How long would it take to drive from Silver Spring, MD to Dupont circle metro station in DC? On a Sunday, early evening? How safe is the Metro ride?

The Metro ride is safe.

Driving between the two on a Sunday evening isn't the issue..it will be finding a parking place near the Dupont Metro that will take time, especially on a Sunday evening when everyone is back home.

How long? Would take me about 20 minutes or so from downtown SS. But SS covers a wide geographic area, so it depends on where you are starting. When I need to go to Dupont Circle, I always take the Metro because of parking.

http://tinyurl.com/2wcd25

Sorry...I totally misread the post. Ignore me! Most people do...LOL!

I thought you might be fooling with me, Polly! So a friend was going to pick us up at the Embassy Suites in central DC and take us to his home in Silver Spring 20902 but now he's suggesting we take the Metro. Online it appears it's a 22 min ride (not to mention the walk to Dupont Circle). But for him to pick us up (around 6 PM) would also only take 20 minutes drive? I will be lugging a heavy pro video camera.

In a perfect world, the drive should take 20 minutes (plus a few minutes to find parking). But with rain, traffic, or a "cautious" driver, it can take up to 45 minutes.

The Metro might be your best bet. It's not like the NYC subway, where you'd barely be able to squeeze on with big equipment. The station is safe and amazingly clean, and the trains are comfortable and pretty quiet on weekends. Might not be a bad plan.

Zip 20902 isn't that far from me -- it runs from an area north of DT Silver Spring to Wheaton. The Forest Glen Metro might be the best bet.

There's no need for trepidation over Metro. It's clean and convenient and on Sunday night, you'll almost certainly be able to grab an aisle seat for you and put your gear on the inside.

20 minutes. maybe 30, tops.

repete, I'd need the closest metro stop within walking distance of the Embassy suites, 1250 22nd Street Northwest. I'm still a little surprised that it takes as long to take the Metro as to do the drive.

BTW, does anyone have favorite restaurants near the hotel or in that area?

Closest Metro stop is Dupont Circle.

Dupont is the closest. The reason it takes longer is that the Red Line is a U and Dupont is on one "leg" with SS on the other. It loops back through downtown and over to Union Station before heading north again. The Red Line was the system's first and that might have influenced the route.

http://www.stationmasters.com is a good reference.

You're in a great area for food. What do you like? Pesce is very good and very close to your hotel.

We like about everything, from great food to unique local favorites, esp love fish. (good explanation of the Metro) So walking around this area at night is also not a problem then?

Wanted to thank everyone for their help. You were all right, the metro ride was easy and safe. DC seemed very clean to us. We ate at a fabulous restaurant, you will all know it, not far from Chinatown, where everything is tapas but more like Mediterrean tapas. Very different and memorable, the best grape leaf wraps I've ever had.

20 Minutes. Take 15th Street north. Right onto Harvard east. Left onto Georgia Avenue north.

The Metro itself is very safe. In some of the PG county parking Metro lots, cars have been vandalized and stolen.

Jaleo! Glad you enjoyed it!

Could the restaurant they enjoyed be the middle-eastern flavored Zaytinya, not Jaleo (which is real tapas, not tapas-like)?

I don't think of Zaytinya as being near Chinatown, but maybe...it's not that far, I guess.

"I don't think of Zaytinya as being near Chinatown,"

It's two block from the Chinatown gates. It's arguably closer than Jaleo.

Wait a minute--is there another one nearer Dupont Circle? If not, I am more confused than even I thought I was.