Virginia Beach runs 35 miles—one in all the world’s longest. Photograph of Virginia Beach by Cameron Davidson.
There’s nothing like hitting the seaside to beat DC’s summer time warmth. It’s solely a few hours drive to well-liked Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland trip locations—however what if, like the majority of District dwellers, you don’t personal a automotive? We mapped out potential autos and routes to sandy spots with day journeys in thoughts (although overnights inspired).
By Bus
Dewey Beach, DE
GreatestBus gives weekend journeys to the well-liked Delaware seaside city between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with service from Dupont Circle and Union Station. They do supply some flexibility with one journey every weekend day, leaving from Dupont Circle at 5:30 PM on Fridays and seven:30 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. Leaving Dewey, buses get again to Dupont Circle at 12:45 AM Saturday morning, 10:45 PM Saturday night, and 9:45 PM Sunday night.
Trip time: 3 hours, quarter-hour
Cost: $49.99 a technique
Virginia Beach, VA
Greyhound gives service to Virginia Beach as soon as a day at 9:25 AM, however the full-hour layover in Richmond makes it a full day’s journey—finest for an in a single day.
Trip Time: 6 hours, quarter-hour
Cost: $50 to 67 a technique
Chesapeake Beach, MD
If you’re on the lookout for “a beach,” as a substitute of “The Beach,” MTA’s 820 commuter bus picks up from Robert Latham Owen Park—not precisely central, however close to the National Mall—and terminates in North Beach, MD on the Chesapeake Bay. While drop off is one block from the water, it’s nonetheless about a mile north of Chesapeake Beach correct. There are eight journeys out there on weekdays leaving DC between 12:15 PM and 5:40 PM.
Time: 1 hr, 36 minutes
Cost: $6 a technique
Stevensville, MD, Kent Island (Dirty Dave’s Tiki Bar)
Similarly, MTA gives a number of commuter bus choices to Annapolis, the Chesapeake Bay, and Kent Island in case your objective is to get shut to water. The 240 bus does simply that for Kent Island. Dirty Dave’s Tiki Bar on will scratch that seaside itch—particularly if that itch consists of crushes in plastic cups, seafood from adjoining Kentmorr Crab House, pretend palm timber, and a sundown view. After disembarking at the MTA Kent Island park-n-ride, a 13-minute rideshare is required to get you the last stretch to Dirty Dave’s for a further $18. On weekends, it’s a good concept to ebook tables or spots on the artifical seaside on-line.
Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Cost: $25
By Train
Virginia Beach
This one counts as “by train,” we (type of) promise. Take Amtrak’s Northwest Regional to Norfolk, then switch to the connecting bus operated by Amtrak Chartered Motorcoach for the last, barely noticeable 38 minutes.
Cost: $26
Time: 5 hours, 35 minutes
(Bonus: Northwest Regional does go straight to Newport News if you would like to hit the bay above Virginia Beach, however not Virginia Beach itself! 4 hours, 25 minutes for $23)
Atlantic City
It’s attainable to piece collectively a number of trains to get to Atlantic City. Ride an Amtrak to Philadelphia’s thirtieth Street Station, then switch to NJ Transit, which takes you straight to Atlantic City. Amtrak costs differ, however NJ Transit is $10.75.
Cost: $62 – $96
Time: 3 hours, 26 min (journey time alone with out switch time)
Ocean City, MD
Call this the train-plus methodology, and one we’re hesitant to suggest, except you’re a type of “the journey is the destination” folks. Take Amtrak’s Northwest Regional from Union Station to BWI Airport, after which switch to a connecting van operated by BayRunner Shuttle for the last 3 hours and quarter-hour. The shuttle drops off in West Ocean City, which implies extra transportation is required to cross the bay onto the Ocean City, Maryland peninsula.
Cost: $140
Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
![- Washingtonian](https://www.washingtonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ocean-city-beach.jpg)
By Rental Car
Ocean City, MD
Zipcar permits you to decide up and drop off automobiles inside your neighborhood. Since they have to be returned to the identical location, a day journey to Ocean City from 9 AM to 9 PM on a Saturday begins round $160 a day after taxes. Zipcars can be found in a single day, however solely 180 miles are included in a 24-hour interval. At 58 cents for each mile over, its one other $60 to cowl the 285 mile spherical journey. Gas is included, the $6 tolls are usually not.
Round journey price: $226
Time a technique: 3 hours, 5 minutes
By Rideshare
Who wants a automotive in 2022? Then once more, a 3 hour and eight minute Uber or Lyft from DC to Ocean City is about $200 a technique (and who is aware of getting again). You can resolve if that’s a viable choice—or higher but, have a buddy name (and expense) it.
By Luxury Transport
Perhaps a social gathering bus is extra your type. While a journey to the seaside isn’t particularly listed beneath Atlantic Transportation Services, a journey in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes Sprinter would undoubtedly represent “Luxury Group Transportation.” Based in Rehoboth Beach, ATS advertises “transportation to all local and major airports, seaports and train stations,” together with Georgetown, BWI, and Washington Dulles to identify a few.
Cost: Their least expensive sedan begins at $80/hour however varies by the variety of passengers in your social gathering and the way a lot you’re bringing with you to the seaside. It additionally doesn’t embody cleansing charges, gasoline surcharges, or gratuity.
![b.rehoboth - Washingtonian](https://www.washingtonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/b.rehoboth.jpg)
By Helicopter
Sadly due to Covid, Monumental Helicopters has paused service to Delaware Coastal Airport, a journey that took about 45 minutes and value wherever from $1,200 to $3,000 relying in your departing airport. The encouraging information for aviation fanatics wanting to spend superfluously: corporations like Uber Copter and BLADE exist already in New York, and are wanting ahead to “transforming urban aviation” additional afield.