If you have a car, there are plenty of scenic destinations within a few hours of D.C. to while away the weekend (we’ve highlighted many here and here). But since we’ve been giving up owning vehicles left and right in D.C.—nearly forty percent of households in the District don’t have one—we’re highlighting places that are accessible by riding the rails. While the romance of train travel has rather worn off these days, the convenience certainly hasn’t.

Frederick’s historic district is predictably scenic. (Photo by Doug Duvall)

HARPERS FERRY, WVA: Best known as the location of John Brown’s foiled slave rebellion, Harpers Ferry is brimming with preserved historic sites and a downtown that looks as it did in ye olden times. Check out the so-called international border that the South declared in the middle of town, and you’ll see why it changed hands eight times during the Civil War. It also housed historically black Storer College, whose buildings you can still scope out. Nestled at the spot where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers merge, the West Virginia town is a stop on both the Amtrak and MARC trains. In addition to its historical significance, the town boasts great outdoorsy activities. As noted Virginia expert Thomas Jefferson said back in 1785, “The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature” (and believe me, if you go to Harpers Ferry you’ll see this quote all over the place). You can take the Appalachian Trail to make your way into town, or cruise along the C&O Canal Trail en route to a more challenging hike. As a bonus, if you take the MARC to Harpers Ferry on a Friday evening, you can watch all of the commuters share beer as they celebrate the week’s end. One tip: Harpers Ferry is no city, so don’t expect to eat dinner after 9:30 p.m. unless you like to sup on the candy out of your motel vending machine. — Rachel Kurzius

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA: The colonnaded lawn and Thomas Jefferson-designed rotunda at the heart of the University of Virginia’s campus makes for one of America’s best college strolls. Join students and locals alike on the historic downtown pedestrian mall for a range of local and international cuisine and a local beer or fine cocktail. If you venture outside of the city limits, there’s lots of presidential history to be found at Jefferson’s Monticello and James Madison’s Montpelier. —Josh Novikoff, from a previous list

FREDERICK: Another MARC option, Frederick appears to be one of those quaint historic towns that could be a caricature of a quaint historic town. But the city artfully bridges the historic with the modern—hosting the country’s only high wheel race not far from Volt, an ultra modern outpost of Top Chef‘s Bryan Voltaggio growing empire. Meanwhile, a dreamy water garden on Carroll Creek conjures visions of Monet. — Rachel Sadon

WILLIAMSBURG, VA: Sure, Amtrak will probably get you there in six hours rather than the advertised 3.5, but this trip isn’t about modern conveniences. A bygone era comes to life at Colonial Williamsburg in a storytelling form known as ‘living history,’ whereby actor-interpreters attempt to authentically replicated the time period by playing blacksmiths and cabinetmakers and soldiers and, yes, slaves. The fall is an excellent time to go, with smaller crowds and a variety of programming around Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Sure it can get cheesy at times and there are almost as many carefully trimmed beards as in the other Williamsburg, but it is certainly an experience—and one fit to take in with children. — Rachel Sadon

BALTIMORE: For years, many people had the convenient excuse of not having a car as to why they hadn’t spent much time in Charm City. But with MARC running on weekends (and the option to bring a bike), it’s time to make the effort. In addition to the great beer scene that we’ve written about, they have a thriving and often offbeat arts community that includes the American Visionary Art Museum and the popular annual Kinetic Sculpture Race. — Rachel Sadon

ANYWHERE ALONG 95 TO GET HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: If your family lives on the east coast, chances are you’ve suffered the drudgery that is driving on 95 around the holidays. If you don’t want to show up to the festivities full of anger, malaise and the looming dread of the drive back to D.C., I highly recommend snagging an Amtrak ticket (early so you can get a decent price). Bonus: You can make your family do some of the driving by picking you up at the train station. It makes them feel good because they get to help you avoid misery, and you get to feel good because someone else is driving and you just sat in a relatively comfy train seat with intermittent wifi, reading a book or pretending to get work done instead of sporadically yelling to the gods about traffic. Everybody wins. — Lynne Venart

TAKOMA PARK: As much of a hippie paradise as seemingly possible next door to federal Washington, they don’t call it the People’s Republic of Takoma for nothing (though that may be fading with time). And all you have to do to get there is pop on the Metro (obligatory “assuming it’s working” note.) It’s close enough to pick up organic produce at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Food Co-Op and eco-friendly pet supplies at the Big Bad Woof. But you can also spend time wandering through the idyllic downtown, taking in recycled public art or the eclectic programming of the Electric Maid (self-described as a “community living room”). Next weekend is a good time for a day trip, with the Takoma Park Street Festival slated for Sunday. — Rachel Sadon

RICHMOND: Reachable via Amtrak (and bus), Richmond is a worthy and, pretty easy, weekend trip to take. The heavily-tattooed city is currently home to a traveling exhibition on Japanese tattooing traditions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (which sounds stuffier than it is, and has a fine restaurant upstairs). The arts scene is thriving well beyond that, in no small part because of VCU, one of the best schools in the country for the arts. Meanwhile there are quirky boutiques to be found in Carytown and a six-mile trail through 15 national historic landmarks. Wash it all down at one of the area’s 13 breweries. — Rachel Sadon

PHILADELPHIA: For some reason, Philadelphia always sounds further away than it is. But it’s actually less than two hours from D.C. on Amtrak. Once you’re there, history buffs can take in Revolutionary Era landmarks like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on a free tour. For a less conventional exploration of the past, stop by the delightfully creepy Mütter Museum, whose collection of medical oddities includes a piece of tissue from John Wilkes Booth’s thorax, a conjoined liver from a pair of Siamese Twins, tons of jarred cysts and tumors and the skeleton of 7’6″ tall man. There’s also The Franklin Institute, one of the country’s oldest science museums, the trippy Magic Gardens, and the appropriately eerie Edgar Allan Poe National Historical Site. Throw in dozens of excellent restaurants, cheeseteak, and Federal Donuts, and there’s no reason not to go. — Rebecca Fishbein, adapted from this list