Getting around in Richmond, VA
 

What is the traffic like in Richmond? We are thinking of taking the train from D.C. and then picking up a car--my DH has bed memories of the traffic outside DC when we drove from there to Williamsburg. Would we do better to take the train only as far as Fredericksburg and get a rental car there?

There is an Enterprise office not very far away, and Enterprise is usually good about picking up renters. Their office isn't very far from I-64, the highway to Williamsburg.

People like to complain about traffic, but it is really pretty easy by comparison with big cities. A lot can happen on I-95 between Fredericksburg and Richmond.

The Amtrak website has 2 car rental places near the Staples Mill Road station RVR (Budget and Avis) along US 250 west of Staples Road.
If you want to go to downtown Richmond, Enterprise is your best bet.

Thanks very much for the information. Just what I needed.

But don't go to downtown Richmond.

The station is in the middle of a vast construction site where the former train sheds are being converted to offices.

The area is not easy to drive through at best. Now it is a mess!

I often say that those of us who live in Richmond don't know what real traffic is. When we venture to northern VA or Tidewater and discover what real traffic is, it is a good reminder of how easy RVA is to navigate.

If I can help with restaurants or the like, let me know.

And I agree with using the Staples Mill station. I am leaving from there when I take the train for the Philly GTG next month.

I commute between Williamsburg and DC.

Take the train to Ashland, VA which is one stop prior to Richmond Staples Mill. Enterprise is 5 min away and they will come pick you up.

The distance to Williamsburg is the same -- an hour door to door -- but it's an easier and less congested drive to I-64 from Ashland. And car rental places aren't as nearby at Staples Mill. Unless you're a loyalty customer to one of them, Enterprise is about as competitive as it gets.

Don't wait until the last minute to buy your train tickets, especially if you're traveling on a Friday or the weekend. They won't sell out but the economical (and refundable) ones will. A lot of people commute to DC from the Richmond area and a lot of college students use Amtrak on weekends.

Sorry, perhaps I misunderstood. If you're going to Richmond, take the train to Staples Mill. If you're going to Williamsburg, though, take it to Ashland.

obx...I think I misunderstood...hehe.

I have never been to the station in Ashland but it does sound like a good idea if he isn't going to be in Richmond.

Boy, is that good to know! We'll get off at Ashland. This is great help.

We're going from DC to Williamsburg, partly by train and partly in a rental car.

What a great idea, obxgirl!

I wouldn't have thought of that in a million years! Right out to 95 to 295 to 64! Whoa!

And Underhill, you have huge treat waiting for you in Ashland. I hope none of us gives it away, but there can't be many places left where you can still have this experience.

We get a lot of English visitors, and they are all gobsmacked!

Agree Ashland is your best bet. It's just north of the I-95/I-295 split, so you avoid any potential I-95 problems and you avoid I-95/I-64 in Richmond. I-295 between I-95 & I-64 is usually fine. Also, the station and town are really cute.

As mentioned earlier, Amtrak can get expensive if you don't book in advance. Also you have to book a specific train, and switching at the last minute is expensive. So if for some reason Amtrak to Ashland doesn't work out, going back to your original question about Fredericksburg, you can also take a VRE commuter train to Fredericksburg. It takes longer than Amtrak since there are more stops and it only runs afternoons & evenings on weekdays, but it's cheaper & you can just show up, buy a ticket, & get on the next train. As stated earlier, a lot can happen on I-95 between Fredericksburg & Ashland, so I think Ashland is a better choice, but if for some reason that doesn't work out, this is another option.

Are there any trains to Williamsburg outside of Amtrak? The train times aren't very convenient at that site.

No other trains unless you want to hop a freight train.

There is one train in the morning and one mid afternoon. That works for most people most days. Wmburg is not exactly a teeming metropolis. (and in part why Ashland is a good commuting station -- more trains).

Our choice is either an earlyish morning departure or one that wouldn't get us back to DC until late evening on a Sunday. I didn't see a mid-afternoon time listed; that's what we're after. Is thee any chance of a change in the timetable by next October?

We're going to a wedding in colonial Williamsburg on a Saturday night and wanted to head back to DC around noon on the Sunday, but the train schedule doesn't accommodate that timing. My DH doesn't want to drive around DC; so the train is really the only option.

You can rent a car at Washington Union station or at Reagan National airport.
For the best Amtrak fares buy more than 14 days in advance.
Amtrak also has a station at BWI which is a good place to rent a car or to fly home from.

