Washington, DC trip

[Touchdown]

What train are you riding in? Is it the Metro or the Maryland Train (forgetten its name) if it is the latter I strongly suggest finding either a different hotel or another way to get to a Metro station, the trains do not run nearly as often and are jammed (to the point you will not get on them) during rush hour and close for the night early. Do not rely on the Maryland Train!

[Disneymom4ever]

Tink's mom- Can I ask what hotel you chose? I am trying to plan a trip in July, and I'm having a hard time finding a decent, reasonable hotel with pool and breakfast included, and near the metro. It seems like the ones closer to attractions are so expensive! How far is it to the monuments, etc.? I actually don't mind being out a bit, as long as it doesn't take us 1/2 a day to get anywhere!

[lauralemm]

P.S. We are planning to stay at a hotel that we like by BWI and take the train into Washington each day. Does anyone think that this is a problem?
Also we have an early morning flight out of BWl our last day. Thanks for any advice.

well, I have friends who live in Baltimore and take the MARC into DC everyday and it can take an hour or more and can get extremely crowded. DC is a super-busy commuter area and the commute is not altogether pleasant...Also: the trains stop running fairly early and do NOT run on Sat/Sun. I just doublechecked their site and did not see any special hours for that weekend. So, you might want to think about spending the first few nights on the VA side near to a Metro? That might be more pleasant although it can still be very crowded. Or, take a look at the Metro map and look at hotels near malls near the ends of the red or green lines on the Maryland side.There might be some affordable options near White Flint or Silver Spring, maybe. Maybe. Bethesda, while handy and FUN, is P*R*I*C*E*Y. I checked the metro map and expedia and found that there are some relatively affordable hotels if you search for Rockville, MD, which has a connection to MARC at the Metro station (for getting to BWI) and is right on the Red Line which can take you right into DC easily. Its an outlying stop, so even if its rush hour when you are heading into the City-- you are on before everyone else... that Metro ride would probably be approx an hour, maybe? The Red Line is the one for the Zoo and Chinatown and Metro Center, so its a good choice that should minimize changing trains for you.

If the hotel you like is good then I am sure that the front desk staff can help guide you on the commuting. Baltimore is a great destination in itself, so maybe it would be smart to try to avoid the evening rush hour and have your dinners/ evening activities there. Camden Yards is GREAT fun if anyone has any interest in baseball...

[lauralemm]

Tink's mom It seems like the ones closer to attractions are so expensive! How far is it to the monuments, etc.? I actually don't mind being out a bit, as long as it doesn't take us 1/2 a day to get anywhere!

Lisa, I notice you are in NC-- are you driving? If so, you might want to look for a hotel in the Springfield area because that way you have less driving in bad traffic on arrival and departure day and can Metro to DC. When I go to DC for business if I do not stay on the Hill then I stay at one of the hotels near Springfield Mall. It cuts up to an hour off my drive from Tidewater VA, and during morning rush it usually takes an hour from the hotel to the Metro to L'Enfant Plaza in DC (I usually am going to things at the GSA near L'Enfant, and I generally have to be there by 9 am. I leave the hotel at 7:30 and have AMPLE time to get coffee, etc when I arrive in the city.) L'Enfant Plaza is walking distance to the National Mall. Its not easy to do the monuments via Metro, but the Metro can get you to the Mall and you can use the Circulator buses to see the monuments (someone else posted about that, too.)
I have stayed at a Courtyard by Marriott near Springfield Mall and a Red Roof Inn. Neither one was fabulous, but they weren't terrible either and there are plenty of family friendly places to eat, etc nearby. Granted, its all chain stuff that is everywhere, but that can be best when traveling with kids sometimes I kind of prefer that routine because its a simple shot off the highway to the hotel parking lot without any of the weird parking issues and such you sometimes have to contend with in the district itself. Depending on time of year, though, you can find good rates at the Capitol Suites on Capitol Hill. I like it pretty well and its in a handy spot. I would avoid the Capitol Hill Best Western though-- NOT what I would call family friendly and NOT a pleasant walk to the Mtetro at all (although they do have a very generous free shuttle to the major attractions and business areas.)

[Tink's Mom]

Wow, thanks for all of the help! Here are the transportation options that I found from BWI. We can take the express bus from BWI to the greenbelt metro station, and then take the metro to downtown Washington. It seems like that should take about an hour. Or we can take an Amtrak train straight to Union Station, and that should take about 30 minutes. Please let me know what you think about these 2 options.

Disneymom4ever, sounds like from what lauralemm said, where I am staying would be out of your way. Also she might know if the room prices will be less in July. Seems like we chose the busiest time of the year to go.

