Obama Inauguration Trip?
 

Anyone know of a bus tour to Washington in Mid-January from Detroit to the Inauguration?

Why a bus tour? There are super airfares right now especially for mid January. Is there a reason you want a tour to do this -- or are you thinking something that includes seating and maybe a ticket to one of the balls?

I heard this morning, the hotel price is sky high, and they request a 4-night minimum. That is only for rooms not sold out already.

Hi Canuckgal-- I don't know the exact answer to your question but I'm sure that this question or similar ones are in the minds of many. Destination DC has some good info:
http://www.washington.org/visiting/e...on/information

Thanks..NeoPatrick-we figure the bus tour companies might have a "package" deal for 3-4 days. We don't want to drive (unpredictable weather) and as Faina says, the hotel rooms are almost booked solid or are sky high expensive. Thought tour companies might have rooms put aside and may be more affordable? Having never been to D.C. (we're Canadians), just figured a tour would make our lives a little easier!

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35164693

BWI is now sold out but there are rooms in downtown Baltimore and also Philly, although the train trip is longer.

This is completely off the subject but I must say it anyway. I am so touched that people from different parts of the world are pleased with our new president. I wonder if more people will make the trip from other countries for this historical moment. Welcome Canuckgal.

Just a note of caution about any tour operator that says they have tickets to the swearing-in ceremony. The tickets are only given out through members of Congress. If they do have tickets that they are selling, they would be second-hand or counterfeit. I would hate that people take a chance and purchase tickets and be disappointed when they get there.

Here is the link to the Joint Congressional Committee for the Inauguration: http://inaugural.senate.gov/

On a personal note, I went to a presidential inauguration years ago and it was an amazing experience. I'm going to try to go again this year. Fingers crossed.

Hi,

My mom and I reserved a bus trip on obamainauguration2009.com. IF you don't mind making a round trip WITHOUT a hotel stay. This group is organizing buses from many different cities (not sure if Detroit is among them) at an affordable price. It will be an exhausting but exhilarating journey! The bus leaves in the evening, drive overnight to DC, stay for the inauguration in public viewing areas then come back.

I looked at two ticket sites and at over $1000 for seating (and as someone said they might even be fakes!), I guess we'll stand with the masses, huddle to stay warm and witness history!

If we stay far outside DC in McGaheysville ,drive in to DC, where do we get a train/bus etc.? without tickets are you able to hear what's going on, if seeing anything is restricted? Thanks!

The tickets are for places very near where the inauguration actually takes place at the Capitol Building. There will no doubt be people covering the entire Mall, and that will be free and open to anyone. They should have those big outdoor video screens around with a sound system, so you can watch and hear it from afar, they do that for a lot of festivities or events, like marches. I am assuming there will be a lot of free activities on the Mall, also, but don't really know. It was one long weekend party on the Mall for the first Clinton inauguration, with a lot of good entertainment -- all free (I heard Bob Weir and Robert Cray, for example, and got pretty good seats for that). I really don't know about planned events, though, maybe there won't be anything like that, but I know you'd be able to be on the Mall and watch the swearing in on the overhead big screens, if you get there in time. I'm sure it will be packed all the way to the Lindon Memorial.

As for McGaheysville which is way far away, I really don't know what the best thing to do would be. One obvious option would be to drive near an endpoint of the metro and park there and take the metro in (eg, Vienna). I'm not familiar with the train system in Virginia and how that will be working or the closest point that might work, as I live in Maryland. I know they have a commuter train from points in Virginia called VRE, but I don't know its schedule or stations. You can check out www.vre.org and see what you find. It stops in Manassas, so maybe that would be an option.

I would think one might be able to get a hotel room still in some large chain hotel far outside the city on the metro line. I know the ones right in DC are very expensive and may be booked already. I'd start trying at a convenient location (eg, Silver Spring) and then keep going out.

thanks for all the great info!

to traveler100 - I just booked my ticket on that bus tour - from Miami to DC - thanks for the info. After much time checking planes, trains, tours, hotels - it seems the most budget conscious way to be there for this historic event! Where are you coming from?

where can I find a good map online that shows a layout of area where main activities? capital area?
thanks!

The man who is responsible for the tickets for this event was interviewed last night and on the news. The tickets are actually free and are given to members of Congress and their staffs, and others. They are not handed out until the week before the inauguration, so anyone who is saying now that they have tickets is lying. Similarly, if you buy tickets now on the internet, you may not actually get one as none of the people/outfits selling them have any tickets yet and they have no idea how many they will get. If you do it may be counterfeit. Buyer beware!

It is also unethical for Members of Congress or their staffs to sell these tickets.

Here's the map.

I was going to drive in to the burbs and commute in, but I'm guessing if we get to the route around 7 or 8am, the good spots will be gone.

Map:

http://dc.about.com/library/maps/blmapinauguration.htm

thanks alot , nstevey!

I have tried to look at metro maps , etc. but not sure is that subway only - bus? subway , train?

I am looking for suggestions on what transportation to take ,coming in on I66. Where to drop off car and get into Capital area- train? subway? and where are stations in Capital area? Thanks!

I am not sure what you are asking BWG, but the Ms on the map Nstevey linked are the Metrorail stations.

I doubt there is one Metro bus map because there are two many bus lines. Some bus timetables will show more than one bus but not all or many of them one one page. You can use the trip planner on www.wmata.com to figure out what to use on Metro.

The train (from city to city) station in DC is Union Station, which also has a metro station underneath.
the

"coming in on I66."

You are coming from the west? Then look at a metrorail map, find the metrorail station furthest and look at the parking options. Good luck.