General Information
Airline Service
Three airports serve the metropolitan Washington, DC area. The greatest number of international flights arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Although no international flights arrive there, Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the most convenient to the convention facility. Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) also has international flights but is more distant from the city.
Climate
Weather in mid-July in Washington is usually warm and humid, with daytime temperatures ranging from 80 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 35 degrees Celsius), and relative humidity ranging from 70 to 85 percent. Nighttime temperatures can drop 10 to 15 degrees with no corresponding drop in humidity. However all hotels, restaurants, and taxicabs are air-conditioned. www.weather.com
Currency
Many Washington banks offer exchange services. Hours vary, but most are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. There are also private currency exchange desks at each of the three airports serving Washington, and many hotels offer currency exchange services for their guests. Automatic teller machines (ATMs) are also widely available for those travelers with the appropriate bank or credit card. These often offer the best exchange rate.
Click here to go to www.xe.com for currency conversion information.
Taxes
Retail sales tax in Washington, DC is six percent on general merchandise and nine percent on restaurants and other food for immediate consumption. The hotel tax is 14.5 percent. Unfortunately, no rebate is available for foreign visitors.
Public Transportation
The Washington Metro connects most major hotels with the new Convention Center. Ronald Reagan National Airport is also directly connected via Metro to many conference hotels. Fares are reasonable, and are calculated on length of trip and time of day. A fare card is purchased in advance, and can be reused depending on the amount of fare one has purchased.
Shuttle services are available from all airports servicing Washington
DC. For more information on shuttle service and rates contact:
SuperShuttle
1-800-258-3826
Or
+202-296-6662
www.supershuttle.com
Taxicabs
Fares to downtown Washington, DC from Dulles Airport average US $45. From Reagan National Airport they average US $12-15. From Baltimore Washington airport they average US $48. Taxis within the city do not use a meter, but rather charge by recording the number of geographic zones they travel through. A map of zones is available in each taxicab, and your driver can explain fare calculation.
Metro
The Subway serving the Nation’s capital Washington, D.C. is served by a safe, modern, and efficient mass transit subway system. The international conference will make good use of this infrastructure; the Metro serves all of the hotels and inns selected for conference attendees, and riders will disembark inside the convention center.
Discount fare cards will be available at the conference registration desk. For additional information about the transit system, please visit http://www.wmata.com/riding/visitors