DakotaRange

My family of 4 are planning on visiting DC the middle of May for a week's stay. My wife and I and 2 college age kids. I have found an Embassy Suites hotel (they have a breakfast fuffet included so that is a big seller) by the Dulles airport for around a $105/night, since we will be a little ways away from the Capitol is it worth renting a car to get around or can one use the trains to get around? Wondering if it is worth renting a car?

We are planning on hitting as many of the major spots as possible. We have never been there before so would also like info on what sites are must see for first timers.

Thanks.
Ken

kja

I do not recommend renting a car, as it will only be an encumbrance in DC. I also do not recommend staying so far from the city. Just my opinion.

None of us can tell you what you and your family will find most interesting, so it will really be to your advantage to get a good guidebook or two.

KTtravel

Your hotel is pretty far (25 miles per its website from Downtown DC.) Have you thought of staying in DC and saving the cost of renting a car or whatever transportation you'll need to drive back and forth? Their are two Embassy Suites hotel located in DC which are much more convenient for sightseeing. I know the one on 22nd street has the buffet (I have stayed there with my family) and would imagine the other one would, too. The buffet was OK, not great, and not what I would base my choice of hotel on.

DC has an excellent subway system which is easy to use and convenient for sight seeing. I think you would probable have to pay a fair amount to park your rental car should you plan to drive in.

Without knowing your interests, there are so many wonderful sights to see. I would check out a guidebook from the library or purchase one so you and your family can decide what interests you. You may wish to contact your Senator or Congressperson for Capitol or White House tours. The Smithsonian museums are each well worth visiting as well as the monuments and memorials, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, National Archives, Ford Museum … This list just scratches the surface.

KTtravel

Oops, should read "there are two Embassy Suites…"

tomfuller

Embassy Suites? try Crystal City/Arlington. http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/...RES/index.html
It's within walking distance of the Pentagon which has it's own Metro stop.
If you flew to Reagan National, it would be a lot more handy.

nytraveler

Sorry - you are about to make 2 mistake:

A car in DC is useless - there is no place to park it and traffic is awful

You are staying too far from the city - either stay actually in the city or in one of the VA towns that is only 10 minutes away by Metro (where you are planning on staying will mean long, boring, time-wasting commutes twice a day). This is not worth saving a few $.

dwdvagamundo

Second the advice on foregoing a rental car and spending the savings (rental and parking) on a more convenient place to stay.

RoamsAround

Third vote for giving up on the rental car and staying in the city. Getting in/out of the city is difficult, especially during rush hour(s) when you'll probably be traveling and, like others have said parking is a challenge.

You'll really inconvenience yourself staying out by the airport or even somewhere closer but still outside the city center. Don't be penny wise, pound foolish - do yourself and your family a big favor and stay in the city - you'll be glad you did.

bardo1

I agree as well.

Don't rent a car.

Get a hotel in DC - close to everything you want to see and do and close to a Metro station. You can add the savings from not renting a car (as well as the $25/day to park one in DC!)to your hotel budget and I promise you can find something that should work for your family.

This one change alone will make your vacation 10X better than if you stay 25 miles outside the city and spend most of your day stuck commuting (you DO realize that driving into DC in the mornings and back into the hinterlands in the afternoons puts you smack in the middle of some of the nations worst traffic??).

All that aside, there is tremendous value in being based in a vibrant area with great eateries, architecture, shops, cafes, theaters, cinemas, sports, etc. withing an easy walk or short Metro hop. Even if you and your wife prefer to retire to your hotel after the museums close, your college age kids shouldn't miss out on all the city has to offer in the evenings.

This is a classic case of penny wise and enjoyment foolish.

Hobbert

Another vote for staying in DC. You'll waste time and money getting to and parking in DC. Find a hotel by a metro stop and you're golden. Also consider flying to Reagan. If you're staying near Dulles during the week, traffic is hellacious and rush hour lasts 2 hours minimum during the morning and 3 at night. The metro is cheap and will outweigh any parking fees.

nytraveler

See that you are a newcomer and if your name is where you're from you may not have any idea what this traffic will be like.

Picture bumper to bumper at 10 mph - worse if there is rain, an accident or construction - at the times you will be trying to get to the city. Maybe not so bad going home - but do you want a 40 minute drive back to your hotel after dinner?

Save the $100 a day the car rental, parking an gas will cost you and put it towards a hotel in city center. And agree this will give the kids a chance for a little nightlife.

charsuzan

DakotaR, there is no train/subway from Dulles into the city. You can take a bus from the airport to an outlying Metro stop but it would not be convenient to do daily. It is doable for a single trip to get to a hotel if you wanted to save the cost of a cab. As others have pointed out, Reagan National is much closer, so compare airfare to include the increased cost of getting into the city from Dulles.

Use the rental car money and stay at a hotel either in DC or in VA near a Metro stop.

cferrb

Driving in DC is a nightmare. Don't do it!

november_moon

I think we are all in agreement

Driving in and out of DC is a major pain during commute times, as is driving around the city itself. The city plan is spoke-and-hub over-layed on a grid, so you have lots of weird intersections with streets going all different direction and then multi-lane traffic circles around the hubs. Add tons of traffic, buses and delivery trucks everywhere, and difficult parking - you can see how much "fun" driving in DC can be.

However, on foot and the Metro, DC is a fabulous city. Stay downtown or near a Metro stop and you will do very well. The Metro isn't very expensive and easy to use. Plus, in the city center, if you are at all in decent shape, you can walk to many places. I suspect that what you save on rental car charges and parking will pay for the difference in lodging between staying out at Dulles and in the city.

Connie

You will end up walking everywhere. There is always one more thing to see just a few steps or blocks away.

The bad traffic isn't just close into the city. It is bumper to bumper WAY out from the city as well.

The subway is a great way to get into the city but it takes a while--lots of stops.

tenthumbs

Traffic is awful and parking is worse. Forget the rental car and stay closer to DC proper, (or in one of the suggested outlying areas convenient to Metro). You can either walk or take Metro to all of the "major" sights, such as the Mall and the Smithsonian museums. Unless you get a huge savings by flying into Dulles, look into Reagan. If you do get a huge savings by flying into Dulles, look into hiring a driver. The money I saved flying out of Dulles on one trip paid for the hired town car.

doug_stallings

I don't want to pile it on too much, but I do agree with everyone else that this scheme is a disaster if your intention is to spend the week visiting sights within the District.

Do stay in the city, in Arlington, or in Alexandria, and don't rent a car.

With two college-age adults in tow, I think you'd really enjoy staying in the city to have access to some of the nightlife. I realize this is going to double your lodging budget, but it's a price that's well worth paying. There's a reason Dulles area hotels are so cheap.

november_moon

Good point about the college-aged kids and access to nightlife, Doug. And in addition to the nightlife, just being in DC itself will allow the family to more easily go see different things according to people's interests. It is a lot easier to split up and regroup throughout the trip if you have an easily-accessible hotel.

ElendilPickle

I don't know what airlines fly in and out of your area, but another option might be to fly into Baltimore and take the train to DC. We flew from Albuquerque to Baltimore in 2011, took the MARC train to Union Station, then transferred to a different Metro line to get to our hotel in Arlington. It didn't take very long at all.

I'll agree with everyone else here and suggest you stay in DC or in Arlington. We stayed at the Americana - www.americanahotel.com - which is close to two Metro stations. The room rate included free wi-fi and a pretty decent continental breakfast.

Lee Ann

ElendilPickle

Sorry, I should have included a link to my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...hington-dc.cfm

Lee Ann