alisonrm

I am planning a very last minute spring break trip to DC for next week. We were planning 4 days in DC and then heading to Colonial Williamsburg and possibly Monticello. I have two daughters 12 and 9. I could use some advice on getting to Williamsburg, how long to stay, how to get to Monticello from there and then where to fly out of to Denver. In particular I'd like to know if you recommend a train from dc to Williamsburg and then renting a car to Monticello? There seems like there is so much to see and I'd love to have some advice and hear highlights of all these places. This will be my girls first time to all these places. Thank you!

Christina

Where are you flying into? I presume you'd fly out of the same place, USUALLY but not always you get the best air fare that way. Fly out of whichever airport gives you the best flights and rates, that's what I do. Obviously, BWI is a lot farther away if you are coming from Virginia, so I wouldn't choose it unless you really saved a bundle, which I doubt. I fly to/from Denver now and again and fly Southwest from BWI usually, though, but I live on the NE border of DC so any airport works for me. United would be the obvious answer as DEN is their hub, they fly out of IAD, but it's really up to you.

I wouldn't take the train to Williamsburg as you are going to need a car anyway and the train takes a lot longer than driving. I could see it for the train adventure if you don't need a car for a while in Williamsburg (although I imagine you may not have as good a choice of car rentals there). I've never been there so can't recommend timing on that. the train will cost you a bit over $100 for all of you if you buy well in advance. So that's not too bad if you really want to do it. Compare car rental costs both places, I imagine you can rent a car there and return it at IAD or wherever.

Sounds like a great trip for your girls, though.

tomfuller

Since you say you want to spend some time in DC first, flying to Reagan National makes sense unless it costs much more than BWI. BWI does have an Amtrak Station to get to Washington DC.
For the trip south of DC, try Amtrak to Richmond and then rent a car from there. Check on rental cars from Staples Mills Road (Richmond).
Reagan National has a Metro stop attached to the terminal. I once rented a car from Union Station in DC after coming in by train.

BigRuss

Williamsburg has the colonial section and Busch Gardens amusement park. Other than that, there's not much. How students at William & Mary aren't continually bored to tears is a mystery. The various Tidewater towns and cities are relatively close, though - Norfolk, Newport News, Va. Beach, Yorktown battlefield where the Revolutionary War was essentially won when Cornwallis surrendered, etc.

Monticello is close to Charlottesville, which has the University. It is also close to historic Michie Tavern and Highland, which is the estate of President Monroe (who followed Madison who followed Jefferson).

Don't take Amtrak - unreliable, slow, expensive. Get a car.

If the costs are similar, try to go into Reagan and out of Dulles or vice versa depending upon your trip. If DC-Williamsburg-Monticello, then into Reagan/out Dulles; if Monticello-W'burg-DC then do the opposite. Otherwise, just go by flight prices.

Your trip should have Billsburg in the middle. It's south on I-95 and east on I-64 from DC. Charlottesville is pretty much a straight shot from W'burg on I-64, Monticello is a little south of I-64 en route to the town.

emalloy

The drive from DC to Williamsburg is about 3 hours and the drive from Williamsburg to Monticello is a bit over an hour.

You do have a bit to think about regarding when/where to fly into and out of. If you rent a car on arrival, you will need to pay for parking in the city and if you do not return the car to the same place you took it from there will most likely be a very stiff drop off fee. There is good public transportation in DC so if you could find a hotel there that has free shuttle from say Reagan, then you could wait to rent the car for the 4 days you are there which eliminates the parking cost and the cost of the car for 4 days. Then you could do a loop with the car to Williamsburg and Monticello from whatever airport you decide to fly out of. You probably could do the same from Dulles.

I've always found that if you have a car in DC, it is a bit easier to find parking on the weekend than during week days, but mostly for me it was not that convenient to have a car there.

tomfuller

emalloy is right on about the time with the rental car. Can you fly into Richmond and rent a car for Williamsburg etc? Return the car where you rented it and then train from Richmond (either station) into Washington?
Depending on which airport has the best fare, the choices are Reagan, BWI and Dulles. If you do go out to Dulles, you might want to visit the Udvar-Hazy part of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum in Chantilly.

tenthumbs

I [prefer Udvar-Hazy to the Air and Space Museum on the Mall. It has some great exhibits, and it's much less crowded.

alisonrm

Thank you for all these posts. We were planning on flying into DC and staying downtown. I think we will rent a car from DC and drive to Williamsburg and then Monticello. At this point airfare seems to be less expensive flying round trip from Denver to DC. I will keep looking though. My husband likes to drive so the drive back to DC is doable. Thanks.

tomfuller

There are several places to rent cars in DC other than the airport and Union Station. Use the Metro until you have to rent the car for Williamsburg and Monticello. Another favorite for kids is the National Aquarium in Baltimore on the Inner Harbor.

Birdie

The train is a perfectly fine alternative to driving on I95. Taking it to the Staples Mill station in Richmond gives you more options but you can take it all the way into Williamsburg. Since your husband doesn't mind driving and there are four of you, it will probably be more economical to rent a car.

Ignore BigRuss. He tends to obsessively complain about Colonial Williamsburg. I'm not sure why he recommends Mitchie Tavern when it's the perfect example of everything he claims CW is guilty of. Overpriced tourist kitsch.

