As Georgetown wraps up its Fall 2021 semester, there’s a mad rush of students leaving campus as soon as their final exams are over. It’s time to go back home, see our families just in time for the holidays, and get some much-needed rest and leisure before we pick back up in the spring!
While many local students just drive back home and others living near large Northeastern cities can take the Amtrak to their destinations, I live in Indiana, which means that I fly back home for breaks. Luckily, Georgetown’s location in DC is close to three different major airports – National (DCA), Dulles (IAD), and Baltimore (BWI).
While National (also called Reagan) is the closest and is accessible through a quick 10-minute drive, both my Thanksgiving and winter break flights to Indianapolis have been out of Dulles, which is closer to a 30-minute drive.
In order to save on Uber or Lyft costs, I’ve used both Georgetown and public transportation for my trips home. Firstly, on weekdays, much of DC and Virginia is accessible through Georgetown’s free shuttle system, called the GUTS bus.
To get to Dulles, I take the GUTS bus to the Rosslyn Metro Station. From there, I can take a Metrobus straight to Dulles for a very low cost. I’ve found this overall travel route accessible and affordable, though it takes a little longer than driving straight from Georgetown’s campus.
Though I took this route for Thanksgiving, Georgetown actually offers students free shuttles directly to National and Dulles in the days leading up to the end of the semester! I was able to hop on a bus in the morning and sleep on the drive to Dulles instead of hopping from bus to bus.
Finals week is incredibly tiring, and figuring out how to get back home can be an added stressor.
However, the DC area’s efficient and accessible transportation systems and Georgetown’s own transportation options make traveling less of a burden.
Happy holidays!