Here are the reasons that we chose this hotel. Mainly, stayed there in Nov and really liked it. I looked for many, many hours trying to find a hotel that would be within walking distance to most of the things that we plan to see. Most of the hotels were way overpriced, and had few ammenities, to almost none. Many of them had bad reviews. And since I am not familiar with the area, I am not sure what areas are safe to be in. I appreciate any advice. Thanks!

[Touchdown]

While a bus is better then the MARC (I remembered the name!) its still not ideal. Also Amtrack is going to have the same problems as the MARC (excpet it runs all night, but very sporatically) and is also expensive. Will you have a car with you? I ask because the metro stations on the end of lines (http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm) have paid parking (look for the car symbol) so you can drive in, get off and take the Metro the rest of the way.

When I visited as a tourist we would normally stay in Alexandria, VA it had resonalbly priced hotels and while the paid parking wasnt cheap it was certainly better then any other option. Look for places just on or right outside the beltway they usually have what you are looking for.

[Disneymom4ever]

Wow, great advice given here! (One reason I love Intercot so much! ). And yes, lauralemm, we are driving from NC. I will definitely take all the advice given, and research, research!
Tink's Mom- you said it right on, I've been looking and looking, and that's exactly it- few amenities, overpriced, and just not being familiar with the area makes it tough. (And many bad reviews on decent $ hotels!) Planning a trip to DW is so much easier for me!

[Tink's Mom]

Touchdown - Thanks for the link and all of the info. I really like your idea about renting a car and parking at the metro station. I am going to do some research on that. Thank you.

Disneymom4ever - I just had to add this after your last comment. I actually had a trip planned to WDW for this vacation. But because of it being busier due to spring break, and the prices for resorts being high, DH decided that since we were just there in Nov, and we are going to DLP in Aug, that we should save a little money and go visit his parents in OMAHA , and then spend a few days in Washington. Ends up that it is actually going to cost just as much, if not even more. And now I get to spend spring break with..., well....,um...., lets just say not Mickey.

[TooGoofy]

I can recommend the Holiday Inn Capitol. While it did not have many ammenities (ie: free breakfast) the location could not be beat! We were a 5 minute walk from the Air & Space Museum and the National Mall.

In addition, we were less than a five minute walk from a Metro stop. Finally, the block that the hotel was on had a Quizno's, a McDonald's and a deli. There was a Starbucks in the hotel lobby.

We paid about $200.00 per night for this hotel and it was well worth it!

I would also recommend the new wing of the Air & Space museum at Dulles (you can catch a shuttle bus right in front of the Air & Space Museum on the National Mall). The new Museum of the American Indian is also fantastic!

[pshokie]

Starting to get confused about who is going and staying where.....

Responding specifically to one thing TinksMom wants to do, rent a car and park at metro.

Huge warning: in recent years the attendants at the toll gates for the parking garages have been pocketing some of the toll money. Metro caught them, and as a result, the procedures have changed. Most, if not all, of the parking garages now require the purchase of a SmartTrip card to pay the toll. Good news is, this card can also be used to ride the metro, buses, etc.

I would just hate to see you get to garage exit and find yourslef needing to buy another card just to leave.

As for area with hotels...
As a local, I cannot speak for hotels, I have no need for them, obviously. But on the Virginia side of the river, the following locations are, for lack of a better term, "safe". Springfield, Ballston, Crystal City, Pentagon City, Alexandria. Closer to the Metro Stop the better. If it were up to me, I would stay close to the King St Station in Alexandria. Old Town Alexandria is a charm in and of itself. It is one of the oldest areas in the city, has lots of historical sites, good restauraunts (Shout out for Hard Times Cafe!) , cobble stone streets, and of course, Ghost Tours. Gotta Love'em.

A little walking may be involved if you wish to venture from the King St station all the way down to the water front, but cabs area a plenty.

It is not part of the "city" but it has that old pre-revolutionary/colonial feel to it.

Ahhh...the hours of my youth and many $$ spent down at the waterfront.....

[DisneyDog]

We just got back from a very nice long weekend trip to D.C. and Annapolis. In D.C. we stayed at the Omni Shoreham, which was wonderful. It was pretty close to a Metro stop, and close to the zoo. Also across the street from a trolley stop. The trolley was a lot of fun and very informative. A great way to get around to all of the historical places and museums.

I had a bit of a problem with the zoo. It's lovely, but I don't like the way it's designed. It is shaped like a "C", not a loop, so if you get to one end, you are forced to turn around and go back the way you came. We entered on, I think it was Connecticut Ave., walked to the end, and then after we were all finished and tired, we had to walk back the way we came UP HILL. With a tired 4 year old. I will definitely never go to that zoo again. Good thing it was free.

The next day was our trolley/museum/memorial day. The cherry blossoms were beautiful and it was in the high 70s. The trolley took us past the National Cathedral, through Georgetown, and right near the museums. We went to the Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum, and then got back on the trolley and headed to the Lincoln Memorial. After that, we took the trolley back towards the museums and jumped on the Metro to get back to our hotel faster. It worked out great.

