Anonymous wrote:Taking Amtrak is not cheaper than renting a car and it is a waste of your precious time. You've been to the nearby big cities that are easy to get to and get around in without one. Sounds more like driving anxiety to me. Did you lose your license? What is up?
Anyway, you could try getting down to Williamsburg. Once you are there there is a NPS shuttle that roams the colonial triangle so you could visit Jamestown etc. without driving. It's also an excellent biking area. But I think they stop running the shuttle in winter after Nov. 1.
Greenbreir is not a cheap place to stay but it is accessible by train.
There is a Greyhound that gets you to Virginia Beach that takes about 6 hours.
There are some buses from Capitol Hill that would get you to Annapolis which is a beautiful walking destination and you could take a boat ride, kayak/paddle, see the Naval Academy, go boutiquing, eat crab etc.
Get Bus Tours and other companies offer one day Saturday bus tours to Shenandoah NP, Gettysburg etc. I picture it as more for old people, tourists and visitors from overseas but you could give it a try.
Lewes Del. (quaint beach town next to Cape Henlopen State Park beach) is accessible, you take the train to Wilimgton Del. and then a bus to Lewes but it turns a 3-4 hour drive into a 6 hour 40 minute trip.
http://www.eventsandadventures.com/washingtondc
These folks run a singles adventures group with lots of fun stuff to do. I used to take kayaking classes that were similar before DH & kids.