What city is close to Washington DC with cheaper hotels?
Q. We want to go to Washington DC this summer, but we are willing to drive a bit to save good money on hotels. Coming from FL. Any suggestions??
A. Ok, let me give you the scoop on your options.
You are correct, staying in a hotel inside Washington DC is going to cost you a good bit of money. The next cheaper alternative is to stay in either Maryland or Virginia, close to the Metro (subway) line. You will save about 50% by doing this.
The next step down would be to stay even further outside of the Washington area. Places like Leesburg, Virginia or Waldorf Maryland. Those areas are about 25 miles outside of Washington DC.
But..and this is a big but, the traffic in the DC area can be hectic. If you decide to stay in a hotel way outside of town, then your simple drive of 25 miles will take you at least an hour (plenty of red lights and cogested traffic, so your average speed is only 25 mph).
If it were me, I would personally opt for a hotel in someplace like Alexandria, VA or Rockville MD, that is close to the Metro stations. The time and aggravation that you save by not having to drive is worth it! The Metro is the best way to get around DC and is reasonably priced (I think you can get a one week fare card for a fixed rate that will allow you unlimited travel on the Metro). Even if a hotel is within walking distance of a Metro station, some offer shuttle van services to and from the Metro station. When you return to the Metro station after a long day of scouting around DC, you just call the hotel front desk on your cell phone or pay phone and they will send the van to pick you up.
Good luck!
You are correct, staying in a hotel inside Washington DC is going to cost you a good bit of money. The next cheaper alternative is to stay in either Maryland or Virginia, close to the Metro (subway) line. You will save about 50% by doing this.
The next step down would be to stay even further outside of the Washington area. Places like Leesburg, Virginia or Waldorf Maryland. Those areas are about 25 miles outside of Washington DC.
But..and this is a big but, the traffic in the DC area can be hectic. If you decide to stay in a hotel way outside of town, then your simple drive of 25 miles will take you at least an hour (plenty of red lights and cogested traffic, so your average speed is only 25 mph).
If it were me, I would personally opt for a hotel in someplace like Alexandria, VA or Rockville MD, that is close to the Metro stations. The time and aggravation that you save by not having to drive is worth it! The Metro is the best way to get around DC and is reasonably priced (I think you can get a one week fare card for a fixed rate that will allow you unlimited travel on the Metro). Even if a hotel is within walking distance of a Metro station, some offer shuttle van services to and from the Metro station. When you return to the Metro station after a long day of scouting around DC, you just call the hotel front desk on your cell phone or pay phone and they will send the van to pick you up.
Good luck!
what are good things to check out in washington dc?
Q. my family is planning a vacation to washington dc. i have to help with preparations for the hotels and all that junk. do you guys have any suggestions on good places we can go like amusment parks or museums or whatever? let me know okay?
A. There is no end to things to see in Washington DC, you can easily find something to do every day for weeks.
Some obvious highlights:
Government buildings (Capital, White House, Supreme Court, Library of Congress) are all excellent choices. Capital South Metro is probably the closest one to the Capital building, Supreme Court and Library of Congress...not sure about the white house.
Monuments: At least see the famous ones (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, WWII, Vietnam, Korea). With the exception of the Jefferson monument all of those are literally in a row. You can take the Metro to Federal Triangle (I think) and that is near Washington monument. From there just start walking towards Lincoln. WWII is on the way, Vietnam and Korea are left and right of Lincoln. Another great monument is the FDR Memorial. I HIGHLY recommend doing the following monuments at night (WWII, Korea, Lincoln, FDR)
Museums: Holocaust museum is a big experience, though perhaps not something for little kids. The Smithsonian museums are all a full day of exploration -- for kids Air and Space Museum or Natural History museum (Depending on their personalities) are normally big hits. Another one that is interesting (But not free) is the Spy Museum... kids would find large parts of this boring, but it does have some A/C Ducts and such for them to climb in and has some fun spy gadgets in the giftshop. This is a few blocks from Ford's theater, but can't remember the name of the nearby metro stop.
Other sites of interest:
Ford's Theater: This is where Lincoln was shot, they do regular tours throughout the day. It is also right next to a Hard Rock Cafe so is a good stop just before/after lunch. To get there, I'd take the Metro to Navy Memorial (Archives/Navy Memorial stop). See the memorial while you are there then go around the FBI HQ building. Ford's Theater is the opposite corner from where you started.
National Archive: This is (I think) across the street from Navy Memorial (Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop). This is where the original copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are kept
National Zoo: This has its own metro stop (Woordley Park / Zoo -- or something like that on the red line). From the stop you have to walk a few blocks up hill, but it isn't too far. They have some Young Panda bears that are very cute. This metro stop also has a number of restaurants around it so you could maybe do the afternoon at the zoo then have dinner by the metro before heading back to the hotel (Or to the monuments at night)
Pentagon City Mall -- If you are the kids like to shop, this is the place to go. 4 story mall with a large food court in the basement. This has its own metro stop (Pentagon City Mall). You can also go outside and get a good look at the Pentagon.
