Can u help me plan a trip to DC on a budget?
 

This is for next summer. My husband and I want to go and spend most of the time looking in the museums and gazing at the monuments. Maybe a few tours of the White House, the capital, and I don't know what else. I want to know mainly about hotels since that would be the biggest chunk of our money. We do like clean, safe and comfortable hotels such as Marriotts, Embassy Suites, nice Best Westerns are OK. We want to eat good food that the locals like, not fancy restaurants. I'm happy with a good gyro or Chinese place.

So, where to start planning for this four or five night adult trip on a shoe string?

I would suggest the Hotel Harington.Nice clean room, safe neighbourhood (a block from the FBI building) and within walking distance of the MALL, wHITE HOUSE ,shops and restaurants. The best way to start your trip is to take the Old Town trolley. You can get on/off all day,the driver is a perfect guide.They also do a night tour for the illuminated monuments.Paul

Washington, DC Subforums:
Priceline/Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Washington, DC,
betterbidding.com

Best deals for me usually bidding priceline

central 2 stars from $30 prefer 3-4 stars from $40

usually get awesome value check calender of wins.

Always join hotel preferred guest program for free upgrades

Yelp.com for cheap eats and you are good to go...

virtualtourist.com DC for excellent local posters.

Have fun!

A few basic questions:

1) When exactly are you coming? Prices for the exact same hotel can range from $100 to over $400 depending on the month/week/days you are coming. It makes a HUGE difference. There are certain times of the year when all the DC hotels are booked and Priceline will get you squat.

2) Define "shoestring" hotel budget with an actual dollar figure. $300/night? $200/night? $150/night?

Hummm, PL is a good suggestion, once we know our exact dates. We were thinking maybe the last week in June, or just after fourth of July. I would LOVE to go for the Fourth, but probably packed. We'd rather go when it isn't so packed.

Shoestring? Under $150 if possible. We love to be in an area where there are some little shops, coffee shops, delis nearby for our breakfasts and other needs. I don't know the general costs of hotels in DC. I hope they aren't as high as NYC. I'll research that. Dupont Circle seems to be the popular neighborhood.

If this helps any, in NYC, don't like staying in Times Square, even though that seems to be THE place to stay. We like quieter, less touristy type areas. We don't see ourselves as "tourists" but more like "travelers" who like to blend in with the locals.

We are both history buffs and are mainly going to pursue that passion. We are mid 50s if that helps any. Thanks Fodor friends.

Also, we were hoping to not need a car. Is this realistic?

I do believe that back in my Flight Attendant days, we stayed at the Shoreham Hotel. Beautiful place. I guess it is still there. So that is the only place I know of...

You definitely do NOT want a car, and you want to find a hotel near a Metro stop. If you really want to stay in DC proper, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan are great areas for wandering around at night and are close to metro stops. If you can swing it, the closest Embassy Suites in that area (Dupont) is the one on 22nd Street, NW. Right now that location is listing for about $200/night in late June (but at least breakfast is taken care of). And the Omni Shoreham is still in Kalorama, but it probably way outside of your price range.

June and July will be packed. You could get the Omni cheap on the weekends but tougher during the week. I'd look at Captiol Hill if you don't want touristy. The Capitol Hll Suites would seem to be a good choice.

DC is a great budget travel destination! There is no need for a car, and the vast majority of attractions, such as museums, monuments, the Capitol and so, are free. And there are loads of low cost and tasty food options all over the city.

I would suggest Penn Quarter and Dupont Circle as neighborhoods to stay in. $150 is tight but might be doable. DC doesn't have a Times Square equivalent, so no worries there. And boy, is it a city for history buffs! :-)

Contact your congressman's office ass soon as your dates are set to arrange for a tour of the White House, if you'd like one. You can also ask for a tour of the Capitol. Keep in mind that you can visit the Capitol on your own; you may not enter the White House except via a tour.

Note on the weather: July will be HOT and HUMID. The great thing about the Smithsonian museums is you can pop in and out of their air-conditioning at will! If you don't like crowds, skip 4th of July weekend, as the people coming down to the Mall for the concerts and fireworks also crowd the museums.

