<p>mfs47,
Taking a taxi is probably the easiest, but the hotel is 2/10 mi. from the Rosslyn Metro Station. Pick up a 38B Metro bus at the Rosslyn station headed into DC and get off at M St. and 34th (it’s six minutes). Cost is $1.35. Metro says it’s .38 miles from there to “Georgetown University” but that intersection is in the campus community if you want to get a feel for the neighborhood. The folks at the Rosslyn hotels get TONS of people who head into DC, so they probably have maps and even more specific advice.</p>
<p>If you’re feeling really ambitious, you could walk across the bridge. Seriously, though, it’s ten minutes by cab.</p>
<p>If you are coming in from points north, go to College Park on your way in Thursday. If you time it to arrive at UMD after 11:30 am, you’ll miss the local DC rush hour. From UMD, go west around the Beltway towards VA and the George Washingto Parkway. I don’t recommend trying to cut through DC. Too many traffic circles and changing street names.</p>
<p>For Metro Rail and all bus systems that connect to it, see [Metro</a> - Home page](<a href=“http://www.wmata.com/]Metro”>http://www.wmata.com/) The Trip Planner should give you several options for your route and time of day. Bus fare with Metro SmarTrip card is $1.35 (free transfers for two hours), and $1.45 cash (no transfers). If you will be using the bus and Metro a lot, a SmarTrip may be worth it. You can get them at Metro stations and CVS Pharmacies.</p>
<p>Check both websites for route outages and expected problems/delays. For example, today is NOT a good day due to the Nuclear Summit right smack in the center of DC.</p>
<p>You guys are awesome, thanks a bunch. Sounds like the hotel is in a good spot for this. Can anyone say a prayer to the rain gods so we get weather.</p>
<p>As a follow up if anyone is a pro at this, driving from UMD College Park leaving around 4 pm (yuck) on Thursday, driving to the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington. </p>
<p>Mapquest etc has us going in DC proper, including Pennsylvania Ave and a bunch of other streets in the heart of the cap district. Unless Barack and Michelle are inviting us to dinner I assume we should avoid those city streets at rush hour. But maybe it isn’t so bad?</p>
<p>Another route showed: 295 out of CP, to rte 50 / NY Ave into DC/ 395 to Jeff Davis Hwy to Rtwe 66 over key bridge to hotel. Looks like most direct but is it crazy driving?</p>
<p>Hotel person suggested taking 495 west out of CPark and into NoVA, then the GW mem parkway, but this route seems double the distance and I know that the 495 into NoVA at rush is a nightmare.</p>
<p>As you are probably aware, this isn’t going to be a pretty trip at that hour. I’d avoid the Mapquest route; downtown DC at that hour can be gridlocked. It may look more direct, but you it could take you a very long time to go a very short distance. I’ve made the trip many times/many different ways and it seems the 495/GW Parkway is the most reliable.</p>
<p>Even though I’m a native, I haven’t live there in a while to know the current traffic, but I would go with this one:</p>
<p>295 out of CP, to rte 50 / NY Ave into DC/ 395 to memorial bridge to GW parkway. (Taking Key bridge will bring you through downtown & Georgetown. Since you are going against traffic coming out of the city, you might be able to use Rt 1 & bypass going so far east for 295. That I would play by ear & have a GPS & good map to get you to Rt 50). </p>
<p>495 (aka Beltway) sucks almost any time of day, so I would avoid it.</p>
<p>You can take 295 south. Exit at Suitland Pkwy and get right back on 295 going north. Exit onto I395 (second exit) and take it to either GW Parkway or Washington Blvd north (by the Pentagon). You will end up by the Key Bridge and can mapquest the final few turns.</p>