Cycleing Washington DC USA

[Brian Offord]

Off to the USA next May for a two week tour of Washington DC my friend is flying to Washington but I need to get from New York to Washington [Family Wedding first] I have been looking to take the train from NY to Washington any import would be a help thanks.

[aquilegia]

The train is surprisingly expensive, and Amtrak doesn't always make bringing bikes easy. I would suggest that you take one of the many inexpensive and reliable buses that now go between Washington and NY. Most of them take bikes for free. I would suggest that you avoid the "Chinatown" buses, as they are not as reliable as the newer bus companies (buses breakdown or don't show up and are sometimes filthy). If you are headed toward downtown Washington, 2 good companies are: BoltBus (www.boltbus.com) and DC2NY (www.dc2ny.com). If you want to reach the nearby Maryland (Bethesda) or Virginia (Arlington) suburbs, I would suggest the excellent Vamoose (www.vamoosebus.com) or Tripper Bus (www.tripperbus.com). At present, these buses cost between $20 and $30 one-way. The trip takes about 4 hours if you avoid certain hours. Basically, the fastest trip will be if you do not depart or arrive during late afternoon. A mid-morning departure time is ideal. Each bus company has its own departure and arrival points, and they tend to be fairly convenient.

[pal]

It used to be possible to take (unboxed) bikes on one of the trains which does this route: 'The Vermonter' (which runs once a day, leaving NY at about 7am, and DC at about 7pm); on the the regular services (normal 'Northeast corridor', and express 'Acela') you need (I think) to box the bike and take it as checked luggage. But in any case, probably best to check with Amtrak, since the rules change on a regular basis.

Or you could fly down to National (Reagan) airport, and use the bike path which takes you from the front door of the terminal straight to the Lincoln Memorial...

[aquilegia]

It makes no sense to me to fly or even take the train between NY & DC if you've got a bicycle. These new bus services are great. They're modern, clean, many even have WiFi, and best of all for cyclists, you can usually just ride to the bus and have you bike placed for free in one of the large storage compartments without having to do any packing or dismantling of the bike. Couldn't be simpler. And the buses cost a fraction of the alternative methods of transport. I should make clear, however, that the competitive bus market which exists presently on the NY-DC route is not typical in the USA. It has been very successful thanks to the relatively short distance between the 2 cities, high passenger volume, high tolls on the roads/bridges/tunnels if you drive yourself, expensive pricing of the train, and hassles of flying.

[Brian Offord]

Hi All,Thanks for your info its been verry helpfull my friend has been looking at rides in W/DC and came up with this one C@O Canal and then the Great Allegheny Passage they both connect all way to Pittsburgh looks a good ride.

[aquilegia]

A friend & I biked from Pittsburgh to DC last year on these 2 trails. We did it in 6 leisurely days. We loved the GAP Trail. It has great scenery and the crushed stone surface is quite good. When you pass through Ohiopyle, I urge you to go on a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's [i]Fallingwater[/i], a true masterpiece. The trail begins/ends at McKeesport, a suburb south of Pittsburgh. There is no easy or safe way at present to get from the trailhead to downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is extremely hilly and there are a limited number of roads around or across some of the hills. Another trail goes from McKeesport to the Pittsburgh airport west of the city. I haven't been on that trail, however.

The C&O Canal is not nearly as smooth as the GAP, and it tends to get muddy after rain. The Western Maryland rail-trail is a nice paved respite for several miles near Hancock, Maryland. The scenery isn't as varied as the GAP Trail, although it's pleasant enough.

We stayed in motels and B&Bs, although it's possible to camp. In the summer, mosquitoes can be awful along some parts of the C&O Canal/Potomac River.

[raybo]

You might find these pages useful:

3 links to information on the C&O Trail

2 links on the Great Allegheny Trail

Ray

[Colin63]

I've done quite a bit of cycling out of DC, although it was in the mid 90s. Some beautiful riding to be done. I have done the lower section of the Chesapeake & Ohio and my memories of it are all of good cycling. I also used to like heading out on the Mount Vernon Trail and then exploring what I could of Virginia, or riding out from Bowie into the countryside of Maryland. All really good cycling country. I never did any long tours though. Everything was within a day's ride or a weekend trip from Washington. You'll have great fun.

[Brian Offord]

Have just booked my flight to the USA now have four months planing and waiting once again thanks for the info.