Accessible Travel in Alexandria, VA
Alexandria, Virginia, welcomes visitors of all abilities and disability types. On the Potomac River within eyesight of Washington, D.C., Alexandria, VA is nationally recognized for its rich history and beautifully preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture. Voted one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S 2024 and one of The South’s Best Cities 2024 by Southern Living, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel. Old Town Alexandria’s King Street mile features more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques plus intimate historic museums and new happenings at the waterfront. Make sure to stop into unique boutique stores like The B.E.S.T Gift Shop, which showcases and supports working artisans with disabilities.
Top Attractions
Historic Sites and Museums
With nearly 275 years of history and hospitality to its credit, Alexandria offers an array of historic and cultural attractions.
Accessible Exhibitions (All Step-free Entrances)
- Alexandria Archaeology Museum: Located on third floor of Torpedo Factory Art Center, elevator access
- Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum: Exhibits on first floor and elevator to second floor lecture hall
- Alexandria Black History Museum: One level
- Freedom House Museum: Elevator to second and third floor exhibits
- Ford Ward Museum: First floor exhibit areas, path to historic fort
- Friendship Firehouse: Elevator to second floor
Tours limited to first floor, with an interpretation of upper levels:
- Gadsby’s Tavern Museum: First floor, video coming soon
- Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum: First floor
Hotels
Bed and Toilet Seat Heights
Below, find data pertaining to ADA room bed height, space under beds and toilet seat height from eight Alexandria hotels who collecting information through a July 2024 partnership with TravelAbility.
| Hotel | Bed Height | Space under Bed | Toilet Seat Height |
| Hotel Indigo Old Town Alexandria | 24.5 in. | 4 in. | 16 in |
| Westin Alexandria Old Town | 28 in. | 7 in. | 17 ¾ in |
| Hotel Heron | 26 in. | 4.5 in. | 17 in |
| Hyatt Centric Old Town Alexandria | 25 in. | 0* | 17.5 in |
| Hotel AKA Alexandria | 24 in. | 0* | 18 in |
| Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria | 28 in. | 11.5 in | 17 in |
| Hilton Alexandria Old Town | 26 in. | 0* | 17.5 in |
| Hilton Garden Inn Alexandria Old Town | 28 in. | 7 in | 15.5 in |
| *Platform beds | |||
Visit the below hotel listings for additional information related to bedroom and bathroom accessibility.
Getting Here
Airports
Located just five miles south of Washington, D.C., Alexandria, VA is minutes from Reagan National Airport and an easy commute to Dulles International Airport and Baltimore International Airport. The city is serviced by almost all of the major airline carriers, with over 300 nonstop destinations and 1,000 daily departures.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – Located just north of Alexandria, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has shuttle buses equipped with wheelchair lifts to accessible security checkpoints. View the full list of disability services, including ground transportation options, here.
Washington Dulles International Airport – Accessible via Metrorail, Dulles Airport’s services include wheelchair service and elevators equipped with Braille buttons. View the full list of IAD’s disability services, including ground transportation options, here.
Baltimore/Washington International Airport – Located just outside of Baltimore, Maryland, view the comprehensive list of their disability services here.
Trains
Alexandria’s Amtrak station in the heart of Old Town offers easy access to Alexandria’s King Street Metrorail station, arts, shopping, and history from locations in the Midwest, Northeast and South. Amtrak is dedicated to providing additional services to passengers with disability and make their facilities more accessible.
See a full list of Amtrak’s accessible travel services here, which include reserving accessible space, station accessibility, wheeled mobility device services and more. Washington, D.C.’s Union Station has additional accessibility services available and is a short drive to all that Alexandria has to offer.
Alexandria’s Amtrak station includes:
- Payphones
- Accessible platform
- Accessible restrooms
- Accessible waiting room
- Accessible water fountain
- Same-day, accessible parking is available for a fee
- No high platform
- Wheelchair available
- Wheelchair lift available
In addition, the regional train service, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), provides service to and from Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.’s Union Station. Union Station is a short drive from Alexandria and includes extended service beyond Alexandria’s Amtrak station. All VRE stations are wheelchair-accessible and trains have chairlifts, in addition to other services. See VRE’s accessible travel services here. Please note that, as a commuter rail service, VRE operates very infrequently during non-“rush hour” periods.
Alexandria’s Amtrak Station (ALX)
110 Callahan Drive
Multiple routes serve major cities including Boston, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Getting Around
Metrorail
Metrorail (operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) is public transportation that can take you from Alexandria to Washington D.C., Maryland and other parts of Northern Virginia. The King St-Old Town Metrorail station is located on King Street, Alexandria’s main street for shopping, dining and the arts. Both Yellow Line and Blue Line trains stop at the King St-Old Town station.
Metro stations are equipped with various accessibility features, including priority parking near entrances, Braille and raised alphabet information on pylons and extra-wide faregates. Here is a complete list of all accessibility services offered.
In addition, MetroAccess provides door-to-door transportation for individuals with disabilities who are unable to use the regular bus and rail system independently. This shared-ride service offers convenient pick-up and drop-off, ensuring seamless travel within the service area.
In Old Town Alexandria, take advantage of the free King Street Trolley, equipped with wheelchair ramps and bike racks as well as automated stop announcements, to commute from the King St-Old Town Metrorail station down to Alexandria City Hall/Market Square. The trolley runs every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, including holidays.
In addition to the King St-Old Town Metrorail station, Alexandria is served by four other stations: Potomac Yard, Braddock Road, Eisenhower Ave and Van Dorn Street. To get to downtown D.C. from Alexandria, take the Yellow Line toward Greenbelt or Mt. Vernon Square, or take the Blue Line toward Largo Town Center or Stadium-Armory.
Refer to the WMATA website for more information, including timetables, a Metrorail system map and WMATA’s official trip planner to plot the best route to your destination.
Accessible Transportation Services
- Alexandria’s DOT Paratransit Services: DOT is the City of Alexandria’s paratransit program, which is a specialized transportation service for residents and visitors who cannot use fixed routed public transit due to their disability.
- disAbilityNavigator: In collaboration with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, disAbilityNavigator allow users to search public and paratransit options throughout Northern Virginia.
The FREE King Street Trolley
The free King Street Trolley is equipped with wheelchair ramps and bike racks as well as automated stop announcements.
FREE Parking Up To 4 Hours
Parking for persons with disabilities is free for up to 4 hours at single and multi-space meters. In addition, individuals with an accessible parking placard or license plate could park more than TWICE the restricted time posted on signs in time-restricted parking zones. Explore more information about parking in Alexandria here.
Wheelchair and Medical Equipment Rentals
- Mobility City: Mobility City of Alexandria specializes in repairs, rentals and sales of mobility equipment throughout the Northern Virginia region. Phone: 571-536-2255
- Rehab Equipment Professionals: Founded in Alexandria, REP specializes in custom medical equipment and equipment repair. Phone: (703)-370-2100
