Day Trips from Washington DC: Mount Vernon, Alexandria and Baltimore

Some of the best trips from Washington are barely trips at all. Old Town Alexandria is a Metro ride away, and Baltimore is closer by train than many suburbs. Only Annapolis and Shenandoah are awkward without a car.

If you only have one day: combine Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria, which sit on the same stretch of the Potomac.

Mount Vernon

George Washington's plantation house sits on a lawn above the Potomac, about 15 miles (25 kilometres) south of the city. See the mansion, the gardens, the tomb of George and Martha Washington, and the site of the enslaved people's quarters and burial ground, which the estate now presents with care. Book a timed mansion tour. Without a car, take a tour bus, or in the warmer months a seasonal boat from Old Town Alexandria or the Wharf.

Old Town Alexandria

A colonial port town on the Virginia side of the river, with cobbled streets, brick townhouses and a waterfront of restaurants. Take the Metro to King Street, then the free trolley or a walk down King Street to the river. It's an easy half day on its own, and a pleasant place to have dinner after Mount Vernon.

Baltimore

About forty minutes by Amtrak from Union Station, or around an hour on the cheaper MARC train. See the Inner Harbor and the National Aquarium, take a water taxi out to Fort McHenry, where the defence of the fort in 1814 inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner", and eat crab cakes in Fells Point. It has a rougher edge than Washington, and more character.

Annapolis

Maryland's small state capital on the Chesapeake Bay, with the US Naval Academy, an old harbour full of sailing boats and eighteenth-century streets. It's about an hour by car. There is no direct train, and Maryland's commuter buses run on weekdays, mostly in the rush-hour direction, so without a car a tour is simpler.

Shenandoah National Park

Blue Ridge mountains and the Skyline Drive, about an hour and a half west by car. It's a long day, best in October, when the leaves turn. Hire a car for the day rather than for your whole stay.

Closer to home, Arlington National Cemetery, in our things to do list, is a short Blue Line ride from the Mall. For shoes and rain gear, see our what to wear guide.