Annapolis was wonderful, but it's definitely a one-day trip. We went to the visitors center at the Naval Academy, then had lunch in town, took a boat tour on the Harbor Queen, which was great, did the shops and then had dinner at a place called Buddy's Crabs and Ribs which had an amazing seafood/pasta/rib buffet. $20 for adults, kids eat free. We can't wait to go back there again!

[mickey10]

We just got back from our vacation in Washington, DC and we had a wonderful time. I want to think everyone for all the good advice. We got to see a lot of things and there were more we wanted to see, but we ran out of time. I loved seeing the Panda bears at the zoo. Thinks again for all the information on Washington,DC.
I can always count on intercotees for great informatin.

[thrillme]

Ok...I'm really scared to death now. My son and I are going to fly from San Antonio (mid-July 2007) to Cleveland spend some time at "Cedar Point" drive to "Falling Water" in Pennsylvania, then "Hershey" followed by...

WASHINGTON DC...

Then "Gettysburg" and back onto Cleveland.

I'm scared to death now It's a really strange world to me. I really don't want to pay HUNDREDS for a hotel. Apparently you're not supposed to drive you're supposed to take the Metro (I will never complain about Texas parking or Traffic again)

We were looking at spending a day maybe two at the Smithsonian then on a third day checking out the memorials then driving out to Gettysburg and finding a place to stay there. It sounds so wonderful and educational.

I keep looking for hotels then I find one that might be reasonable then it's slammed into the ground on it's "reviews" or else someone has told me that it's "not safe".

Is there a reasonable hotel somewhere near a metro. Do hotels offer shuttles to this Metro?

I got a few Courtyard by Marriott doesn't seem too bad but $109 seemed steep. Red Roof Inn...I'm not sure which one? Capitol Inn Suites...OWCH.

What is King's Station Alexandria? Is this near the Metro? It's all the way in Virginia does the Metro go that far??? It does sound beautiful.

When does this Metro close when does it open? I don't want to be stranded somewhere.

It boggles my mind to envision going between ALL these states in just about 3-4 hours.

HELLPPPPP!

[Touchdown]

^Kings Station is part of the Metro, and yes it does go that far into VA (in fact that is a station that has two lines go through and each line has two stops further down the line.)

To learn all about the Metro check out its official website www.wmata.com it has a great bunch of tools to help you learn the system.

As for hours, dont worry about them, I believe they are 6:30-12 Mon-Thur, 6:30-3:00am Fri, 8:00-3:00am Sat, and 8:00-12:00 Sun.

As for going through so many states in 3 hours, yes it can be done. I lived in the area last year and would go to Hershey quite a bit (was a Season Pass holder) from my apartment in Crystal City (Arlington, VA) it was a little over 2.5 hours to Hershey.

Speaking of Hershey, or for that matter Cedar Point (my new home park now that I live in Toledo) you picked a great set of parks. Cedar Point is a coaster enthusiast's Nirvana, of their 17 roller coasters, Raptor, Mellienium Force, Magnum XL 200 are amazing (as a rider of over 200 coasters these three are in my top 5, with Magnum snagging the #2 spot) and Mavarick just looks amazing, it may beat out Hershey's Storm Runner as my favorite launch coaster when it opens . Hershey's Great Bear, Lightning Racer, Wildcat and Storm Runner are all great rides and their water rides are also a lot of fun. Plus you cant help feeling happy when everything smells like Chocolate .

When you tour Gettysburg, I highly suggest that you hit the visitor center first and see the Electric Map, it will help orientate you to the battle. From there, I highly suggest you buy/rent an audio tour of the battlefield, in addtion to telling you directions, it will tell you the story of the battle and tell you what happened where you are at the moment.

[thrillme]

Thank you so much. Hopefully I can find a reasonable hotel near King's station.

My DS and I are ROLLERCOASTER NUTZ. I've always loved coasters. We were drawn to Cedar Point for the email that's floated around. Then I found out it's supposed to be one of the most popular coaster parks. We're looking at stopping in Philadelphia because I'm scheduling a 2 week trip. I really don't want to push myself driving hours upon hours. 3-4 hours isn't a big deal. Heck...for us that's a trip from San Antonio to the coast or Houston. 5 hours is a Dallas trip. Hershey...well...what can I say. I love Chocolate and it just seems like a cool place to check out. I've always heard about the Smithsonian...it's one of those places I've got to say that I've been too.

On the way back to Cleveland I'm kinda hoping to find a waterpark of sorts to just wind down in or something interesting to do for the day. I want to give myself a FULL day in Cleveland in case I'm late returning for some reason. I wouldn't want to miss my flight home.