(My favorite museum that costs money is the Newseum--it's excellent. But you can skip it and save it for the next trip.)

Do you want to be in DC? We're staying at the Americana in Arlington in October. It's close to two Metro stops and the price is about $100 a night. We looked in the District, but couldn't find anything under $150 for the three of us.

Lee Ann

A few thoughts - no promises about $150 or under for late June or early July, however, though it is quite possible.

Definitely within budget - the <b>Tabard Inn</b> has the same prices 365 days a year. It's in the Dupont area:
Over $150 but under $200 and private bath:
http://www.tabardinn.com/rooms/tour/private_bath
Under $150 but shared bath:
http://www.tabardinn.com/rooms/tour/shared_bath
EXCELLENT restaurant as well.

Also in Dupont is The <b>Jury's Washington</b> - rate varies widely depending on dates:
http://www.doylecollection.com/locat...cle_hotel.aspx


Mentioned above, in the residential area of Capitol Hill but a block or two away from cafes, etc (and one block to Metro) is <b>Capitol Hill Suites</B>. My top rec if you get the price you want:
http://www.capitolhillsuites.com/

Penn Quarter is a great area but finding a cheap hotel is VERY tough.

Close to Penn Quarter is <b>Hotel Harrington</b> - VERY basic but excellent location and cheap:
http://www.hotel-harrington.com/

Other hotels near or in Penn Quarter and worth a shot (good luck!) are:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...ention-center/

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...n-dc-downtown/

http://grandwashington.hyatt.com/hya..._gplaces_wasgh

Pentagon/Arlington area? Close to a METRO stop. Best bet is to fly into Reagan National or take Amtrak into Union Station.
You don't need a rental car in the city. National airport has its own METRO stop.

The Jury's Hotel is no longer called that - it's the Dupont Circle Hotel. We stayed there last summer and it's very nice, although I'm not sure it's within the OP's budget.

Lots to plan, I see. Is there any neighborhood to be sure and NOT stay in?

The DC Circulator is a good,inexpensive bus system

http://www.dccirculator.com/

Did anyone suggest looking at www.hotwire.com for hotels? you can help decipher them at the hotwire hotel list at www. betterbidding.com through the list of amenities.

I suggest The Eldon Suites.
http://www.eldonsuites.com/boutique-...hington-DC.cfm
It is a boutique hotel that is close to the convention center and the Mt Vernon Metro Stop.
You will need to check to see if it is in your budget.
As far needing a car, we have driven to a metro stop outside the city and taken the train into the city. Then we either walk, or take a cab.

I just stayed at the Americana and enjoyed it. Its far from a luxury hotel but it was clean, safe, quiet and near a Metro Stop. 15 minutes on the Metro to get into DC. Lots of restaurants / shops nearby.

Click on my user name for my trip report for more info.

i stayed at the Hyatt Regency and it was a good hotel and near a subway and pretty close to the sites. But there didn't seem to be much in the immediate area if you needed something after 8 PM and there seemed to be a lot of clubs around over the weekend.

I have always heard great things about Dupont Circle, and I ate at some restaurants there and like the area overall. I would say to got a place like hotels.com; hotelgizmo.com or expedia.com and find what you like in that area.

oh and i also forgot to add that since you are on a budget DC is the perfect place to go...mostly all of the museums and attractions are free. you can spend days roaming the smithsonian alone...

I found that planning a trip to DC was very time consuming simply because there is soooooo much to see. Get a guide book and a piece of paper. I know this sounds a bit of an over kill, but I listed everything I wanted to see and then made a daily schedule so that I could plan it out and then I had to delete some things and save it for another trip. I am now planning my 3rd trip to DC.

When you decide on a date, check out the Woodley Park Guest House. It is a bit above your price range, however, breakfast is included and I have notice that they were offering a few discounts this summer. It is in the same neighborhood as the Omni Shoreham and you can see the Metro stop from the porch.