gail

Baltimore Washington International Airport. It is often included in search engines for air if you enter "Washington, DC area". It is not, in my opinion, a good airport if final destination is DC. Some people like it because Southwest flies there.

volcanogirl

We really liked the Good Stuff Eatery and Oyamel for restaurants; both very tasty and affordable. We stayed in Old Town Alexandria and loved it - lots of good restaurants in that area as well, but would be out of the way for you unless you stayed there. If you have time, Mount Vernon is really amazing. Also really liked the Newseum.

Heavens

We are thinking about flying into DC. Which airport is better to fly into? Dulles or Reagan, and why?

Thanks.

NewbE

Reagan, because it's so close to the city and it's so easy to grab Metro from there. (See, I am not advocating avoiding Metro!)

Dulles is quite far outside the city. A schlep, in other words.

sf7307

Reagan is one of two airports in the US for which I'll take a one-stop/change of planes flight. I hate flying into Dulles, both because it's such a shlep and the cost of a taxi.

doug_stallings

Dulles is in Virginia, about 30 miles from DC. National Airport is literally across the river, 4 miles south of the city. The Metro serves National, while you have to take a series of trains and buses to get into the city from Dulles. And if you want to take a taxi, it's going to cost about a third as much from National.

obxgirl

Reagan is the obvious choice unless the cost savings are significant.

Cost of a taxi from Dulles to downtown is @ $65 before tip. UberX runs about 3/4 of that so no real savings there.

sf7307

And UberX from Reagan to Dupont Circle is about $12-14.

nelsonian

My DIL wanted to go with a travel agent for the flights for our trip to the US in Dec 16. We are flying to Hawaii, then New York, taking the train to Washington DC, flying to Orlando, then to Houston, then back to NZ.

I am upset that the travel agent booked our flight from Washington DC to Orlando leaving from Dulles. It looks like the cost of getting 4 adults, two children, and lots of luggage, will be in the $ 80 -$ 100 range, maybe more, whereas if we had left from Reagan it would be significantly less.

NewbE

It would have been faster, too. I'm sorry, nelsonian! Can you complain to the TA and try to get that cost ( of transportation to Dulles) covered?

Heavens

Thanks all. If you were me, us; where would you stay for three nights in DC? We literally want to see all museums, monuments, Whitehouse if possible, capital, and other govt buildings. We are history buffs, so I think what we want to see would be in one general area? Thanks.

gardendiva

I have been to DC 3 times since 2008 for 5 days at a time. 2 visits were during and the week and one covered a weekend. With the exception of one cab ride to Georgetown and 2 Uber rides, I used the Metro exclusively to get around. On only one trip did the train stop for approximately 5 minutes. I was late for a tour so I got off and as soon as I got to the top or the escalator the train began to move.

As a visitor, I found the Metro to be safe and dependable. Let's face it, a car accident could be just a deadly as the accident that was mentioned above.

BarbAnn

My mom is buried at Arlington NC, so I have flown out from CA several times. Reagan Airport is by far the easiest airport to/from DC. Easy metro access.

If you are looking for inexpensive, modest hotel within walking distance to most for the sights, check out the Hotel Harrington. I have stayed there. Absolutely nothing fancy (in fact a very old), but clean and in the heart of everything. Many Europeans use this hotel.

https://www.hotel-harrington.com/

I have stayed in the Arlington area a few times. It is very nice, but using the metro to get back and forth to DC proper can become pricey and time consuming. I did find the metro easy to use.

sf7307

Gardendiva, there are hundreds of hotels in DC in all price ranges. My favorite area to stay is near DuPont Circle (but that's because my kids live there). I would recommend the White House (downtown) or Penn Quarter areas to you. The latter will also be lively at night, with loads of restaurants to choose from.

nelsonian

We have booked the Best Western in Georgetown for January 2017. Other Fodorites have said this is a good area, close to two metro stations, the Circulator bus, and not far from the White House. There are other hotels in the area, which are more up-market than the Best Western but it gives free breakfast whereas the others don't.

sf7307

Nelsonian, not sure if I mentioned it previously, but on one trip we stayed next door to the BW Georgetown. - we loved the neighborhood and location although it's farther from downtown and the mall than some other neighborhoods.

nelsonian

sf, what areas are closer to downtown and the mall?

gardendiva

sf7307, I agree with you on the hotel issue. I have paid $100 per night and I have paid $250 per night. I think my comment above only pertained to the Metro.

sf7307

Sorry, garden diva, I meant to be replying to Heavens not to you. (I use the metro in DC all the time, too, and have never had a major issue).

Nelsonian, both Penn Quarter and the White House areas would be closer to most of the museums and the mall. But closer means less than a mile difference - maybe 2 or 3 stops on the metro. You're staying in a great neighborhood, no worries.

Heavens

Which area is walking distance from the mall and museums? Is Washington, D.C. A safe city to walk around in, both day and night? I think I should buy a travel book. Fodors perhaps?