Someone said that the area near King's Station is pretty nice to stay...Are hotels within walking distance of King's Station or do you park in a garage there?

[Touchdown]

^If you are looking for a waterpark near Clevland, may I suggest Geauga Lake in Aurora, OH, which is a combo theme park/water park that is usually not too crowded. Also as a money saving option, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake are owned by the same company and you can buy a Maxx pass at CP for $125 and get into both parks, if you are doing 2 days at CP (which I strongly suggest you do because CP is roughly the size of Epcot and has 17 coasters to hit) and throw in a day at GL you have payed for the past. Also if you want you can buy the Maxx plus pass which will get you into Soak City at CP too (separate gate) its small, but it has a great adventure river (waves at points, random "hazards" along the course that get you wet but otherwise a lazy river) which is where I retreat mid day at CP because it just gets too hot (CP is on a peninsula in Lake Erie, and all the water around you just bounces the heat into the park.) It would also get you into: Dorney Park (Allentown, PA,) King's Dominion (Rosewell, VA,) Carowinds (somewhere in the Carolinas,) King's Island (Mason, OH,) Michigan's Adventure (Muskegon, MI,) Canada's Wonderland (Toronto, Ontario) Valleyfair! (Shakopee, MN,) World's of Fun (Kansas City, MO,) Knott's Berry Farm (LA, CA,)
Great America (San Francisco, CA not Gurnee, IL) in addition to CP and GL.

Im so excited, just picked up my first ever CP SP today and the idea that that park is my home park this summer and only a little bit more then an hour away is just amazing, the only place I would be happier from an enthusiast's perspective is living in Orlando. Also I cant believe that one SP gets me into the 3 biggest parks in Ohio (GL, KI, CP) all of which are <3 hours away from Toledo .

[WelshieLover]

I can recommend the Holiday Inn Capitol. While it did not have many ammenities (ie: free breakfast) the location could not be beat! We were a 5 minute walk from the Air & Space Museum and the National Mall.

In addition, we were less than a five minute walk from a Metro stop. Finally, the block that the hotel was on had a Quizno's, a McDonald's and a deli. There was a Starbucks in the hotel lobby.

We paid about $200.00 per night for this hotel and it was well worth it!

I could not agree more on the Holiday Inn Capitol. I would often go there for work and last summer brought my family there.

There was parking under the hotel so sometimes at night we would take the car out to have dinner over in Georgetown or over by DuPont Circle. Our kids are teens so we also took one of those Segway tours. It was alot of fun, but you have to be over 12 to ride them. It covered most of the areas we had already walked but it was a novelty.

One place we discovered was the Food Court at the National Museum of the American Indian. It had different cuisines from all over the US. What great choices -Pacifc Northwest, Southwest...

Something else that is fun for kids is the Botanical Greenhouses over by the Capitol Building. What a relaxing place to visit!

[TooGoofy]

One place we discovered was the Food Court at the National Museum of the American Indian. It had different cuisines from all over the US. What great choices -Pacifc Northwest, Southwest...

Wasn't that food court delicious? We loved it! Very unique food, and very well prepared. We ate there two or three times!

[Tyson The Lab]

has anyone mentioned Gettysburg? I've been there twice, it was a cool place to see. They have a museum there as well.

[Pongo]

We leave for D.C. in two weeks! I have a little advice to add:

Washington Monument - if you want to go to the top and want to avoid the long lines, you can go to the National Parks website and pre-purchase tickets. While the tickets are free at the monument, you can order them in advance for a $1.50 each service fee.

If you want to go to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, you can get in line at 6:00 a.m. for the free tickets, or you can contact your Senators office and ask them to get you tickets. Make sure you give a variety of dates. We didn't get our first requested time, but we are doing a congressional tour.

National Archive passes are available by simply sending an email to them and telling them when you want to go.

While the Museum of American History is closed, there is a special exhibit of the 100+ favorite items at the Air and Space museum. You can still see Lincoln's hat, Dorotyhy's slippers, Seinfelds shirt, Kermit, and other items.

The International Spy Museum may appeal to kids. We are going as we have a teenager who loves '24', but they do have programs for younger kids.

We are going outside of D.C. to the Luray Caverns in Virginia. They have the caverns tour and a hedge maze.

We are very excited to be going to our Senator's constituent breakfast. Check your senator's website and see what things they have for their constituents while in D.C.

We are staying at the Best Western Georgetown. There is a separate sleeping area and living room area with a convertible sofa. The room has a refrigerator and microwave and is within walking distance to both the Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle metro stations and the rate includes a continental breakfast that includes breads, cereals, muffins, coffee, juice, etc. We are paying $176 per night in June. When we originally booked it was $240 per night but when the rates dropped we rebooked and cancelled the original reservation.

Have a great trip!