Tour Buses

The following details outline tour bus parking guidelines and suggestions for Arlington and around the region.

Designated Tour Bus Zones in Arlington

• Number of Spaces: 10 tour bus zones with 30 parking spaces
• Availability: First-come, first-served basis; no reservations accepted
• Rate: $3 per hour per bus during the hours of meter operation; applicable overnight unless otherwise indicated
• Payment Options: Multispace meters accept payment by coin or credit card. Pay via cellphone with the Parkmobile app.

Additional Options in Arlington

• Tour buses may also park in any commercial area where there are no lines demarking standard car parking meter spaces and where the width accommodates the bus. Curbs where tour bus parking is not allowed (including a few blocks in Pentagon City) are signed accordingly. Curbs with metered,  standard-car spaces available for buses are unlined. At these locations, drivers must pay the standard meter rate and follow the time duration regulations. Some areas are restricted for as short as 30 minutes, but many of them allow parking for as long as 10 hours. In those standard car metered areas, there’s no charge for parking overnight.
• In special cases where an organization, group or hotel seeks to guarantee specific parking meter spaces at specific times, an application for a Transportation Right of Way Permit (TROW) may be completed online; please add "Tour Bus" to the permit application description. This form must be submitted a minimum of five business days in advance of the first parking date requested.

Alternative Parking in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The venues below offer paid tour bus parking within 10 miles of Arlington. Reservations, fees and/or permits may be required in advance. Please contact the organizations below for additional information:

• Alexandria, Virginia – See the City of Alexandria’s Motorcoach website and resources provided by its tourism organization.
• George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr, Alexandria, VA 22301, 703-746-3301
• Washington, D.C. – See the Washington, D.C. Motorcoach Guide & Parking Regulations web page and resources provided by its tourism organization.
• Union Station, 30 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, 202-898-1950
• RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capitol St SE, Washington, DC, 20003, 202-608-1113
• Buzzard’s Point, 1880 2nd St SW, Washington, DC, 20001, 202-464-2900

Bus Idling in Arlington

Arlington County Code Chapter 14.2-2 (F) prohibits bus idling for more than 10 minutes when the bus is parked, left unattended or is stopped for other than traffic or maintenance reasons.

Contact Information

• If you’re a group leader, motor coach operator, tour operator or driver seeking assistance regarding Arlington hotels, attractions, visitor services, etc., or if you have questions about Arlington Tour Bus Zones, please contact Portia Conerly, Director of Sales for the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service, at pconerly@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-0873.
• If you have questions about the Transportation Right-of-Way Permits and their fees, please call 703-228-3629.
• If you seek general parking information, please contact Arlington County’s Department of Environmental Services, Transportation Division, at park@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-3344.