Four days in DC
 

Hi everyone,

We'd like to take a trip down to DC from April 16-19. We've both been there before but not for awhile. I'd love to see all the sights (monuments, Capitol, and is the White House still allowing tours??) . Our budget is between $150-$200 per night for hotel and we'd like to be fairly close to the things mentioned above - unless the hotels are cheaper/more interesting in other neighborhoods (I've been hearing about DuPont circle?) we went to Richmond and stayed in a row house so we like those kinds of atmospheres. We will be driving from nj so we will have a car but how it the parking and would we be better off taking the metro? We are also open to suggestions on bars/restaurant/things to do.

Have you done any checking to see if you hotel budget is possible? Hotels generally charge from $25 - $40/night for parking. I think Union Station is $22/24 hours. Obviously you won't be driving from site to site (which you know since you've been here).

White House tours have to be arranged through a member of Congress months in advance. So it is likely too late for that. But you can still walk around the perimeter and take photos.

I'm not sure of the dates of the Cherry Blossom - if you're there then hotel rates will be sky high. I would check on that first.

And a car is useless downtown - I would find a central hotel that has parking as cheap as possible. Dupont Circle is very central and near a ton of restaurants.

Parking your car and taking the Metro and even the occasional taxi or bus is best when you're sight-seeing in the District itself, though may want to drive if you are going out to the Udvar-Hazy museum or Mount Vernon (I like the boat ride to Mount Vernon myself and will be doing that again when I go in a few weeks). Parking, however, is expensive and has to be part of your budget (count on at least $30 to $45 per night if you stay in a District hotel, less or perhaps nothing in Arlington or Alexandria or one of other suburbs).

Your hotel budget may work, but it will be close. This is just after cherry blossom season, so prices sometimes drop a bit, but it's still high season in DC. I just got a room at one of the Embassy Suites for $199 (not including tax) for the first week in April, and that was pretty much the cheapest room I could find; most other hotels were in the mid-200s or even 300s, much higher than what they go for in the off-season, when I usually visit.

But prices in DC can also go down on the weekend and quite a bit more if you are willing to stay in Arlington or Alexandria or one of the other farther-out suburbs, but I just don't recommend that (the farther-out suburbs, I mean ... Arlington and Alexandria are just fine).

The Metro is crowded and meant for commuters, not tourists, so the timing of trains isn't optimal. If you do decide to stay in a far-out suburb to save more money, just be sure you are within easy walking distance of a Metro stop. You don't want to have to drive into DC, rely on a bus or hotel-to-metro shuttle, or walk a long way in the suburbs.

I think a lot of people make that mistake in thinking DC is not a real city since a lot of people drive there. It is, and it's best enjoyed without a car.

We were tourists and used the metro quite a bit this past January-had an amazing 3.5 days! Stayed in Chinatown area just E of the White House near a Metro stop (easily accessed from Reagan Airport also). Our friends stayed in DuPont Circle and really liked that area as well (also near a Metro stop).

I know parking is expensive and we did not have a car and did not need it to visit: downtown, monuments (day and night), Dupont Circle, Arl Cemetery, Georgetown, and Foggy Bottom. Someone may know where you can affordably park and ride to drop it and take the metro in so you dont' get stuck with it in the city.

Bring great walking shoes! We walk a lot and still got tired, so much to see and do-have a blast!

Doug_Stallings has (of course) given you excellent advice -- see what you can find in Arlington or Alexandria that (a) has parking and (b) is close to the metro. Once you factor in the cost of parking, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a good place to stay in DC itself.

Here's some central DC apartments that work with your budget:

www.conventioncenterapartment.com $155/night plus $15/day for parking

http://www.vrbo.com/269562ha $180/night plus about $20 day to park in a garage a few blocks away (or ask owner for parking ideas)

I disagree. I think you can find a good place to stay in DC with a little effort.

If your dates are set and you're willing to prepay for a discount, look at three of the hotels in the Modus group of properties: Carlyle Suites (Dupont Circle), One Washington Circle (Foggy Bottom) and the George Washington University Inn (Foggy Bottom). All are in interesting neighborhoods with very close access to Metro Stations and the latter two putting Georgetown in a walkable distance. Also take a look at the Tabard Inn on N Street near Dupont Circle, a vintage town home. All will likely be at the top of your budget but it's worth staying within the city if possible rather than shlepping even a short distance. DC is such a walkable city and hopefully the weather will make nighttime a good opportunity to do a visit to some of the monuments or a walk by of the White House.

Have you considered taking Amtrak and ditching the car altogether? If driving is your preferred choice, inexpensive overnight parking can be found at the aforementioned Union Station or at Reagan National Airport which has covered parking ($22/24 hours) or economy lot ($14/24 hours) Both the train station and airport have metro stations for easy access into the city.

<i>I think a lot of people make that mistake in thinking DC is not a real city since a lot of people drive there. It is, and it's best enjoyed without a car.</i>

I don't think I've ever heard this before. Curious. I do agree that a car is not only unnecessary but a pricey burden.

Have you considered taking the bus? I like Bolt Bus and get round trip fares from DC to NYC for about $50.

The Americana Hotel in Arlington is $107/night (1 King) for the time you want to be there and has free parking. It is close to a Metro stop. Although I've not personally stayed there, it's often recommended here, a friend stayed there and loved it, and it has favorable reviews on trip advisor.

www.americanahotel.com

Totally agree w/ obxgirl. To me, anyway, a top consideration when ON VACATION is how charming, interesting, and happening is the area/neighborhood within four blocks of a possible hotel. Most DC pass this simple test. Hardly any in Arlington VA do. And then there is the walkability to sites and diversions. Again, DC passes the second test, while none in VA do. It's a clear case of penny wise and fun foolish.