U.S. Senator Mel Martinez  
 
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Visiting D.C.   Getting Started
 

Our office hopes to provide you with helpful information and resources as you plan your trip to Washington. Please feel free to contact our Washington office at (202) 224-3041 or email tour_request@martinez.senate.gov for further assistance. If you would like to receive a Washington Tour Information Packet, please send an email with your mailing address to tour_request@martinez.senate.gov.

We recommend that you start planning your visit to Washington early. Tours at many locations fill up quickly, so it is important to reserve tickets and tours as soon as possible. We suggest that families and groups of 10 people or less submit requests at least two months in advance of a visit, and that large organized groups submit requests at least six months before a planned visit. Please note that tours fill up even faster during holiday times and in the spring and summer months. Therefore submitting a request before the aforementioned deadlines does not necessarily guarantee a requests acceptance. Also, because tour and security information can change frequently and without notice, we recommend you contact each attraction before your trip for the most up-to-date information.

When planning how you will get here and there in the capital, it is important to pay attention to the quadrant at the end of an address. The District of Columbia is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. All numbered streets run north and south, and lettered streets run east and west. Streets with state names, such as "Florida" or "Pennsylvania" are diagonals. Public transportation can be both a cost and time efficient alternative to driving. Metro schedules and fares may be found at www.wmata.com. Further customer information may be obtained through the metro customer information line by calling (202) 635-6434. It is open weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and weekends from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

We look forward to any future assistance we may provide!