The whole point of the original post is that they don't want to deal with the traffic out of or into Washington.

The trains from Washington to Williamsburg itself are what used to be called "accommodations" and are scarce, inconvenient, and slow.

They have been offered a brilliant solution: a train to Ashland where they can rent a car and easily bypass Richmond. Trains on this route are generally frequent and quick, so I am surprised they can't find convenient times even on a Sunday.

But they are right. The only northbound from Ashland on Sunday doesn't leave unti after 7 PM.

HOWEVER if they book to Richmond Staples Mills, they can leave Washington on Train 89, The Palmetto, at 10:00 arriving Staples Mills at 12:07 just in time for lunch.
Or they can take Train 79, the Carolinian, at 10:53 arriving just before 1:00.

They can return on Sunday on Number 92, The Silver Star, at 12:16 or Number 80, The Carolinian, at 2:12. Both trains are scheduled to get them back to DC before 5:00.

These are based on a random weekend in May, BUT CHEAP TICKETS SELL OUT QUICKLY so they need to stop worry and book the car (is the agency open on Saturday and Sunday?) and the train or driving will be the only choice.

Thanks SO much for the additional info. I'll see what I can do. Where do I find the schedule info? Is it on the Amtrak site or somewhere else?

This is when a PM system on the Fodor site would be really useful.

Let me lay out the situation.

We arrive in DC the night of October 6th and want to get to Williamsburg around 4 p.m. the following day. The wedding is on the 8th On the 9th we need to return to DC and would very much like NOT to have an early-morning train because of wedding festivities the previous night.

So...when I used Staples Mill Road as the destination, things changed--and the train times are perfect. Got a good deal with Amtrak for a rental car, too.

Off we will go, thanks to our Fodors friends.

Schedule info is on the Amtrak site. Easiest is to just use the "buy tickets - one way" on the main page to see the schedules for 10/7 & 10/9 between WAS and Ashland, RVR, & WBG. It's highly unlikely they'll add anymore trains between now & October, or substantially change the schedules.

So looking for your return on 10/9 first, your only choices are 8:52 in the morning or 5:41 in the evening, getting to DC 3.5 hours later. Those are the only trains that stop at Ashland on a Sunday, so going to Ashland doesn't help you much. Going from Richmond Staples Mill Rd helps a little by adding trains at 12:16 and 2:12, but the 12:16 comes from Florida & the 2:12 from Charlotte, NC, so there is a good chance they could be hours late. (The one from Williamsburg will likely leave Williamsburg on time.) So personally I'd do the 8:52 from Williamsburg & just be a little groggy.

Getting to Williamsburg on 10/7 (Friday) there is a 2:30 from DC that gets in at 6:21, which is a little later but not that bad.

Good luck.

Which airport are you flying into and out of?
Could you fly into BWI and either rent a car there or take an Amtrak train into Washington? BWI has its own Amtrak station with plenty of Northeast Regional trains every day.

Glad you have it figured out, Underhill. Have a great trip.

We're flying into National and staying overnight. Then we'll take the train down to Wmsburg the next morning.

The trains: from Dc at 10:53 a.m., arriving at Richmond
around 1:00 p.m. Pick up car, have lunch, head south.

Returning:

Train leaves Richmond at 2:12 (don't have to rise early to drive up from Wmsburg), arrives DC at 4:30. Perfect for checking into our DC hotel.

Suggestions for a place for lunch, please.

I am trying to think of places that wouldn't be far off 64.

This is the first place that comes to mind, but I would like to think of someplace else as I am not 100% happy with this choice.

http://kitchen64.com/

The Black Sheep is very good. It is small so you may want to call on the way to see how crowded it is.

http://www.blacksheeprva.com/

Personally I'd let my stomach growl for the hour drive down to Pierce's (in Wmsburg), but that's probably because I only get it when I visit my MIL. VA barbeque is tough to come by here in upstate NY. Sorry, I don't know that part of Richmond well enough to recommend anything. Glad to hear you have the train/car all set though. Enjoy the trip.

The lunch menu at kitchen64 is appealing. But I'll take a look at Pierce's as well; the only Wmsburg restaurant we know is the Blue Talon, a favorite. We'll have dinner there the evening we drive down.

I see that Pierce's is barbeque, which is what will be served for the wedding dinner.