debbiedana

We're finally taking the DC trip we started planning a couple years ago. We're going 1/13 - 1/16.

I'm planning on taking the Tourmobile through Arlington Cemetery Sunday morning, and I'm hoping someone might be able to tell me a little more about it. When it stops at the three scheduled stops, approximately how long until another bus comes? And about how long will it take to make the loop around the entire cemetery?

I completely understand that I couldn't possibly give the Cemetery the time it deserves on this trip, and I'm not going to pretend that I can. However, I feel that the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Lee home are totally necessary stops for us.

Thanks for your help.

CAPH52

I'm answering this mainly as a way of bumping it back to the top for you. I'm hoping that you'll hear from someone who's taken the Tourmobile much more recently than I have. We lived in DC from '79 to '83 and I took the Tourmobile through Arlington several times during those years. I can't answer your specific questions as it's been too long. But I can tell you that it's a very good way to see the cemetery.

pollyvw

Ok, I'm a little vague on this too. As well as I remember, the first stop is at the Tomb of the Unknown and the guards change every 1/2 hour...so you will have a potential wait there. Next stop is the Custis-Lee Mansion. Should you get impatient waiting for a bus to leave there, you can walk downhill to the Kennedy graves. Then you could easily walk back to the visitor's center. downhill also and not very long.

I know this doesn't answer your question directly, but wait does not seem (to me) to be a big deal.

MichelleY

Dear debbiedana:

We were in DC 2 years ago in March. We took the metro out to Arlington(very handy). Once you are inside the entrance building you have a choice of walking to the sites or using the tourmobile. The Tourmobile is the exclusive touring vehicle for INSIDE Arlington. The first stop is the Kennedy graves, then the Tomb of the Unknown, and finally Arlington House. I think all stops are a must. You can spend as much time as you like at each. And the tram comes by about every 10-15 minutes.

My daughter(11 at the time) was facinated with the changing of the guard. She thought the Lee house was a yawn, but I thought is was terrific - interesting history and a prime view of DC.

A few days later, we used the Tourmobile for touring the monuments and were very disappointed. They were on a winter schedule, so there were less trams, they ran way late, and the staff didn't seem to care. We ended up walking from the Jefferson Mem, to the FDR, to the Korean/Lincoln/VietNam mems. Then we waited 45 minutes at the Lincoln Mem. before getting a tram to...Arlington!!! We then sat there, and sat there, and sat there. We were told they could take us to the WWII mem. but that was it, they would shut down at 5. They were now on a break and it would be another 15 min. before we took off. Several of us got off and headed to the Metro. We were back at our hotel before 5.

Tourmobile was great in Arlington, but lacking elsewhere.

Good luck,

MY

debbiedana

Great information! Thanks a bunch. It seems like I should be able to see what we want to see in under 2 hrs. using the Tourmobile.

What a bummer I have so little time to spend there. I guess that can be added to the list of reasons to go back again!

janisj

I was at Arlington about 2.5 years ago - and decided to walk instead of ride - something about wanting to absorb things at my own pace and not being stuck on a tram w/ a bunch of others. I walked to all the tourmobile stops and a lot more in a little over 2 hours. I had a wonderful visit - but the last leg back to the visitors center was a bit of a slog.

Ashley24

We just used the Tourmobile on New Year's Day in the Cemetery. It took about an hour but I would have liked to stay longer. However it was raining and the Arlington House was closed. The previous poster was correct when saying that other trams come by every 15-20 minutes and the operators give some interesting info along the way. However, when I posed a question about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, they stumbled on the answer and later I found it to be incorrect. They definitely have a script of info that they follow.

ccrosner

You've gotten great information and I can concur with MichelleY's info as we were there on December 28.

A few additional things. They stop for 8 minutes at the Kennedy graves (JUST enough time to do it) or you wait for the next Tourmobile (which do come often).

In winter time, the Tomb Guards change on the hour only. I would recommend standing at the end toward where the new guard enters (on the of the stairs if you are facing the Tomb). You will see much more of the action that way. My dad served as a Tomb Guard in 1955 (there have only been 500 guards in the years of the Tomb's existence so we are quite proud of this fact). He took our whole family to Washington to see it. Fortunately for us, the Tomb Guards let us in to the barracks under the amphitheatre to answer our questions, show us their digs, and to hear my dad tell of his time. There was a new sergeant there who could not have been more kind to us--we hope when he's 75 the Tomb Guard of the time will be as kind to him! Gave us 45 minutes of his time!!!

Also, we did not do Arlington House (too tired) but the tour guides did mention that it is undergoing renovation and that most of the furniture is now in storage.

Enjoy! Washington is great!

We

debbiedana

Thank you all for the excellent information. I'm really looking forward to my all-too-brief visit there.

jewelhawg

You might enjoy the Monuments by Night trolly. They are so beautiful at night.

FauxSteMarie

The people who drive the tourmobiles and talk while they drive are not guides with a lot of information. They have memorized a script.

Guides in the Washington, DC, are licensed and the exam is very difficult. I took it last year and passed. It was a lot of work and I did take a class before the exam. In my opinion no one can pass it without an intensive class; we were schlepped all over to view the monuments, etc., from a guiding perspective.

My point here is that if you want someone with a lot of information to take you around contact the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington D.C. and they will provide you with a licensed guide. Yes, of course, you will pay for it, but please don't confuse licensed guides with people who have just memorized a script.

By the way, in this licensed guide's opinion, the guides at The Capitol are very uneven. When I took a tour there recently, the guide was appalling. It is another case where people have memorized a script and, ask a question, off the script and they don't know. They should be doing a lot better training at the US Capitol.

Please note that during March-June and again in Sept-Oct, licensed guides who do a lot of guiding are very busy with tour groups.

JJ5

I'm going the last week in Feb. and this has been helpful. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure that we will walk Arlington, unless the weather is super nasty. We would want to be at VietNam and several other spots longer than that period of time.

FauxSteMarie

It is not clear from your post, but, in case you don't know, the Vietnam wall and Korea memorial are near the Lincoln Memorial and not in Arlington.

Similarly, the WW II Memorial is on The Mall and not in Arlington.

offlady

You will also be able to see the Challenger Memorial which is at one of the major stops--I can't remember which one, but if my memory is right, it was right by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Check the guide map--it lists all of the attractions inside the cemetary.

FauxSteMarie

The Challenger Memorial is opposite the Tomb of the Unknowns.

JJ5

Thanks FauxSteMarie and offlady, I did know that the others were by the Lincoln Mem. and just posted that wrong. It's the Unknown Soldier and several others he wants to photograph and spend some time. But I did NOT know about the Challenger Memorial and we will go to that one too, definitely.

Thanks, and would you do Arlington on any specific day of the week? I could do it on a weekend or a weekday for this trip. The best weather day will probably be Mt. Vernon, but we could do some switching?

pollyvw

The thing about doing this via Tourmobile is that they do give you a TOUR of the cemetary with commentary. You will learn much on the first leg of the trip. For that reason alone, I would opt for Tourmobile even if I end up walking back to the parking lot.

JJ5

Yes, that is a strong point and twice is nice.

FauxSteMarie

I don't think one day is better than another at Arlington insofar as crowds are concerned. As with any DC site, there are more crowds on the weekend.

And, yes, sunny days are better for outdoor sites, but we cannot always have that, can we?