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370 km south of New York, Washington is the other major metropolis on the American East Coast. This city of around 650,000 inhabitants within the walls, and nearly 6 million with the outskirts, is also and above all the federal capital of the United States. If New York is the economic and financial heart of America, Washington stands out as the heart of political power.
You will be able to discover the White House, the famous residence of the American President, but also the Congress and the Pentagon, headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. Washington is also worth a visit for its great museums, including the extraordinary aeronautics and space museum, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Also don’t miss the monument erected in memory of the nearly 60,000 American soldiers who fell during the Vietnam War, the grandiose memorial to Abraham Lincoln and the Iwo Jima memorial which pays homage to the sacrifice of the Marines during the Peaceful.
To go to Washington for a day, you are spoiled for choice. Here are all the possible solutions:
Washington by regular bus
The regular bus is not the fastest way to get to Washington, but it is the most economical. Count 5 hours of travel for a fare starting at $42 for the round trip. Several companies provide connections between New York and Washington: the first departure leaves New York at 6:30 am to arrive in Washington at 11:30 am. For the return, you can for example aim for the 6 p.m. bus which arrives in New York at 8:30 p.m., in 4:30.
To see all the possible options and book your tickets, I advise you to consult this comparator of all bus companies between New York and Washington.
By tourist bus with an English-speaking guide
If you don’t really want to go on an adventure on your own, it is possible to book a day in Washington by bus with an English-speaking guide. Meet your guide at 7am, a stone’s throw from Times Square. Once in Washington, the tour will begin with a stop at Arlington Cemetery to see the grave of former US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Then you will continue by the Capitol and the White House. You will then discover the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, before discovering the memorials of Washington.
A cleverly designed tour to see all the must-see places in one day! Expected return to New York around 8 p.m. More information on the Washington DC day trip from New York page.
By minibus with private English-speaking guide
If you speak English and want to visit Washington with a guide just for you, it’s possible! The price is necessarily higher than in a group but the service is obviously much more personalized. The guide actually picks you up from your hotel or address anywhere in New York, and the Toyota minibus is reserved just for you, your family, or your friends. You can be up to 6 people on board.
With the minibus, the journey time is only 4 hours. In Washington, the visit includes everything you need to see in Washington, but the guide can obviously adapt to your requests if you want to spend more time in this or that place. More information on the pagePrivate Day Trip to Washington from New York.
Washington en train
The train is a faster way to get to Washington but the price is necessarily a little more expensive. Departure between 7 and 8 a.m. from Penn Station for an arrival at Union Station in Washington about 3 and a half hours later. It’s still 1h30 less than by regular bus and one hour less than by minibus!
If you don’t want to bother organizing your train journeys, I suggest this Washington train day pass which includes round-trip train travel, a quick lunch at Union Station upon arrival, and a Hop-on Hop-off bus ticket. It’s up to you to discover Washington as you wish! The principle of Hop-on Hop-off is simple: this line of tourist buses stops in front of the must-see places in the American capital and you can then get off to visit each place at your leisure. Then you can take the next bus and continue the route. Note that the complete loop, without descending, lasts 2 hours.
Depart late afternoon from Washington Station for an early evening arrival in New York. This tour takes 12 hours in total, door to door from Penn Station. More details on this package in the page dedicated toIndependent Day Trip to Washington DC from New York.
Washington en avion
The plane is obviously the fastest way to travel from New York to Washington: the flight only takes an hour! But this unbeatable time remains very theoretical… Firstly because you have to add the time needed to get to the airport then, once in Washington, you have to take a transfer to the city center. Not to mention that you have to show up in advance for each flight, for check-in and going through security. In the end, the travel time is quite close to that of the train.
But if you have the possibility to buy a free ticket with your miles, it is an option. You can also book an all-inclusive package with airport transfers, flights, lunch and a Hop-on Hop-off bus ticket. More information on the page dedicated to the day in washington by plane.
Washington en photos
The Capitol in Washington.
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Arlington Cemetery.
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