Gordonsville, VA (Shenandoah Crossing) to Washington,D.c. via Metro?

[ctandrinokc]

Has anyone stayed in the Gordonsville area and drove to a metro stop to make a trip into Washington,D.C.? We would love to visit D.C. while we are in Gordonsville, VA and thought this might be doable for a day trip. It looks like the closest Metro Stop is in Springfield, VA which appears to be about a 2 hour drive. Any suggestions/ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Chris

[chris5]

The drive from Gordonsville to the Springfield Virginia Metro Stop would probably be around 3-4 hours if you hit I-95 at the wrong time, in the morning, anywhere from 6am to 9am. Don't know about the parking situation at the Metro, but it might not be easy to get a parking space there.

You might want to consider driving to Fredericksburg, Virginia for the Virginia Rail Express (VRE) -- about 75 minutes away. Parking is free at VRE Station and it's a pleasant ride from F'burg to DC. (Take the VRE train for a hour to the L'enfant Plaza Station and you'll be right near the National Mall around the Air & Space Museum). Check the VRE schedules at www.vre.org.

[NTHC]

Another option would be to take 29 N to Front Royal and get on 66 E...Vienna would be the first Metro stop going that way. Here again, early morning hours will have heavy traffic. I don't think it will take more than 2 hours going that way though.

Cindy

[Big Matt]

Chris,
I may only agree with half of your response...

It won't take you 3-4 hours if you have three in the car. You can catch the HOV lanes north of Quantico Marine Base and have a smooth ride to Springfield.

I would highly recommend VRE also.

It's borderline worth it to pay for a hotel near the city one night to avoid the traffic.

Originally Posted by chris5

The drive from Gordonsville to the Springfield Virginia Metro Stop would probably be around 3-4 hours if you hit I-95 at the wrong time, in the morning, anywhere from 6am to 9am. Don't know about the parking situation at the Metro, but it might not be easy to get a parking space there.

You might want to consider driving to Fredericksburg, Virginia for the Virginia Rail Express (VRE) -- about 75 minutes away. Parking is free at VRE Station and it's a pleasant ride from F'burg to DC. (Take the VRE train for a hour to the L'enfant Plaza Station and you'll be right near the National Mall around the Air & Space Museum). Check the VRE schedules at www.vre.org.

[chris5]

Originally Posted by Big Matt

Chris,
I may only agree with half of your response...

It won't take you 3-4 hours if you have three in the car. You can catch the HOV lanes north of Quantico Marine Base and have a smooth ride to Springfield.

I would highly recommend VRE also.

It's borderline worth it to pay for a hotel near the city one night to avoid the traffic.

Matt,

You're probably right about the time it would take to Springfield from Gordonsville if he uses the HOV lanes. I did the commute from F'burg to DC for almost 20 years until two years ago, and still go back and forth every now and then, in a reverse commute. But sometimes getting to those HOV lanes from Falmouth to Dumfries/Quantico on I-95 can be a bear too.

Cindy,

Hadn't thought about taking 29 North to I-66 to the Vienna Metro -- that looks like a good move too for someone bent on using the Metro.

[Big Matt]

And getting off of them going back south in the afternoon can be a real mess too, especially on a Friday.

Originally Posted by chris5

Matt,

But sometimes getting to those HOV lanes from Falmouth to Dumfries/Quantico on I-95 can be a bear too.