<p>My daughter’s friend needs to get from Charlottesville, VA, or somewhere along I-81, to DC on the evening of Friday, January 16. Yes, that is MLK weekend as well as Inauguration. There is only one Amtrak train that day and it leave in the morning and a bus that leaves at 4:25PM that I don’t think she can make. If she can make the bus, I was concerned as it says no checked luggage. This girl has two suitcases as well as a tote as she got a ride home from school and did not plan on using other means to get back. </p>
<p>The original plan was for my daughter to give this girl a ride to DC and continue on her own way to school. Due to the anticipated traffic problems for the weekend, my daughter does not want to go any way near DC. DC was not the most direct way back to school anyway, but my daughter was willing to go so she could visit friends and give this girl a ride. Usually, she heads I-81 north, and stops along the way for the night. This time she decided to stay in Charlottesville with friends for the night. </p>
<p>Any suggestions for getting this girl from Charlottesville to DC early evening on Friday?</p>
<p>I doubt that as early as Friday night there will be serious traffic problems in the western suburbs, so if there are no alternatives, your daughter may consider dropping the other girl off out in Virginia where she can catch Metro. If they are coming from Charlottesville, they can take US Route 29 to I-66 at Gainesville, and from there go about 20 miles east to the Nutley Street (Vienna) exit. Right off the Interstate is the Vienna Metro stop, which is the end of the Orange Line headed into DC (and is still 12 or 15 miles west of the District). Then your daughter can either head back out 66 to 81 or find US 15 heading north, which will also point her in the right direction. Where is your daughter’s destination?</p>
<p>By the way, 15 is good road all the way to Harrisburg, PA, where she can pick up 81 again if she’s going that far. To find 15, she can take 66 west from Vienna about 4 miles, then get on US 50 West and go about 15 miles to 15 north. If she is going north or east of Harrisburg, that route is pretty fast and would be better than going back out 66 if she does make the drop-off in Vienna.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already, you may want to post this on the UVA board. There will undoubtedly be a LOT of kids driving from there to DC or NoVA for that weekend.</p>
<p>I checked all of the bus and train schedules I could find for all of the schools up I81 and did not find anything that left later than the one you mention. If she is restricted on luggage she may have to ship it.</p>
<p>My daughter heads to school going I-81 north into New York, but was going to spend the night in Charlottesville on Friday. The girl will be with my daughter when she arrives in Charlottesville, but will need to get to trasnportation to arrive in DC Friday night. They are not due to arrive in the Charlottesville area until late afternoon according to the travel schedule. She is willing to take the other girl somewhere to catch a train/bus; we just need to know where. </p>
<p>We were told by people living in DC that transportation will be a nightmare the entire weekend and that my daughter would not only have trouble finding a place to leave her car for the night, but just getting into the city will be a problem. When she has visited DC in the past, she has left her car at the airport and taken a cab to the city. Originally my daughter was going to drop the girl off at a Metro station as my daughter was going to be staying in Baltimore. Her Baltimore arrangements fell through, hence the change in plans. Of course, Charlottesville is still a shorter drive for her and she is looking forward to spending a night at UVA! If we knew DC really would be fine as far as parking and driving, my daughter would just go there, but she is really concerned that traffic will be horrible and she isn’t thrilled about driving into the city as it is.</p>
<p>The Greyhound bus leaves at 4:15PM, so basically the same time as the Amtrex bus, but maybe luggage is allowed. I have a feeling the other girl is not going to be happy about a bus trip, but maybe I am wrong.</p>
<p>If I wasn’t clear, please forgive me. The Vienna metro station is well outside the city, so any transportation horrors that may occur within the District are unlikely to spread that far, at least as early as Friday night. I really don’t think she needs to be worried about going that far. If she can get her friend to the Metro the friend should have no trouble getting into town, and since she will be going inbound from the end of the line in the evening, I would be quite surprised – four days before the actual Inauguration – if she doesn’t get a seat. If she is definitely going through Charlottesville, then cutting north to Gainesville and Vienna the way I’ve described, then taking 15 to 81, shouldn’t cost her much time at all as opposed to going from Charlottesville back to 81.</p>
<p>I live in Falls Church so this is familiar territory for me, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to a family member.</p>
<p>I was in Atlanta for the '96 Olympics and the projected transportation horror stories completely failed to materialize in most areas. The District itself will be a big pain, but as long as your daughter stays as far out as Vienna, I really don’t think it’s a big deal.</p>
<p>The real pain will come when the bridges into DC from VA close, but that’s not till 2 am Tuesday.</p>
<p>johnshade- I appreciate your information, but that would not work. The girls are coming from North Carolina and my daughter’s destination for the evening is Charlottesville; the other girl wants to be in DC for the evening. My daughter does not want to drive 2 hours north to return south for 2 hours and then on Saturday head north to New York again on Saturday. I am sorry if I wasn’t clear on the comings and goings! While she is willing to go a bit out of her way, 4 hours out of her way is not in the picture.</p>
<p>Ah, now I get it. That obviously wouldn’t work. Sorry for the misunderstanding, which was my fault entirely as the timing in your post was pretty clear. Are your daughter’s friends in C-ville UVA students? If so, maybe they can help the friend match up with a student driving home to NoVA for the weekend. I know a number of kids who make the pilgrimage regularly. </p>
<p>By the way, how does your daughter plan to get back to 81 from Charlottesville? She still may want to look into heading up to Gainesville via 29 as she can pick up 15 there as well. Routes 29 and 15 are a very nice drive – freeway most of the way – and with a lot fewer big trucks than 81. Though if she likes to drive 70+ then going back west to 81 probably makes more sense timewise.</p>
<p>I will have her look into your route. As we have never detour through Charlottesville, I was thinking she would go back to I-81, but I will have a look at your directions. My daughter tends to prefer the interstate over the smaller roads, while dad and I prefer the scenic route!!</p>
<p>I’m with you on that one. She can comfortably do 65 on my route most of the way, but not a lot more than that. Yahoo maps says mine takes a half-hour more than just heading back to 81, though my route is 30 miles shorter!</p>
<p>What about Amtrak/Greyhound from nearer to the NC origination point? Or from Petersberg or Richmond if D comes up 85 or 95 before heading west on 64 to Ch’ville?</p>
<p>I am not sure this will help but…Can your daughter go northeast in North Carolna and pick up I95 in VA and drop the girl at the Richmond Amtrak? There is a 5:30 from Richmond to DC. Your daughter could continue on up to Charlottesville.</p>