CassowaryCommander t1_iuijdu3 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:24 PM

If you're a Civil War (or general history) buff, you can take VRE down to Fredericksburg and explore/visit the battlefield for the, aptly named, Battle of Fredericksburg. It was fairly pivotal in the larger scheme of the war given how close it is to DC. It's been a while since I was there as part of a class, so I may be off base. But it's still easy to do without a car. Plus the historic part of F'burg is cool for the old homes/businesses and boutique shops, if that's your thing.

imrollinv2 OP t1_iuirs33 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 5:19 PM

That would be cool and a top contender, but looking at the schedule you can’t really do a Southbound in the AM and Northbound in the PM! Looks like some limited options to do a reverse commune on the Manassas line. Looks like MARC has bidirectional options too, at least on the Penn line.

CassowaryCommander t1_iuisne2 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 5:25 PM

Shoot! I don’t even think about that. I’m sorry. But…Amtrak works in both directions and isn’t toooo much more costly. I mean, they use the same tracks and station so that may be a good alternative. Less frequencies, though, so you’ll have to plan more carefully.

Cherrie_Belle t1_iuj8u7l wrote on October 31, 2022 at 7:12 PM

Can confirm, did this (VRE down, Amtrak back) during VRE’s Fare Free September. Amtrak back in the evening was $35 day-of but I’m sure in advance would be cheaper. Also might be worth considering if there’s an affordable AirBnB or something for an overnight.