ibob

I need to get from National Airport (DCA) to Union Station (Amtrak) I think it is 2 or 3 zones, what is the price of cab fare? My 8 year old daughter and myself( 2 rolling suitcases) are wondering if it would be too cumbersome to take "Metro" on Saturday around 1:30 pm. We will have 3 hours. Is Union Station cool? Thanks.

FainaAgain

If it's Union Station in LA - it's a very nice place, don't miss the cortyard connecting the station with the Water Department. Take pictures.

E

Union Station in DC is cool in terms of the gilded, coffered ceilings, ornate plaster work, marble, statuary, etc. The shops are nice enough, nothing to write home about, and there is a food court as well as a couple of restaurants that are not bad.
I would take the Metro, myself, as it will not be very crowded at all on a Saturday afternoon. However, you'd sacrifice seeing the streets of the city from the cab...depends what strikes you as more fun. I'm afraid I don't know how much the cab would cost, as you'll be coming from VA and they tack on some weird little surcharge--current DC-ites should be able to help. Enjoy!

DeeDee

ibob,

I can't respond to your question about the cab fares.

You can quite easily get from National Airport to Union Station on Metro. I did a search on the website for the Metro (http://www.wmata.com) for you using this Sat. for an example.

Itinerary: depart Nat. Airport 1:05 pm, arrive Metro Center 1:22, change to red line depart Metro Center 1:28, arrive Union Station 1:33 pm. Cost $1.10 each.

Metro is easy to use and at that time of day there shouldn't be any huge crowds as it's Saturday middle of the day.

Do you have 3 hours to get to Union Station to catch a train? Or do you have 3 hours between your flights and want to go to Union Station and back to National all within the 3 hours? I would stay at the airport if it's the latter.

Good luck

rb_travelerxATyahoo

So you have 3 hours? Suppose you take the Metro to L'Enfant Plaza, then try walking/rolling from there (especially if it's a nice day), and/or catch a cab if necessary. That way, you get the speed and savings for riding the Metro from DCA, yet you'll get to see the great views of Capitol, and National Mall.

At the airport you can ride either the Yellow or Blue lines - they'll both stop at L'Enfant - but the yellow gets there in less stops. However the blue line will stop at many more stops that you might want to exit the Metro system and stroll around a little. If you purchase the Visitor Pass ($5 ea), you'll have unlimited access to the Metro. On BlueLine, you could walk near the WhiteHouse, stop at Federal Triangle and visit the Old Postal Pavilion where the view from the free clocktower rivals that from Washington Monument. Stop at Smithsonian for good views of National Mall. I'll add more in another post if you are interested.

ibob

I am still interested in the price of cab fare per zone in DC..... My itinerary is : Fly to National Airport (DCA)...3 hour layover at Union Station,then Amtrak to Williamsburg,Va. I will see the National Mall on the return leg of my trip and use the Metro ......Thank you.

bardo

A cab from DCA to Union Station is a lettle less than $15

Anonymous

DC cab fares are as mysterious as hieroglyphs and have not been mastered by most DC natives, including many cab drivers. Nobody really knows where the zone boundaries are. I have been charged a different fare every time for the same trip. It's not as straightforward as "per zone," in that a 2-zone ride doesn't cost twice as much as one zone, nor are there fixed additional increments for additional zones. A cabbie once showed me his pricing chart -- there's a per-person additional fee, too. IMHO, you can just take the Metro to Union Station.

Three hours is a lot of time to spend at Union Station, especially with an 8-year-old. I you really have 3 hours, you can check your luggage at Union Station (baggage room near Gate A), then get to one of the many attractions that are nearby -- I believe they include the washington Children's Museum, and the Postal Museum, which is very interactive and far more interesting than it sounds.

ibob

Thanks for the breakdown. I will take the metro.

sail10

The cab fares are per person listed on the zone map. So if union station is $10 then x2 you will pay $20 plus tip.

Union station is very nice but 30 minutes is enough to see it.So i agree take in some near by activity. ITS a shame if you had just 1-1 1/2 hrs more, you could take the old town trolly, it goes by all the major sites and it is 2 &1/2 hrs long if you do not get off. nick

kayd

Fares for trips in DC taxis that cross a state line are based on mileage, not the zone system, which is applicable only within DC. It was about $15 on my recent ride from National to Dupont Circle.
When you board a taxi at National, the dispatcher should give you a taxi map of the city that indicates typical fares from the airport to different destinations, e.g. Georgetown, Capitol Hill (that's where Uniton Station is), the White House.

The official taxi zone map, including fares, can be found at
http://dctaxi.dc.gov/info/Zone_Frt.pdf

The zone fare applies to the first passenger, with an add-on of $1.50 for each additional member of the group (not a multiple of the base fare, as another poster said).

jaydreb5

Kayd is right about the meter and price. It should be around $15, maybe a few dollars more because of airport fees/luggage/passenger, etc.

nicole99

Sail10 is not correct. The zones listed on the chart in the back of the taxi are not per person. One zone costs $5 (two zones is $6.90, three zones is $8.60 etc....) plus $1.50 for each additional passenger.

But since the zones are only inside the DC lines, iBob doesn't need to worry about them. I would estimate the cost of a taxi from DCA to Union Station to be about $20-$22 including luggage and two people.

Also - metro can be pretty busy on a Saturday at 1:30 pm if the weather is nice and there are tourists about. I would recommend taking a taxi!