The safest and best way to get around DC is the Metro, taking cabs where necessary.

No need at all for a car, and it will add considerably to your costs and be a general hassle in a city where there is a lot of traffic (you'll have to pay at least $30 per night for parking).

If you want to take a day-trip somewhere, you can certainly rent a car for a day or a few days and do some more exploring, but not for your entire visit. It might be nice to escape to Colonial Williamsburg or to go out to see Monticello or Richmond, and you'd definitely need a car for that.

I'd suggest a hotel near a residential neighborhood (Dupont Circle is where I normally stay) so you can take advantage of local places for food. I'm not sure about a specific hotel, but February is generally a good time for hotel deals in the city.

> How can I get around the safest way possible for a single women?
> Is the metro safe?

Riding the Metro is FAR safer (and faster and cheaper and less stressful) than driving in Washington. You'll need to use normal urban street-smarts, just like in any other large city. There are some U.S. cities in which driving a car is not only not unnecessary, it's a burden. Washington DC is DEFINITELY one of them.

You may want a car for some sights on the edge of town; if so, just rent one for the day.

thank you for your replies. I live in the rocky mountains where everyone is pretty friendly. What's the heads up for D.C. urban street smarts?

Your coming at a time when hotel prices are rock bottom, so you have many choices. High season rates are 2X to 3X (or more1) what you'll pay in early February.

Here are a selection well within your budget (even after you add in parking) I found on hotels.com for your dates. Prices are averaged over your two weeks here. All are very located in safe, fun, and convenient neighborhoods. I would stay in any of them. Contact the hotels directly to get a feel for nearby parking availability and rates before booking...

District Hotel - $77/night
The Baron Hotel - $94/night
Windsor Inn - $94/night
Embassy Inn - - $104/night

"What's the heads up for D.C. urban street smarts?"

Same as any other city. I don't know of anything that I do differently here (I work in DC) than any other city I visit.

The buses are also good. I didn't understand before our trip that it is better to get the transit pass that is plastic (looks like a credit card) at the local CVS store. The paper card from the Metro station could not be used on the city buses. When you are further along in your trip planning do a new post about getting around DC and some of the DC regulars will help you.

Email your US Senator or US Representative and request a White House tour and/or a tour of the Capitol building. You also can request passes to go see the House of Reps or Senate in action. Usually you need much more lead time to get the White House pass but since this is a slower time, maybe you'll get in.

YOu shouldn't have a car, it is a terrible nuisance and unnecessary and contributes to the pollution and bad traffic. DC is a large city, cars aren't good in that situation, not for getting around the main part of it. The only purpose would be if you were going somewhere outside of DC, not in it.

The metro is relatively safe, of course, it might not be the greated really late at night in certain unusual areas, but I doubt if you'd be doing that for any reason. It depends where you plan to stay in terms of safety walking to/from it. If you stay in any normal part of central DC, it will be fine.

There isn't anything unusual about DC urban street smarts, same as any big city.

Street Smarts Rule #1: Be aware of your surroundings.

Years ago my in-laws were visiting us in Chicago. We were in the Gold Coast area for dinner. DH and I were walking in front, in-laws were walking behind us. I turned around to say something to my MIL, and saw, behind her, a man with his hand in her purse! Luckily he withdrew his (empty) hand and beat a retreat.

I have traveled to DC many times by myself and have found it to be safe and not so scary even at night. Just look at your map before you venture out and walk with a purpose. I usually stay at the Woodley Guest House but it is a bit higher than your budget. You may want to see if they are running any specials during the time of your stay. It is by the zoo and in a neighborhood so there are restaurants and small markets close by. The Metro is just a stones throw from the porch.

I am not sure if there is time but I suggest booking a tour of the Pentagon through your congressman. You usually need to submit your request 6 months in advance but it is worth a try.

Enjoy!

FYI the Reagan National airport has it's own METRO station.
You can rent a car at the airport if you want to go someplace like Monticello which is beyond the public transportation.

DC gets a bazillion tourists--that's a scientific term, meaning a number greater even than bajillion. It's very tourist-friendly, friendly in general, and you do not much in the way of street smarts to stay safe.

I suggest Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle for hotel locations. $130/night is a bit on the low side, but you're coming at a relatively unbusy time, so it should work out. Search for threads here, bardo always has really good, specific suggestions on hotels and restaurants.

There are hostels in DC if you are so inclined. Personally I like the HI hostels instead of most unafiliated hostels.
http://www.hostels.com/washington-dc/usa
The HI hostel has private rooms for less than $50.night.

I have driven in many cities and found D.C. the absolute worst, so don't rent a car. Public transportation is good and so too are taxis.

Bardo is one of the DC people and I would trust his recommendations.

