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Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority http://www.wmata.com/ 
Includes maps of Metro services, plus online directions to get from one address to another.

Regional bus lines (Fairfax Connector, ART in Arlington, etc.) have separate websites; get the names by using the WMATA site, then search for additional information online.

 Local train services include Virginia Railway Express (http://www.vre.org/) and MARC (Maryland: http://www.mtamaryland.com/).

GENERAL INFORMATION

METRO TIPS

• The branches of the Metro train lines have color names (orange line, blue line), but the trains are identical. Some lines run on the same track. Be careful! Trains are labeled by the ultimate destination (e.g., Vienna (orange line), Shady Grove (red line)) 
• Rush hour (or as Metro says, "regular") fares cover a substantial part of the day - double check the price until you are familiar with hours and fares. Prices are generally listed on the attendant's booth. 
• Some Metro machines take credit cards. Machines will not give you more than $5 in change, so you need smaller bills to purchase your fares. (Don't try to take Metro with only $20 bills in your pockets unless you want to buy a higher value ticket). You cannot buy a ticket from a human being in a Metro station. 
• To park in a Metro lot, you must purchase a SmarTrip card, which costs $5 for the card alone. The money you add to the card can be used for Metro travel as well as for parking. You can buy these inside the station, not in the parking lot. 
• You need to swipe your ticket at the beginning AND the end of your Metro journey. With a paper ticket, the machine will retain it once you have used the whole value; it will be returned to you if it still holds value. You can add money to this card or add its value to a future SmarTrip card. 
• If you will be taking a bus, get a transfer ticket before you go through the turnstiles at the end of your Metro trip. This will give you a substantial discount on your bus fare. 
• The State Department offers MetroChek, monthly Metro money, to those who commute regularly by public transportation.

DRIVING DC

Car Sharing Options
www.zipcar.com

Real-time traffic reports
Local radio - every 10 minutes at 103.5 FM and periodically on other stations
Local website - www.traffic.com 
The Washington Post - traffic section

New Vocabulary
Highway 495 and parts of I-95 form the "Beltway."

The lanes closest to DC are called the "inner loop," while the lanes on the outside are called the "outer loop."

The "mixing bowl" describes the area where 95 N, 395 N, and 495 meet, near Springfield, VA.

HOV = High Occupancy Vehicle 

• It can be faster to drive downtown than to take Metro, although not at rush hour, when some roads change direction or are HOV only. 
• For information on HOV lanes in Virginia, see http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-default.asp
• At certain hours on weekdays, all of Highway 66 inside the Beltway requires 2 passengers and 395 North requires 3 people (babies count!).
• Other roads, including 267 (the Dulles toll road) have HOV lanes.
• In some cases, hybrid vehicles are permitted to use HOV lanes or roads. 
• Maryland has HOV lanes on I-270 and US 50, see http://www.sha.state.md.us/KeepingCurrent/maintainRoadsBridges/HOV/oppe/hov.asp

Designed to Confuse? 

• Major roads can connect in strange ways. For example, 395 N and 66W officially connect by going through the Pentagon North parking lot! 
• Many roads have multiple names: King Street/Route 7/Leesburg Pike and Route 50/Arlington Boulevard/Lee Jackson Highway, to name two. Sometimes they are referred to by name (Fairfax County Parkway) and sometimes by number (7100). 
• Pack a sense of humor since you will inevitably make some serious wrong turns the first time you drive anywhere.

Parking
Parking downtown can be difficult to find and expensive (for example, $18 per day at the Columbia Plaza lot at 23^rd and E NW, near a number of State Department buildings). Street parking is sometimes available during the day, so take quarters for meters. You may be ticketed for parking at a broken meter: don't risk it. Parking garages may let you park even if full if you'll agree to leave your keys with the (official, uniformed) attendant.

Getting a local drivers license
Be careful to bring ALL of the required paperwork when trying to get a license. You may need a letter addressed to you at your new location, rental lease or proof of purchase, and much more. 
DC http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/serv/dlicense.shtm 
Maryland http://mva.state.md.us/DriverServ/Apply/default.htm
Virginia http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/moving/newva.asp

Titling and registering a vehicle 
DC http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/serv/registration.shtm 
Maryland http://www.marylandmva.com/VehicleServ/REG/default.htm                                                                                                         Virginia http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/moving/newva.asp

Commuter Connections http://www.mwcog.org/commuter2 Discusses all of the various ways to travel around the Washington, DC, area and connects potential carpoolers. Carpools are also advertised on bulletin boards and on the OpenNet at the State Department.