A Solo Sejourn in Washington, DC, Washington D.C., USA

Partway through my two-month Amtrak odyssey from New York to San Francisco (you can read the whole route here), I hopped off the night train in DC-sandwiched perfectly between Philadelphia and Colonial Williamsburg (my deep dive into Williamsburg is over here). Travelling alone, I treated myself to a leisurely four-day discovery of the capital. Here’s my low-down-from dawn museum marathons to jazz-soaked evenings in Georgetown.

I rolled into Washington Union Station in style aboard Amtrak’s Capitol Limited from Philadelphia. If you’re flying, Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest, with a direct Metro link (Yellow and Blue lines) into downtown; Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington (BWI) both offer shuttle or rail connections. For sheer nostalgia, though, nothing beats arriving by train-no security queues, your luggage stowed safely beneath the carriage, and the city skyline unfolding as you pull in.

Once you’re here, DC is wonderfully walkable-especially the National Mall and adjacent neighbourhoods. For longer hops, the Metro (six colour-coded lines) covers everything from Arlington to Silver Spring. Day-pass options make hopping on and off a breeze. The DC Circulator buses (just US$1 per ride) loop through major tourist corridors, and rideshare scooters and bikes can whisk you across the Tidal Basin in minutes. Taxis and Uber/Lyft are plentiful after dark when the Metro’s quieter. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).