Hotels: yes, all expensive
Tourist Office: no, but there is a traveler's aid station
Accessible: Sort of. The station is confusing for people with visual impairments and elevators are sometimes poorly placed, especially for someone getting off a train
ATM: Citibank has a branch in the mall building
Restrooms: clean with multiple locations in the station itself
Grocery store: Some groceries can be bought at a store in the mall, otherwise there is a grocery store in the neighborhood to the left and behind the station.
Other transit: There is a bus bay on top of the station. The downtown circulator stops here. City tour buses stop out front. The Greyhound bus station is to the right, behind the station. Please note that some Greyhound buses stop on top of the train station and that multiple companies provide intercity service to DC. There is a subway station in front.
An entrance to the street will be straight in front of you when you come up from the tracks, you just have to go around the store in between. Most of the station building is taken up with a mall, and exits are not clearly marked. The station management wants you to spend money.
The same goes for finding the Capitol area. It is not clear where it is, but it is basically straight ahead when you come out of the station, maybe a little to the left. Go toward the greenest place you can, and you may come upon something you recognize. There is a circulator bus that goes to all the major DC locations and neighborhoods that leaves from the bus bay on top of the station.
The Smithsonian has a location just to the right of the station and several are within walking distance. The Smithsonian is actually a collection of museums, so not all locations are within walking distance of the station.
Washington is on multiple train routes run by multiple companies. The Union Station website has very little transit information other than that the station is on the red Metro line and a list of the train companies. Management encourages you to drive. (?????)
So if I miss anything, let me know.
As I said before, Union Station is on the red line of the Metrorail system. The red line forms a U shape that begins and ends in Maryland. It takes about forty minutes to get to Shady Grove, MD at one end and 25 minutes to get to the other end at Glenmont, MD. Rockville, MD is one stop from Shady Grove. Several trains do not run from one end to the other, but run between Grosvenor-Strathmore, MD and Shady Grove, MD, a forty minute trip in total.
Union Station DC, Rockville, and Shady Grove are all stops on the MARC's Brunswick line. Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) runs three train lines from West Virginia and Maryland to Union Station DC. All lines run workdays only. Check schedules carefully, especially the farther you get from DC. It appears that each train has a unique set of stations that it stops at so times are approximate.
The Brunswick Line takes two hours to get to Martinsburg, WV, an hour and forty minutes to get to Frederick, MD, an hour and a half to get to Brunswick, MD, an hour to get to Germantown, half an hour to get to Rockville, and twenty minutes to get to Silver Spring. All trains stop at Germantown, Metropolitan Grove, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring. There is a small surcharge for traveling into or from West Virginia. This line runs into DC in the morning and away in the afternoon. This line connects with the red line at Rockville and Silver Spring.
The Camden Line runs both ways during rush hour. This route takes an hour to an hour and twenty minutes to run between DC and Baltimore's Camden Station. All trains stop in Dorsey, Savage, Laurel, and Muikirk (about half an hour away). This line connects with the green line at Greenbelt and College Park.
The Penn Line starts at north of Baltimore in Perry, MD (an hour and 25 minutes) then runs to Baltimore's Penn Station (one hour), continues on to Baltimore-Washinton International (BWI) Airport (forty minutes) and then heads south to Union Station DC. Trains run all day from early morning to late evening. There is work being done on the tracks right now, so times may change with very little notice.
Both of Virginia Railway Express (VRE)'s line also run to DC and also only run on work days. Unlike the MARC, VRE trains stop twice in DC, once at Union Station and once at L'Enfant. Both trains also serve Crystal City and Alexandria, VA (King Street Station). L'Enfant, Crystal City and King Street are all stops on the yellow metro line The last two are also stops on the blue line. Notice that some stops on some trains are get on or get off only. VRE multitrip or pass holders can use those passes and tickets on Amtrak trains that run along VRE's routes.
The Manassas Line takes an hour and fifteen to get from the Manassas area to DC. Morning trains into DC stop at all stops, the two afternoon trains only stop at select stations. One Amtrak train runs in each direction a day. All trains stop at Manassas, Alexandria's King Street Station, L'Enfant, and Union Station.
The Fredericksburg Line takes and hour and a half to run between Fredericksburg and Union Station. As of July 17, 2010, only one morning train skips some stops. Trains run into DC in the morning and back out again in the afternoon. Four Amtrak trains run along this route daily in each direction. This line connects with the blue line at Franconia/Springfield.
Which brings us to the company that runs the most trains, Amtrak. If you are traveling on Saturday or Sunday, you are going to be taking Amtrak. Also, if you are going to be traveling long-distance. Destinations served both by Amtrak and by commuter rail include Manassas, Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Baltimore, and BWI Airport. Long-distance trains from DC go to Lynchburg, Richmond, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Charlotte, Raleigh, Tampa, Miami, and Chicago. There is even a train that heads north to Vermont. Part of this list is the Acela Express, America's high speed train.
Right now many more people take the train between New York City and Washington, DC than fly. Expect these trains to be crowded and buy early to get a good price. Right now the base price for the Northeast Regional is only $49.
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