Practical Information for visiting Washington D.C.

The Metro is clean, straightforward and reaches most of what a visitor wants, including both the closer airports. It closes earlier than New York's — check the last trains if you are out late.

Walking is the right way to do the Mall, but it is bigger than it looks: the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial is two miles, and there is no shade. Bike-share stations are everywhere and are the better option in summer.

Do not drive. The diagonal avenues and circles confuse everyone, parking is scarce and expensive, and the traffic is among the worst in the country.

Reagan National is on the Metro and minutes from downtown; Dulles is further out with its own Metro extension; Baltimore-Washington is served by commuter rail.

Union Station handles intercity rail, with frequent services north to Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.

Phone coverage is excellent throughout, including on most of the Metro.

Wi-Fi is universal in hotels and cafés, and free in the Smithsonian museums and public libraries.

Note that federal buildings apply their own restrictions, and some require phones to be surrendered or switched off at security.

The monumental core, the Mall and the main visitor neighbourhoods are heavily policed and safe. Like any large American city, Washington has areas with higher crime, and they are mostly not places a visitor would go.

Ordinary precautions apply on the Metro late at night and around Union Station.

Security screening is a fact of life at federal buildings and museums — expect bag checks and allow time. Restricted areas near the White House and the Capitol are enforced seriously and without discussion.

Summer heat is the most common cause of visitors needing help, usually on the Mall in the afternoon with no water and no shade.

No vaccinations or precautions are needed, and tap water is safe.

Heat exhaustion is the realistic risk between June and September, and the Mall is the place it happens: two miles of open ground, no shade, and no water between the monuments. Carry water and do it early.

Air quality can be poor on still summer days, which matters for anyone with a respiratory condition.

Healthcare is excellent and expensive; travel insurance covering medical costs is essential for non-US visitors.

911 reaches police, fire and ambulance.

Major hospitals include George Washington University Hospital, Howard University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, all within the city.

311 is the non-emergency city services line.

The city is unusually dense with federal law enforcement — Park Police on the Mall, Capitol Police around the legislature, Secret Service near the White House — and which force responds depends on where you are standing.