I am sure Woodley Guest House is a great place, and it is right near a Metro stop, which is a plus. On the other hand, we stayed that far out from city center, but over on Wisconsin. Woodley Park was also our metro stop, and it's kind of a commute to get back to the hotel. If you have the choice, I think the ideas of Dupont Circle or Penn Quarter are better ones.

Woodley Park is a nice, safe neighborhood, but it's not quite as vibrant as Dupont or Penn Quarter. As a solo traveler I think it would be nice to be able to walk around before and after dinner in a neighborhood with a lot going on.

Thank you all for the valuable info. I scored a room for 100$ a night in Alexandria. I know it's a bit out of the city, but it's got all the right components for me. Anybody have any Metro tips for someone who's never been on one? I prefer to do everything in the daylight for my own safety reasons. Most things don't open until 10:00, how long does it take to get downtown for instance? Including waiting...

Also, any must see things from the locals other than museums and the tourist things that are published? I won't be venturing far from the metro.

You didn't say where in Alexandria so nobody can answer your "how long does it take to get downtown for instance" question.

www.wmata.com has a trip planner. That is Metro's website.
www.hopstop.com might be helpful to you also.

http://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/upload/NACCmap1.pdf is a map of DC from Georgetown to the Capitol. It still says that the National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art are closed but they are not. Those are two great museums and are open until 7 pm daily (except Christmas)(they open later than the rest though).

http://www.npg.si.edu/
http://americanart.si.edu/

You might consider seeing a show. The Kennedy Center is swell, Ford's Theater is historic, and there are many other venues. You can find a schedule on the Washington Post website. I know you said you'd prefer to go out only in daylight, but it's a really safe city...

Museums and historic sites are really DC's calling card; locals go to those, too. I'll try to think of other things to do, but it's not easy!

Lastly, the Metro system is really easy to use. Take your time when you get to a station, look at the maps, ask attendants for help, and you'll be fine. Every station in DC, practically, sees tourists, so don't worry about looking like one.

Thank you SO much! Love the trip planner for the metro and the suggestion that it's OKAY to actually look like a tourist.

Don't be surprised if you're confused by the ticketing system for the metro. I'd still be standing at the ticket machine at DCA if I hadn't found a kindly attendant to help me buy and load money onto a SmartCard.

Good point,sf, I'm a native and former residents and I found the machines vexing. I used to help tourists back in the day when I saw them struggling!

Where are you staying in Alexandria?

You can also buy your smartcard online and save the trouble of fooling around at the metro station. I was not aware that you could purchase them at CVS stores.
http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartrip/
That said, I have always found the station attendants are very helpful whenever I have had a problem.

While DC does get billions of tourists & we are certainly used to them figuring things out, be prepared if you travel metro during rush hours mid week, you will get impatient glances from people in a rush to get to work. Fares are higher then also.

On a weekend it's fun to check out Eastern market on Capital Hill - very convenient to a metro stop. http://www.easternmarket-dc.org

Are you into hockey by any chance. The Capitals will finally be playing at the Verizon Center. Their games are huge for area hockey fans.

The Botantic Gardens are nice to visit esp in the winter when it can be so dreary out. http://www.usbg.gov

My favorite museum has become the Newseum. As mentioned DC has a ton of museums and many of them free. Check out Washington Post online to see what is going on at them and other activities while you are here.

As a day trip you can take the metro or Marc(weekdays) to Baltimore and check out all there is to do up there. It's about 45 or so by train from UnionStation.

DC is a safe city as big cities go. I wouldn't be concerned to stay out after daylight. In FEb the sunsets around 5:30 pm so that will cut your sightseeing considerably & having a nice meal out.

Just to clarify, the Newseum is not one of the free museums.

Double check the location in Alexandria and exactly how far it is to the Metro. I live in (and love) Alexandria and recommend Old Town Alexandria, the charming historic district, as a great place to stay. The King Street metro stop is right there, lots of nice dining and shopping and strolling, etc. There are some hotels that market themselves as being in Old Town but they are really out by the beltway in no man's land. If you post the hotel and address, I can give you a better sense of what you can expect. They can offer good deals but aren't in walkable, charming areas and require a shuttle to the metro.

I am staying close to the King Street metro in Old Town. Thanks everybody! I'm thinking this is so doable!

Best neighborhoods to stay solo in Washington DC:
Kalorama, Dupont Circle, Woodley Park.
Best Place to stay solo: Bed and Breakfasts and Inns. The reason is because at a b&b your host/innkeeper will make sure you meet the other guests, you will normally have breakfast on a communal table making it easy to meet others. The atmosphere in a bed and breakfast is normally relaxed, friendly and in many cases a home away from home. This is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Another plus is that room rates are discounted to compete with hotels and most importantly it includes great gourmet breakfasts and wireless internet.

