In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Arlington, Virginia
Base here 2 nights instead of DC: hotels cost less, and the Metro puts the Mall 15–25 min away. Skip it only if you want to walk out your door into DC.
Arlington is a county that works like a city, directly across the Potomac from Washington, DC, and stitched to it by the Metrorail. Most visitors come for Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon, then discover that hotels along the Orange, Silver, Blue and Yellow lines are cheaper than downtown DC and just as quick to the Smithsonian. It is dense, walkable in patches, and best treated as a base with two or three sights of its own.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity); early April cherry-blossom weekends for hotel prices
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Sandwich or lunch counter meal | $10–18 |
| Sit-down dinner, before tax and tip | $18–35 |
| Draught beer in a Clarendon bar | $7–10 |
| Metrorail ride | $2–6 |
| Taxi flag fall plus per mile | $3 plus about $2.16/mile |
| Capital Bikeshare single ride or day pass | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DCA · Ronald Reagan Washington National
- In South Arlington on the Blue and Yellow lines; Metro to Rosslyn about 15 min. Most flights are under 2,400 km (1,491 mi) by law.In South Arlington on the Blue and Yellow lines; Metro to Rosslyn about 15 min. Most flights are under 1,491 mi (2,400 km) by law.
- IAD · Washington Dulles International
- About 40 km (25 mi) west; Silver Line Metro to Rosslyn roughly 45–55 min, or 40–60 min by car in traffic.About 25 mi (40 km) west; Silver Line Metro to Rosslyn roughly 45–55 min, or 40–60 min by car in traffic.
Typical fares
- Metro DCA → Rosslyn
- about $3, 15 min
- Metro Rosslyn → Smithsonian
- about $3–4, 15–20 min
- Taxi Rosslyn → Georgetown
- $12–18
- Metro IAD → Rosslyn, Silver Line
- about $6, 45–55 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Use the Metrorail: Orange and Silver lines run Rosslyn–Court House–Clarendon–Virginia Square–Ballston; Blue and Yellow lines run Rosslyn–Arlington Cemetery–Pentagon–Pentagon City–Crystal City–DCA. Fares start at $2 and rise by distance and time of day (2026 estimate). Metrobus and the green Arlington Transit (ART) buses fill the gaps and accept the SmarTrip card. Capital Bikeshare docks sit near most Metro stations, and the Mount Vernon Trail runs along the river. Driving is a liability: parking is scarce and tickets are enforced hard.
See and do
Known for
- Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- The Pentagon and the US Marine Corps War Memorial
- The Rosslyn–Ballston corridor of restaurants and bars
- Crystal City and Pentagon City shopping
- Metro access to Washington, DC
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | Metrorail Orange, Silver, Blue or Yellow line from any Arlington station | 15–30 min |
| Alexandria, Virginia | Blue or Yellow line to King Street, then the free King Street Trolley | 30–40 min |
| Mount Vernon, Virginia | Metro to Huntington, then Fairfax Connector bus 101, or drive the George Washington Memorial Parkway | 1.5–2 h |
| Falls Church | Orange or Silver line to East Falls Church, then bus or a 20-min walk | 25–35 min |
| Vienna, Virginia | Orange line to Vienna/Fairfax–GMU, then bus | 50–70 min |
| Great Falls Park | Car via the George Washington Memorial Parkway, or Metro plus a long walk | 40–60 min by car |
Sleep
- Rosslyn
- Closest to DC across Key Bridge; offices and hotels, quiet at night, best for early flights and Georgetown walks.
- Clarendon and Court House
- The densest cluster of restaurants and bars; Orange and Silver lines, 10–15 min to downtown DC.
- Ballston
- West end of the corridor; slightly cheaper rooms, more shops, 20 min to DC by Metro.
- Crystal City and Pentagon City
- South Arlington; walk to DCA, big hotels, the Underground shops, Blue and Yellow lines.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the Metro station? | Where is the Metro station? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| The check, please | The check, please |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Metro closes around 23:00 Sun, 23:30 Mon–Thu and 01:00 Fri–Sat; last-train times are posted in each station.
- Parking in residential blocks is permit-only on weekday working hours and strictly ticketed.
- Arlington Cemetery is an active burial ground: keep quiet, stay on paths, and check the official site for changing security rules.
- Pentagon tours need advance booking through the official channel; walk-up entry is not possible.
- Crosswalks near Rosslyn and the bridges see aggressive drivers even when you have the light.
Arlington is consistently safer than neighbouring Washington, DC, and normal city precautions cover it. The real annoyances are parking tickets, aggressive drivers at crosswalks and late-night bar bills: check the total before you order.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arlington, Virginia yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- The Pentagon and the US Marine Corps War Memorial
- The Rosslyn–Ballston corridor of restaurants and bars
- Crystal City and Pentagon City shopping
- Metro access to Washington, DC
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Arlington County government: www.arlingtonva.us/
- Stay Arlington (county tourism): www.stayarlington.com/
- WMATA Metrorail: www.wmata.com/service/rail/
- Arlington Transit (ART): www.arlingtontransit.com/
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: www.flyreagan.com/
- Capital Bikeshare: www.capitalbikeshare.com/
- Wikivoyage: Arlington (Virginia), revision 5212051 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5212051
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Arlington, Virginia
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most embassies are in Washington, DC, 15–30 min by Metro; check your country's listing for the exact address.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arlington-virginia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.