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.