You shouldn't have any trouble getting a room in Williamsburg. Every chain is represented here. Look at Kingsmill Resort. It's great for families and there's a shuttle to Busch Gardens and CW. If you need other recommendations, let us know. Charlottesville can book up so look asap.

sf7307

Although it's out of the way, I'd also recommend Appomattox Courthouse - we really found it interesting. It would require a little more driving between Williamsburg and Charlottesville.

https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm

TDudette

I agree about going to Williamsburg from DC and then to Charlottesville area from there.

Williamsburg is so interesting imo. Have been twice for 2 nights each time--could have stayed for 3. The touristy look at colonial life was great fun. Be sure to visit the barber shop!

Monticello is also extremely interesting. That Jefferson's slaves made it and his visions possible hit me hard though. If you have time to spend the night in the Charlottesville area, the university is interesting.

I always hear "Enterprise Delivers" so could alisonrm get a rental delivered to her DC hotel???

BigRuss

I wouldn't ignore me at all. Colonial Williamsburg is extremely boring. It is dull, dull, dull, dull, dull. The kids will be interested for a half hour and then bored off their hindquarters thereafter. Mount Vernon is really a good visit and you can go there and skip Colonial Billburg entirely, plus it's the estate of the father of the country.

I don't obsess about CW ever, I just let my feelings be known just as Birdie does on Michie Tavern (which requires minimal visiting time, unlike Colonial Williamsburg, which covers a good bit of territory). Therefore, you can ignore her (as a Williamsburg area resident, she benefits from your tax dollars in the city, I have no dog in the match). Or you can take advice from both of us and re-prioritize your trip. Or you can pop by Colonial Williamsburg for a quick stop and then bounce over to Busch Gardens, which the kids and hubs would likely enjoy far more.

Driving from C'Ville to Dulles is very easy and avoids the worst of DC traffic - just go up Route 29 to I-66 east, and you will get to Dulles long before you hit the city. Be careful because Virginia likes to station its troopers up and down Route 29 (easy to catch a lot of daft UVa and other college students racing home to Fairfax County and points beyond).

sf7307

We all (including kids) very much enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg.

TDudette

I agree with Russ about the traffic but not about Williamsburg. The child in me loved visiting the Governor's Mansion, the barber (again, don't miss), the paper shop, etc. It was so easy to imagine what life was like in Colonial times. Please do a trip report and let us know how everything went.

bachslunch

Went to Williamsburg just last year, and very much enjoyed it — recommend it very highly. You can easily spend two days here, plus a day each in Yorktown and Jamestown. Haven’t been to Charlottesville, but research I’ve done suggests two days is about right.

My trip report for Williamsburg and environs:

Trip report--Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, VA

I didn’t use a car here, but it can very useful.

Depending on time and interests, you could also visit Fredericksburg or Norfolk (1-2 days is good). My trip reports:

Trip report--Fredericksburg, VA

Trip report--Norfolk, VA

5alive

Hey--we did a big trip to New York and DC a few years ago.

We drove into New York City and dropped that car, did the city without one. Then got a car the day we were to leave and drove to DC, turned that car in same day. We then got a car much later for our day trips.

Hotels close to the Mall will be more expensive for parking. The hotel we stayed in Northwest has changed ownership and is far more expensive these days. My other finalist was the Holiday Inn Rosslyn, which is just over the river and supposedly walkable to the metro station. Check current reviews, but it might be a good option for you.

Also--as to where you pick up your car in DC. We found the Union Station car rental place to be large, friendly staff but a little hard to get to. For the second car we rented, we picked it up near Dupont Circle.

My husband also enjoys driving but he really didn't care for the traffic circles in DC. You'll survive but you'll be happier if you take public transit in DC itself.

girlonthego

Hi
I would fly into DCA or IAD for DC. You can rent a car while downtown and then drive down 95 to Williamsburg, stop in Richmond and then Charlottesville and then head up 29 to go back to the DC airports. Train ride is long and the Staples Mill train station in Richmond has very little around it. Not sure where you would get a car there? Unless you taxi to a car rental and probably pay a premium. It might be worth it to rent the car right at the airport and pay for garage charges rather then the up charges on smaller off airport satellite shops and the hassle of getting the car in the city. But look into it. There may be a reasonably priced shop right near your hotel in DC.
Williamsburg is a quaint town with the historical sights to see. I would spend one day with kids that age. Busch gardens Williamsburg is open the last week of March and the first week of April every day and then on weekends. Not historical but fun for kids 12 and 9.
Richmond has lots of history and is somehow forgotten by many. It is worth a stop and taken in some of the local sights. Charlottesville's Monticello is nice and there is a tour of the house and shows how people lived back in the Jefferson days.
Driving between all of these places is necessary as transportation is limited otherwise.

charsuzan

I would encourage a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. I find something new each time I am fortunate enough to visit
.

janisj

Big Russ will likely disinherit me but I stayed six days in Williamsburg and LOVED it (and never set foot in Busch Gardens). Spent two full days and an additional evening In Colonial Williamsburg and could have spent more, visited Yorktown and Jamestown. Did Monticello and Montpelier and a couple Civil War sites including Petersburg.