I'm a single woman who travels to DC all the time on MegaBus from Manhattan and I've never had a problem in DC. Hotels.com for the hotels is great, and check Travelocity for hotels around Dupont Circle and in the Kalorama area. Do NOT take a car, rent one for a weekend if you want to get out of town (which could be more time consuming than you think) but use Metro subway and buses in town. Also, there is a cheap bus that runs four different loops around town and is only $1 each ride, no transfers. I forget the name, but its something like smartbus.

Take the opportunity to see some of the non-traditional sites such as National Cathedral (360 panorama view of DC), Kreeger Museum, Newseum, Canadian Consulate art gallery, Textile Museum, Bead Museum, National Building Museum, and a host of others in and around DC. Spend at least one day in Alexandria and check out both the architecture and the gallery spaces. Jose Andres recently had a pop-up restaurant upstairs in the old building of the National Gallery that was a fabulous buffet. And try the Cafe Mitsistam in Museum of the American Indian. In fact, most of the museums have good cafes and restaurants.

Some neighborhoods are just not safe at night: Chinatown and Convention Center unless you stay on the main street. Most others are fine.

I envy you such a long stay, have fun and let us know what you did!

"I forget the name, but its something like smartbus."

Circulator

<<<I forget the name, but its something like smartbus.>>>

DC Circulator.

<<<Some neighborhoods are just not safe at night: Chinatown and Convention Center unless you stay on the main street.>>>

I don't know about the Convention Center area, but Chinatown? It's hopping at night these days. I can't imagine that it's unsafe. Locals?

Chinatown/Penn Qtr (the whole area around the Verizon Center) is definitely hopping as sf says. It's not really much of a Chinatown, but rather the epicenter of lots of activity -- lots of restaurants, shoppes, movie theater, Caps games keep the area crowded with people - tourists and locals. Problems have arisen upon occasion with groups of teenagers particularly on weekends. I have not heard of an issues in ages. I would not feel unsafe in Chinatown at all.

Not a lot goes on in the block where the convention center is. Its busy when there is an event, but other than that I'm not sure why one would go there. The area is safe.

When riding the Metro, you will likely find that the escalators in and out of the subway stations are the longest you've ever seen. If you're afraid of heights, don't look down when riding one. It can take as long as 3 minutes to ride one without walking, which brings me to an unwritten rule of the Metro: when riding the escalators, ride on the right, walk on the left, as the locals do. If you do otherwise, you will make it obvious to everyone that you are a tourist. One last thing, to quote a much overused phrase, "there's an app for that." Assuming you have a mobile device, there are DC Metro apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

"If you do otherwise, you will make it obvious to everyone that you are a tourist."

or a jackass

I wish it was only tourists who "ride on the left" --- its also infrequent metro riders

When riding the Metro, you will likely find that the escalators in and out of the subway stations are the longest you've ever seen. If you're afraid of heights, don't look down when riding one.
__________________
This is very good advise. My stop was Woodley Park which I learned was the deepest stop of the system. Be aware that most stops also have an elevator. It came in handy one day when I was not feeling too well.

Everytime I visit, I'm surprised by how long the escalators are!

<Some neighborhoods are just not safe at night: Chinatown and Convention Center unless you stay on the main street.>
This is untrue. Chinatown is a busy area at night, the blocks immediately surrounding the CC are less so, but it's a safe area. Perhaps the poster remembers when it was very different years ago, but those neighborhoods have changed a great deal. Not to mention that there is no single "main street".

I travel to DC on a semi-regular basis for work and am often by myself for dinner or part of the day - sometimes for much of the trip. I never have a car unless I have to have one for leaving DC - always on the Metro. I am out by myself after dark too and never had a problem. One of the things that I love about DC is that so much of life happens on the streets - 10 pm and there are plenty of people out.

While you're in town, LisaGay, the National Geographic will have a free photo exhibit, "National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West: Capturing 125 Years of Majesty, Spirit, and Adventure". More information here http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/exhibits/2012/10/27/american-west/

With entry to the museum, FEE $8, you can also see "Birds of Paradise: Amazing Avian Evolution" http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/exhibits/2012/11/01/birds-paradise/

I also second the Botanic Gardens, and any / all of the Smithsonian museums / zoo / galleries http://www.si.edu/Visit/Hours

Two things to be aware of while you visit:
1) The temperature is variable! Three days ago it was 60F; yesterday it was 22F. Metro stations and even underground transfers are pretty much open-air - the wind might be the worst thing if the temperature is low. Museum and public building temperatures are pretty variable, too, big rooms, high ceilings, the doors opening a lot...
2) I haven't been in a couple of years, but there were metal detectors and guards wanding you and checking bags at most museum entrances then. I don't think anything was prohibited at the museums except weapons and the queues moved pretty fast. If you get to the White House it will be very strict - no umbrellas, phones, backpacks, purses, cameras, etc.

