A travel guide for Canes vs. Caps in DC, with schedule info & how to get tickets
The Carolina Hurricanes are headed to the second-round series of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The first and second games against the Washington Capitals will be played in Washington, D.C. at the Capital One Arena. Then, the next two games — on Saturday, May 10, and Monday, May 12 — will be home games for the Canes, played in Raleigh at the Lenovo Center.
Game 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, and Game 2 starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8. Both will be shown on ESPN, but some fans may want to see the games live.
Here’s what Triangle Canes fans need to know about traveling to D.C. to catch the action in person.
How to travel to DC
If Canes fans want to travel to D.C. by train, they have a few options. Amtrak travels:
- From Raleigh to Washington, D.C.: There are two trips each day. They leave around 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. and arrive in D.C. around 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. A one-way coach ticket leaving Monday, May 5 costs $94. On Tuesday, a ticket in coach starts at $51.
- From Durham to Washington, D.C.: Fans can leave the Bull City’s train station around 9:30 a.m. for an approximately seven-hour trip, putting fans in D.C. around 4:30 p.m. A coach ticket for a one-way trip leaving May 5 costs $96, and on May 6, it costs $57.
To get to D.C. by car:
- A trip from downtown Raleigh to Washington, D.C. could be up to 280 miles, and a trip from downtown Durham could be up to 270 miles. Most drivers will eventually end up on Interstate 95, which will take them through Richmond, Virginia.
Travelers may also fly to D.C. There are three airports in the Washington, D.C. area: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Dulles International Airport. The closest to the stadium is Reagan National.
There are many flights available, including nonstop flights, which are about an hour. Here’s how much a one-way ticket to each of these destinations costs:
- Nonstop flights to Baltimore: operated by Southwest Airlines, start at $266 on May 5-6.
- Nonstop flights to Reagan National: operated by Delta Airlines and American Airlines, start at $318 on May 5-6.
- Nonstop flights to Dulles: operated by United Airlines, start at $318 May 5-6.
(Note: Ticket prices are subject to change.)
Canes vs. Capitals tickets
- Tickets to watch the first two games of the Canes-Capitals series are available on Ticketmaster.
- Tickets to watch Games 3 and 4, to be held at the Lenovo Center, are also available on Ticketmaster.
Canes-Capitals series schedule
- Game 1: Hurricanes at Capitals, May 6, 7 p.m. (ESPN) at Capital One Arena
- Game 2: Hurricanes at Capitals, May 8, 7 p.m. (ESPN) at Capital One Arena
- Game 3: Capitals at Hurricanes, May 10, at Lenovo Center
- Game 4: Capitals at Hurricanes, May 12, at Lenovo Center
- Game 5 (if necessary): Hurricanes at Capitals, TBD, at Capital One Arena
- Game 6 (if necessary): Capitals at Hurricanes, TBD, at Lenovo Center
- Game 7 (if necessary): Hurricanes at Capitals, TBD at Capital One Arena
The winner of the series will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the winner of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers. Game 1 of the Toronto-Florida series will be played Monday, May 5.
