HI! We are planning a trip by car from Atlanta to Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, then on to DC. I'm trying to figure out the logistics and itenerary. We are leaving on a Saturday and thinking we should plan to arrive in DC on Wed. That would give us Through Saturday in DC. I'm looking for hotel suggestions; we are traveling with 2 kids (8/10). Also, any site that we don't want to miss. It seems that the hotels in downtown DC have a hefty parking fee. Should we stay outside DC and take the train? This is the first adventure type vacation. Does anyone suggest we find our lodging as we go? Thanks for any suggestions.

I would book the hotels in DC and Williamsburg before you go. DC mid week prices are usually higher because of all the business travelers. I would book that immediately. My husband goes up there often for business and sometimes the hotels (at least the moderately priced ones) are sold out. There will be a high parking fee, but if I was going to sightsee in Washington, I would stay there.
Williamsburg will also have lots of visitors so booking early will be better.
Not sure what your requirements for a hotel and budget are.
How far of a drive is Atlanta to Williamsburg? I am sure you can just stop along the way and get a motel/hotel for a night. I doubt you would have to book that in advance.
Hope topping your thread will bring more answers for you!

When we go to DC for a couple of nights with our two boys, we like to stay at the George Washington University Inn; see http://www.gwuinn.com. They have very roomy 1 BR suites where the boys get a sleeper sofa, we get a separate BR, and there's a mini kitchen arrangement where we can stash cold drinks and breakfast things.

It's in a nice neighborhood, and it's just down the block from the GWU metro station. You can take the metro from that stop to the Smithsonian museums, the monuments on the mall, etc. If you don't mind pulling for a losing team, you could even ride all the way to a Nationals game at RFK Stadium.

We have family in Mississippi and now live in Charlottesville, VA, so we've made that drive from Atlanta up this way many times. Jamestown and Williamsburg are remarkable, and we love DC. (For short trips, at least.)

If you havent done the Blue ridge highway and the skyline I would drive toWashington that way.It's beautiful.From Washington it's easy to drive to Williamsburg.For Hotels we stayed in Hotel Harrington it's very well situated only two blocks from the mall and the W.House in a safe neighbourhood. Dont know anything about parking but you can check the hotel's website.In Williamsburg you can reserve a combination ticket: hotel and the Triangle ticket for entrance and transport by shuttle bus in Williamsburg,Yorktown and Jamestown.We stayed at the Governor's inn.Great and close to everything.Paul

The Harrington is a good basic hotel but it is old and shabby at the edges. Many people love it due to the price. Those looking for a pool and deluxe amenities will not find it at The Harrington. However, if all you want is a place to crash at night, it is just fine. Remember, you will walk your feet off in DC. You will probably not spend much time at your hotel.

In the past, I have stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in the city. It was nice. It does have valet parking only. It was expensive parking. This was a few years ago. The location was convenient and safe. If you can book far enough ahead, the prices are usually good.

We also stayed at the Hotel Harrington. Great location. You can request a coffee pot and refrigerator. We ate cereal and sweet rolls in our room for breakfast and saved a fortune.

Hotel parking is quite expensive in DC, so you might consider accomodations in the suburbs. Good choices would be hotels in Arlington near the Rosslyn metro stop or in Arlington near the Ballston metro stop. Another good choice would be in Alexandria near the King Street metro stop. Arlington and Alexandria are just outside of DC, so any subway rides you take would be short.