EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Compared to the rest of Maryland, Annapolis is easy to reach, on Greyhound and MTA (#210) buses from Baltimore. By road it's only about half an hour from Washington (via US-50) or Baltimore (via I-97), though parking can be difficult. A trolleybus (75¢) loops around the small and very walkable central area. Annapolis's visitor center , 26 West St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 410/280-0445, ), can provide free maps and practical information, including lists of walking tour operators and $12 horseback riding tours; if you'd rather see the city on your own, consider picking up one of the Historic Annapolis audio-cassette tours, narrated by newsman Walter Cronkite, from the Historic Annapolis Foundation Museum Store at 77 Main St.

Finding a place to stay is not usually a problem, though prices are fairly steep. There's a free accommodation bureau (tel 1-800/715-1000), or you can choose from B&Bs like the central and characterful Scot-Laur Inn , 165 Main St (tel 410/268-5665; $75-100), the pricier Prince George Inn , 232 Prince George St (tel 410/263-6418; $100-130), or the attractive Flag House Inn , 26 Randall St (tel 410/280-2721 or 1-800/437-4825, ; $75-100). Dozens of motels are to be found along US-50 on the west side of town.

Restaurants and bars are both plentiful and good: the no-frills Chick and Ruth's Delly , 165 Main St (tel 410/269-6737), does big breakfasts and has a booth on permanent reserve for Maryland's governor; the ritzier Harry Browne's , 66 State Circle (tel 410/263-4332), is popular with politicos and expense-account lobbyists. You can tuck into fish and chips while people-watching from the sunny porch of the waterfront Middleton Tavern , 2 Market Space (tel 410/263-3323), one of the city's oldest buildings. The King of France Tavern in the historic Maryland Inn , 16 Church Circle (tel 410/263-2641), puts on live jazz, while the Market House on the waterfront contains a good range of cheap snackbars with shared outside seating.