AIR TRAVEL
If you are flying into the area, you have a choice of 3 major airports. Washington’s Reagan (DCA) is the closest, followed by Baltimore-Washington (BWI) and Dulles (DUL). You will have to drive from any of the airports to PAXRVR. The closest town to PAXRVR is Lexington Park. The drive time is approximately 1.5 hours from DCA, 2.0 Hours from BWI and 2.5 hours from Dulles depending on time of day and traffic conditions. The airports house all major rental car agencies. However, if you plan to drop the car off locally, your choices are limited to Hertz, Avis and Enterprise. These companies do not typically charge a one-way drop charge when coming from one of the three airports.
There is a local airport in California, MD which is rated for small prop planes (Capt Walter Francis Duke Regional Airport at St Mary's (2W6)). If you are flying your own aircraft, please do not attempt to land at PAXRVR NAS’ field (Trapnell Field (NHK)). This field is restricted for military use.
HOTELS
The local economy is primarily driven by the Navy. Consequently, hotel rooms are often in short supply. Be sure to reserve a room as early as possible. The closest hotels are located in either Lexington Park or California, MD. There are also a few respectable hotels in nearby Solomons. If you are not fortunate enough to find a room closeby, your next best bet is to search in Prince Frederick in Calvert County and Waldorf in Charles County. Plan on a one-hour drive time or more from each of these alternate locations.
If seeking government or military discounts, be sure to bring your official identification and a copy of your travel orders.
RESTAURANTS
There are a sufficient number of local and chain restaurants in the area–although it may not always seem so, especially at lunch time on a business day. Visit our
dining guide for a list of restaurants and reader reviews.
GETTING AROUND TOWN
This is a rural area and there is not much in the way of public transportation. We highly recommend that you get a rental car. There are at least two local taxi companies. However, you must call for service on the telephone and wait times for pickup can be excessive. Taxis are not metered and the rates are set by the dispatcher based on your origination and destination. Be sure to ask for the rate when requesting the pickup on the phone.