Annapolis to Washington, DC without driving: your options

How long is the drive from Annapolis to Washington, DC?

Downtown Annapolis to the U.S. Capitol is about 30 miles, nearly all of it on US-50, the John Hanson Highway, which becomes New York Avenue inside the District. Outside rush hour the drive usually takes about 45 minutes. Heading in on a weekday morning, or back out in the late afternoon, plan on an hour or more.

The last few miles are the slow part. New York Avenue is a city street with traffic lights, and the time it takes to reach an office on K Street, a hearing on Capitol Hill or a museum on the Mall depends on downtown traffic and where a car can stop. A chauffeur drops you at the door and handles the rest, which takes the parking question off the table.

What are the alternatives to driving yourself?

There are four realistic ways to get from Annapolis into the city:

The train looks tempting on a map, but there is no rail line into Annapolis. The nearest connections, such as New Carrollton (Metro, MARC and Amtrak) or the MARC stations at Odenton and BWI, all start with a drive, a parking lot and a wait on the platform. By the time you have done all that, a car from Annapolis is well on its way downtown.

Where do Annapolis trips into DC usually go?

Common trips into the city include:

• Capitol Hill. Hearings, meetings with a congressional office, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. Streets near the Capitol can be restricted, so the drop-off point depends on the day.
• Downtown offices. K Street, Farragut Square and the blocks around the White House, for meetings and client visits. An hourly booking keeps the car close between appointments.
• Union Station. For Amtrak trains up and down the East Coast. We check train times for Union Station pickups. When you arrive, leave through the main doors, walk to the third curb and call your chauffeur.
• Embassies. Many sit along Massachusetts Avenue NW, the stretch known as Embassy Row. Give the exact street address when you book.
• The museums, the Kennedy Center and Nationals Park, for a day out or an evening event.

It works the other way too: we pick up in DC and bring you home to Annapolis, which helps most after a late dinner, a show or a game, when the last thing you want is an hour on US-50 behind the wheel.

Should I book hourly or one way?

It depends on how many stops you have and whether you need a ride back.

• One way suits a single drop-off: Annapolis to a meeting, to Union Station or to a hotel. The rate is all-inclusive and itemized. Stops you list on the booking form are included in the quote; stops added on the day are charged when you ask for them.
• Round trip suits a fixed schedule: dropped off in the morning and collected at a set time in the afternoon.
• Hourly suits a day of moving around: several meetings, lunch across town, a museum and dinner. Your chauffeur stays on call, and unplanned stops within the booked time are included. The hourly rate covers the vehicle, fuel and chauffeur; tolls and parking are extra, and time starts at the scheduled pickup.

One more thing to know: under our extra-stop policy, more than two extra stops on a point-to-point trip may turn it into an hourly booking anyway, so if the day is likely to grow, start with hourly.

Is it cheaper to drive and park in DC?

If you are going alone and only count gas and a garage, often yes. The comparison changes with a group, a long day or a late night. DC garages charge by the hour, street parking downtown is metered and time-limited, and an hour on US-50 each way is an hour you are not working, reading or resting.

Groups shift the math quickly, because our vehicles are booked as a whole with no per-person charge. Four colleagues share one SUV, and a family of eight fits in a Sprinter van (up to 10 seats), instead of two cars and two garages.

Which vehicle fits a DC trip?

• Hybrid Luxury Sedan or Luxury Sedan for one to 3 people. Right for meetings, with a quiet back seat to work in on the way.
• SUV for up to 6 people, or a family with luggage heading to Union Station.
• Private Van or Luxury Van for up to 10, for a team offsite or a group visit to the monuments.

See every vehicle on the fleet page, and the details of the route on our Annapolis to Washington, DC car service page.