Arlington National Cemetery -- In addition to the national cemetery this site has Robert E. Lee's house, the JFK Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown soldier. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier conducts the changing of the guard ceremony every 30 minutes. If you have kids old enough to appreciate the ceremony, they do an amazing job. Metro stop is (I think) called "Arlington Cemetery" there is nowhere to eat around this point, but it is only 1-2 Metro stops from Pentagon City Mall, so you can go there after the cemetery to eat and explore
As I said, there is LOTS to do in DC (not counting trips to Baltimore, etc). This is a good week or more worth of adventuring, so hopefully that is enough for you. You will also find plenty of places along the way to these locations that you might want to stop in and see.
Get the Day pass metro cards for everyone in your group. They are $6 for unlimited rides all day. If you are going to use the metro for more than a single round trip they are normally more cost effective.
Another piece of general advice -- contact your congressman's office in advance. A lot of times they will be able to set up a small group or personalized tour of the capital building and/or White House both of which are currently off limits without an escort.
Have fun in DC!
Some obvious highlights:
Government buildings (Capital, White House, Supreme Court, Library of Congress) are all excellent choices. Capital South Metro is probably the closest one to the Capital building, Supreme Court and Library of Congress...not sure about the white house.
Monuments: At least see the famous ones (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, WWII, Vietnam, Korea). With the exception of the Jefferson monument all of those are literally in a row. You can take the Metro to Federal Triangle (I think) and that is near Washington monument. From there just start walking towards Lincoln. WWII is on the way, Vietnam and Korea are left and right of Lincoln. Another great monument is the FDR Memorial. I HIGHLY recommend doing the following monuments at night (WWII, Korea, Lincoln, FDR)
Museums: Holocaust museum is a big experience, though perhaps not something for little kids. The Smithsonian museums are all a full day of exploration -- for kids Air and Space Museum or Natural History museum (Depending on their personalities) are normally big hits. Another one that is interesting (But not free) is the Spy Museum... kids would find large parts of this boring, but it does have some A/C Ducts and such for them to climb in and has some fun spy gadgets in the giftshop. This is a few blocks from Ford's theater, but can't remember the name of the nearby metro stop.
Other sites of interest:
Ford's Theater: This is where Lincoln was shot, they do regular tours throughout the day. It is also right next to a Hard Rock Cafe so is a good stop just before/after lunch. To get there, I'd take the Metro to Navy Memorial (Archives/Navy Memorial stop). See the memorial while you are there then go around the FBI HQ building. Ford's Theater is the opposite corner from where you started.
National Archive: This is (I think) across the street from Navy Memorial (Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop). This is where the original copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are kept
National Zoo: This has its own metro stop (Woordley Park / Zoo -- or something like that on the red line). From the stop you have to walk a few blocks up hill, but it isn't too far. They have some Young Panda bears that are very cute. This metro stop also has a number of restaurants around it so you could maybe do the afternoon at the zoo then have dinner by the metro before heading back to the hotel (Or to the monuments at night)
Pentagon City Mall -- If you are the kids like to shop, this is the place to go. 4 story mall with a large food court in the basement. This has its own metro stop (Pentagon City Mall). You can also go outside and get a good look at the Pentagon.
Arlington National Cemetery -- In addition to the national cemetery this site has Robert E. Lee's house, the JFK Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown soldier. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier conducts the changing of the guard ceremony every 30 minutes. If you have kids old enough to appreciate the ceremony, they do an amazing job. Metro stop is (I think) called "Arlington Cemetery" there is nowhere to eat around this point, but it is only 1-2 Metro stops from Pentagon City Mall, so you can go there after the cemetery to eat and explore
As I said, there is LOTS to do in DC (not counting trips to Baltimore, etc). This is a good week or more worth of adventuring, so hopefully that is enough for you. You will also find plenty of places along the way to these locations that you might want to stop in and see.
Get the Day pass metro cards for everyone in your group. They are $6 for unlimited rides all day. If you are going to use the metro for more than a single round trip they are normally more cost effective.
Another piece of general advice -- contact your congressman's office in advance. A lot of times they will be able to set up a small group or personalized tour of the capital building and/or White House both of which are currently off limits without an escort.
Have fun in DC!
What are the best hotels to stay at in Washington DC?
Q. I want to go to Washington DC this summer, and I need to find a hotel that is close to all the major site seeing locations.
A. The best? Try the Ritz-Carlon at 1150 22nd St. NW, Washington DC.
Rooms start at about $700 a night.
Rooms start at about $700 a night.
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