Cheap Safe Motel Washington DC

[thrillme]

We're looking at visiting the Smithsonian this year. I've heard Washington DC is a beautiful place during the day but you want to be careful of where you are at night. I guess that goes for "anyplace".

I really don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a hotel (my DS and I just need a bed). Is there a cheap motel somewhere around the Smithsonian?

What's the scoop on "parking". Do hotels charge big bucks for this?

[Beast_fanatic]

I'm not aware of any cheap hotels in DC that are also safe. You may want to look at some of the suburbs to see if you can find something on the Metro line. We stayed in DC at a Homewood Suites. I felt safe there although it was a few blocks from the Metro station through a slightly scary park (the next street over was better though so we took it instead).

As far as parking, yes, the hotels do charge quite a bit.

There are a few other DC threads in this forum. I'd suggest taking a look at those as there have been lots of suggestions on places to stay in them.

[CPT Trips]

Parking during the day in DC can be both expensive on not easy to find. Staying near a metro stop -either in a suburb or the district - makes a lot of sense.

[NJGIRL]

Cheap and Washington DC can not be used in the same sentence:D . We stay at the Loews which is about $280 a night. It was a great hotel! It's one block from the "mall" area that has most of the Smithsonians plus it has a metro under the hotel! All you have to do is go down the stairs in the lobby and your there.