I hope you enjoy your visit!

We went this past summer. What was confusing is that different venues had different rules.

At the Smithsonian museums, we weren't allowed to bring in food or regular drinks, but water was allowed. Water was important because we were there during a heat wave. Many people misunderstood this rule and left their water bottles at the door along with coke bottles etc. It was odd to me, these huge piles of recyclables all over the ground. Some people I did see sneak food past the guards. I think if you keep it in your pack and eat it in their cafe, they won't say anything.

Security was much more intense at government buildings--Capitol Hill, Library of Congress. There, you do have to throw away all drinks, including empty plastic water bottles. If you have a nice, empty, camelbak bottle, they 'might' let you keep it in your backpack. For my Capitol tour, I unknowingly got in line behind a person who must have taken every snack pack of jelly, butter and saltines, from her local Denny's. That guard went through each and every zippered section of her bags. It took FOREVER.

Archives they did a moderate check of bags, but said if you had a phone or camera out they would fine you $600. The guard was an imposing guy and he announced it in a loud voice. He said he didn't care if you were actually taking pictures or not. If it was out, you would be fined.

As Sumiyah mentioned, White House security is a league of its own. Also worth noting is that there's nowhere to leave stuff until you are done with your tour.

I had not checked this in days. thank you all so much! Somedays I think it's going to be great and other days I think it a bit overwhelming!

Lisa--it's not the same as hanging out on a beach, but you definitely will have fun. They key is not to get too attached to the checklist of "must-see" sites. Also, if you get museumed out, go on a boat ride of the Potomac, or do something that is totally different.

5alive's advice is right on for DC. Have a list of stuff you want to see but go with the flow and don't be afraid to change. There are always peole around to ask questions or ask for help.

It's not seeing things that's overwhelming, it's figuring out HOW to get around. I've never been on a subway or hailed a taxi or ridden many city buses for that matter. I'm trying to educate myself in a hurry how to do these things. I've realized that every time I've visited the big cities I've been driving, it's not traffic that bothers me, it's the independence and safety that comes with my wheels...go figure

lisa, there's not much you can do in advance -- you'll get a feel for it once you're "on the ground". The hardest part is buying the ticket, using the system and the ticket gates is easy. Just remember you have to put your ticket in the slot at both the beginning and end of your trip.

Take it one step at a time. Get to your hotel, then plot where you're going for dinner. The next day, plot your first destination, enjoy it, then plot the next one. If you're able and weather permits, you can always just walk, which may feel more manageable. As long as you have a map (paper, electronic, whatever works for you) and some money, you can figure it out. Yes, you can

I totally understand finding a car more secure. When a friend of mine moved to DC a few years ago, he swore he'd never take the Metro or a bus, that they couldn't be easier or safer than a car. A car was just what he was used to. Being a former Washingtonian, I tried to tell him, but he had to see for himself. He became a big fan of the Metro system within a week--really.

Lisa, On my first trip to DC I was a bit out of sorts also. Once you get there and see the Metro you will see that it is much easier than you think. the only advanced planning you can do is to get a Metro map. You can get them at the Metro website or mine was on the back of my city map. For your first trip, make sure that it is not rush hour and take your time. I always stepped to the right and let the faster moving people pass me. Afterall, I was on vacation and if I had to wait 5 minutes for the next train, oh well. The worst thing that can happen is that you get on the wrong line going the wrong way. On my last trip I did this 3 times on my way to Arlington. It is easily corrected by walking across the platform to the other side and going in the opposite direction. Just do not go up through the turnstile if you need to correct your direction. By day 2 you will wish that your city had a Metro system.

Lisa,

I see what you're saying now. I was fortunate in that my high school friends got me riding the city bus downtown, and then when I went away to college we looked to the older kids for help with our first trips into the city. But, you are not too old to start!

I checked the King Street Metro station which is where you said was near your hotel. All of the hotels ringing it are full-service hotels. So whichever one you have chosen, it should have a concierge or at least a knowledgeable staff member who can help you. Stop by there the afternoon you get in, and ask for help on which trains and buses you will be taking. They are there to help you. A tip is nice when they spend a lot of time with you.

Use the mtetro site to,help plan your trip and get better understanding of the various metro lines
http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/tripplanner/tripplanner_form_solo.cfm. It will really help you. If you need help buying your tickets speak to the stationmaster. They are usually very helpful. And if you do go during rush hours, feel happy you are in vacation and not having to rush around like the people dashing off to work. Have a great trip!

Thank you everybody!

Thanks to everybody's replies, I've figured out the Metro and am enjoying every minute of my time in D.C.! What a great trip!

Glad you are enjoying it. Metro is easy, isn't?

Hopefully you will post a trip report when you get home...