Commuting from Richmond?

[North Beach Person]

As far as that commute goes, Welcome to Mordor.

[santafe400]

Long, semi-crazy commutes are not unheard of in the D.C. area, but driving up with Richmond (even the northern suburbs) is just craaazzzyy.

[Deeman804]

Originally Posted by ZER0

It's closest to the Federal Triangle Station.

Oh! First of all, you would probably get more knowledgeable people if you posted in the Northern Virginia forum since you never really enter Maryland during your trip. I happen to live in Virginia so I have a decent grip on your transportation options. Second, the commute is rough but I actually know a few folks that do this super long commute so don’t be too discouraged. Most leave early and drive to Fredericksburg (45 min) then catch the VRE to to L’enfant Plaza (75min) then walk 10 minutes to Federal Triangle. It’s a long commute but can be done in 2 hours once you get the hang of it. More info at VRE.org

As for alternatives, I think they are not as good but still totally doable.
1. You can leave super early (like 4am) and drive in. This would take you about an 1 hour and 40 minutes. Sounds great until you have to pay $200+ a month in parking (which is about the cost of a VRE monthly pass) plus the wear-and-tear on your car plus gas which will be significantly higher. Also, you would want to leave by 3 pm in evening, even then you should expect a random accident or slowdown that would kill your commute on a fairly routine basis. If you do this, leave as early as possible.

2. You can also slug. I actually commute this way over a shorter distance because it’s the cheapest alternative. Slug lines are free carpooling that has several Park and ride lots along the I-95 corridor. If you ride, you wait in line then hop in a car heading to the general area you work in they do this so that they can drive in the HOv lane to avoid traffic. If you drive, you pick up two strangers and ride in the HOV lane with no traffic into DC (the HOV lane usually slows down at the bridge into DC depending on the time you leave).

3. Take the bus. Drive to Fredericksburg and catch a bus (the Martz bus, I think) and ride to a stop by L’enfant Plaza or Federal Triangle. Should be of similar cost and time for VRE since it rides in the HOV lane.

Hope that helps!

[Mez91]

You're going to drive that far for an internship? Are you getting paid and paying for your own transportation? Seriously reconsider and check out an Airbnb or something.