Just a hop, skip, and a train ride to D.C.

If you think Baltimore isn't all it's cracked up to be, try visiting its bigger and better neighbor, Washington, D.C.; the city offers countless more clubs, bars, restaurants, venues and tourist attractions, not to mention a far superior public transportation system, than Charm City. And best of all, it's only a short train ride away.

The MARC train's Penn Line runs between Baltimore's Penn Station and D.C.'s Union Station. For only $7 each way, the 45-minute train ride will put you right on the D.C. Metro's Red Line. Just pick up a subway map, and you can get anywhere you want to go in the city. Metro fares will usually run around $1.20 a trip.

Getting to Penn Station is as easy as hopping on the Homewood-JHMI shuttle, which runs every half-hour during the week and hourly on weekends. The shuttle picks up passengers behind Shriver Auditorium, and the ride is free with a Hopkins ID. It stops right at Penn Station (located at 1525 N. Charles St.).

When you arrive at Union Station, take some time to browse through its many shops, enjoy its stunning architecture, or even catch dinner and a movie. Then follow the signs to the Metro trains, where you'll hop on board the Red Line toward Shady Grove. The Red Line will get you to such hotspots as Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle or Bethesda. It will also get you to Gallery Place/Chinatown and the Metro Center, which are transfer points for the Green, Yellow, Blue and Orange lines. Just be sure to check the Metro map before embarking.

Once you've completed your trip and you're back at Penn Station, you can pick up the same Homewood-JHMI shuttle at the Charles Street MTA bus stop.

Couldn't be simpler, right?

Well, there is a small caveat. Because it's a commuter rail, the MARC train only runs Monday through Friday. If you plan on traveling over the weekend, you'll have to take an Amtrack train, which runs on the same track but costs $14 each way. During certain hours, the trip can cost you up to $28.

Be sure to check train times before you plan your trip -- you don't want to wind up stuck in D.C. at night with nowhere to stay. The last MARC train out of D.C. departs at 10:35 p.m., and the last shuttle from Penn Station to Homewood campus is at 11:30 p.m. If you miss the last shuttle, you can always take a cab home from Penn Station (for about $5 to $6). If you miss the 10:35 p.m. MARC or the 11 p.m. Amtrak train, however, your last chance is the 3 a.m. Amtrak train, which costs $28 on Saturday morning and $14 on Sunday morning.

So if you do plan to visit our nation's capitol, make sure you plan carefully. Always carry enough money for cab fare, as well as a credit or debit card in case of emergencies.

MARC automated telephone line:

1-(800)-325-RAIL (7245)

Amtrack automated telephone line:

1-(800)-USA-RAIL (872-7245)

Metrorail system map: http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm

Homewood-JHMI shuttle: http://www.jhu.edu/security/JHMISched.htm