Car Hire in Washington DC
America's Heart
Washington is home to the American seat of government, it is where all the major official government buildings can be found including arguably the most famous building in the world, the White House.
Washington is usually referred to as Washington DC, or just DC, this is to differentiate it from Washington State which is located several hundred miles away on the west coast of the country.
For most visitors the main two points of access into this historic town are the city's airports. Almost downtown is the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is only 5 miles from the main Capital District. The far better serviced international airport is Washington Dulles International Airport located about 26 miles from downtown Washington.
The city is steeped in history and has a huge number of sites or visitors to take in; most of the attractions are located within the ring road known as the Beltway. This is a huge freeway that encircles the city, to move out into either of the very nearby states of Virginia and Maryland you will need to make use of the Beltway.
This is a large sprawling city with considerable distances between some of the sites of interest so they hire car would be preferable to get around in comfort. Keep in mind that Washington is not in a state it is a self-contained city and any movement out of the middle of the city takes you into Virginia and Maryland.
No trip to Washington could possibly be complete without going to view the White House home of every American president throughout the ages. Having your photograph taken with the White House in the background is obligatory for every visitor.
The list of places to visit is huge; most of the buildings are either fully or at least partially open to the public to view. Some of the more popular locations are the historical records at the Library of Congress. The name of the Old Post Office understates the grandeur of this historic building that was once the largest structure in the city.
The United States Capitol or as it is often known as the Capitol Building is the seat of the American legislature where every important decision in American history has been argued over, this very grand and impressive domed building stands on top of Capitol Hill at the end of the equally well-known National Mall.
You can also visit the estate of former President George Washington, Mt Vernon. One of the world's largest buildings which astonishingly only to 16 months to construct is the Pentagon which is one of the places not actually located in the city but rather in Virginia, guided tours are offered around this spectacular and highly noteworthy building.
Edward Braddock was a British General to organise the wars against the indigenous Indians and fellow colonialists the French. His headquarters are situated in the home of a merchant John Carlyle; the beautiful historic building is open to visitors.
A place of pilgrimage for many Americans is the Arlington National Cemetery a place of remembrance for the many thousands of war veterans who are buried there. Another site of pilgrimage is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall erected in remembrance of Americans who died in the war but has since become the focal point for the remembrance of peace efforts in the present day.
Washington has a huge amount to see and do and it can be difficult to visit even all the major attractions in a short period, but it is well worth the effort to try to see as much as possible.
