know if you could do the same thing with the British ambassador or something....you might try. If not, get up early (and I mean early) to get in line at the White House visitor center for tickets later in the day. They start handing out tickets at 730am, and only hand out a limited number of tickets. You need to be in line no later than 7am. You should also check to make sure they give tours on Oct 21st...they sometimes cancel tours if something is going ojn at the White House. DO NOT BUY tickets from the people walking out in front (or behind) the WHite House..its a scam.

I always fly into BWI to get to DC. I always use a car service because its comparable (and nicer) than a cab. There is also a commuter rail that goes into Union Station....where there is a Metro (subway) stop.

Enjoy our nations capital

Chris is in KY

Thank you for advice. Can you tell me more about taking car (instead of cab) from BWI.

Do a "textsearch" on Washington, D.C. and read many responses about what to see in D.C. I agree with many others that the FBI tour is way down on the list of what-to-see, and the White House is worth seeing but probably not worth spending much of the day waiting in line. The museums on the mall and the major monuments are more worth your time.

I visited YOUR country last summer and hope to go again someday (for the fourth time).

October 21 is a Sunday. White House tours are given only Tuesday through Saturday. Public and congressional tours are never given on a Sunday or Monday.

The ideas suggested so far are great. If you can spare the money, a taxi to DC from BWI is the easiest way. The train, suggested, is available too. Yes, forget the FBI, and focus instead on the Mall, the Hill and the White House. That will take 2-3 days of solid sightseeing. It would help if you could obtain two books: a DC Access Guide that will help you get organized so you can see more in a given time; and a Zagats (or you can access this over internet). Also, you may wish to become familiar with our Metro ... fast way to see outlying areas or get around the city. Finally, please do a complete search on this site, for the past 30-60 days ... you will find recommendations about all asepcts of DC ... many, many posters have already addressed every question you can conceive. Have a nice trip. Ciao

I'd forget about the White House tour unless you can somehow get a VIP tour. The public one for which you line up early in the morning to get tickets isn't really a tour--you walk through various public rooms in the White House and don't have a guide. I think the whole process takes up way too much time for what you get. Just walk around the White House and enjoy it from the outside.

Do a night-time tour of the monuments. Very impressive all lit up at night. You can get a commercial tour (like Greyline) or hire a cab driver to take you. Enjoy!

I thought the MARC train only ran M-F. In which case, a cab would be your best option. Unless you're traveling alone, then one of the airport shuttles would be less expensive.

Day trips by public transport: Baltimore would be the easiest. You can take the MARC train from Union Station. But, as mentioned above, it only runs M-F, and then during the morning and evening rush hours. Also, you could take Amtrak to Baltimore any day of the week, but at a much higher price than MARC.