Washington, DC is a land of never-ending brunch. Plus, if on occasion you want a break from all that brunching, you’re in luck. DC is overflowing with culture, history and job opportunity. There is no better place to dip your toe in the political scene, see the fireworks on July 4th, or spend a summer interning than in our nation’s capital.

While all of this sounds awfully glamorous, I know firsthand how daunting the logistics of moving to and navigating a new city can be. In April 2017, I had 37 internet tabs open and was calling my mom on a bi-hourly basis because I had to find housing in DC just three weeks before my internship began. But after a successful first summer in the city—and a second because I couldn’t get enough—I am passing on practical housing and transportation advice to help kick off your time in DC stress-free.

Housing

DC is the eighth-most expensive city in North America in terms of cost of living. Finding affordable housing, especially on a short-term basis, can be challenging. My suggestion is to do one of two things:

Option one, live in the dorm of a local university. DC boasts a ton of universities (and there are even more schools that aren’t in the District itself but are still metro-accessible) and most of them offer summer housing. My first summer in Washington, I lived in one of American University’s dorms. I highly recommend living in a dorm if you’ve never lived in DC before because it’s the best way to make friends. Everyone around you will be in a similar situation of interning, wanting to explore what the District has to offer and not knowing many people. I met friends that I still keep up with (not to mention my boyfriend!) when I lived in the American University dorm. Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University, Gallaudet University, etc., are other options located within the District.

Option two, sublet an apartment for the summer. The upside to living in an apartment is that you’ll likely have more space to yourself and amenities that a dorm may not offer, like a full-sized fridge. When looking to sublet, I personally avoid Craigslist. However, I do recommend using various university Facebook groups dedicated to student housing to find short-term sublets. I joined the unaffiliated Georgetown University, American University and George Washington University groups when I was looking for an apartment for my second summer in DC.

With that said, beware that there are scammers out there. If an apartment seems too good to be true, it probably is. Also, never be fooled into a false sense of urgency and agree to wire someone money. That is 100% a scam. You can read this article to find out more about rental red flags.

Transportation

Unless you live close enough to walk to work every day, chances are that you will be frequenting the metro. The good news is that DC’s system is easy to navigate. I screenshotted the metro map and referred to it on my camera roll when I needed to, but I learned the routes quickly. Trust me that you will, too.

The biggest tip I have (and one that I wish I knew going into my first summer) is to buy a Select Pass if you will be using the metro or metro buses to commute to work each day. To give you some background, the metro charges individuals by the number of stops they travel (as opposed to a flat fee). The rate fluctuates based on time of day, with rush hour being more expensive. As DC local Matt Johnson explains, “The way the Select Pass works is you pay for a particular fare value from one of nine price points, from $2.25 to $5.90. You then pay that fare multiplied by 36 (which is 18 round trips). You get any trips below the value you selected at no additional cost, and if you take a trip of higher value, you’re only charged the difference.” Matt has an awesome, free tool that lets you calculate what your monthly savings would be with a Select Pass.

For those of you looking to spend a summer interning in Washington, I hope this practical guide to housing and transportation proves helpful. Let me know if you’d be interested in reading a DC guide for food and entertainment!