Rookies to DC
 

If my family stays in Landover, is that close enough to travel affordably to DC without renting a car? Also, how safe is DC for us tourists, especially if we have kids?

Landover is a bad area - don't stay there! It's crime ridden, lacks amenities and is not convenient.

When are you coming to DC and what is your hotel budget?

Anyplace in DC that a tourist is interested in is perfectly safe. There ARE areas to be avoided - these are ususally the areas with the cheapest hotels.

NOT GOOD areas include Lanndover MD, New York Ave NE, Bladensburg Rd NE as well as some others. If you stay in central DC close to the tourist sights, you'll be perfectly safe and won't need a car at all.

Again, give us your exact dates and your hotel budget and this board will help.

We booked a two-room suite at the Courtyard by Marriott in New Carrollton, MD. We can cancel it, if necessary. (The hotel's actual location is described as New Carrollton/Landover.) We will be arriving during the last week of June on AMTRAK, but I couldn't find an affordable hotel room right in DC. To complicate matters worse, there are 3 adults and 3 children in our party, so we will need two rooms or a suite to accomodate us all. That's why we opted for the Courtyard suite in MD @ $179 per night. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks ...

You can take a cab from the hotels on the New Carrollton of the subway station. They are about a mile away close by some pretty slummy apartments. However, I believe the Courtyard may be in the business park conglomeration on the Landover side of the New Carrollton Metro. I used to work in one of the business parks across the street from the Courtyard twenty years ago. A walk in the daytime was safe then. As for today, there are so many cars in the summer daytime in June that I can't imagine criminals marking your family on a daytime walk to the New Carrollton station. However, if it makes you feel safer, you might just want to take a cab back and forth. It's only a ride of a quarter mile. I can't imagine the cost being very much.

As for eating, there are no good restaurants within walking distance. Three or four miles east in Lanham there is Jerry's Seafood, the best restaurant in Prince George's County. I would only recommend taking a cab to Jerry's. You may prefer to eat downtown but that would mean it would be late by the time you got back to the New Carrollton station.

i would think you could get a hotel suite right in DC for under $200 a night using something like Priceline or Hotwire. You want to stay in either a NW or SW part of the city. Generally, the areas further to the west side of town are quite safe and family friendly. In my opinion, Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, and Georgetown would be the most interesting and safest areas to stay - however, you will need to take the Metro to get to the Mall area from these neighborhoods. DC is amazingly safe in some areas, pretty sketchy in others.

Wow you're right. DC is booked solid that week.

The Courtyard by Marriott in New Carrollton, MD is not that bad an area - there are much worse. It is, in fact right by the New Carroltoin Metro stop - not Landover (thank goodness).

It is in the middle of a suburban business/office park so there is nothging in the the area of your hotel of interest. Certainly nothing worth walking to and pretty empty on weekends and after 5pm.

I would keep your reservation for now.

Plan on spending most of your time in DC (including lunch and dinners and possibly some evenings) and then Metro back to New Carrolton when you are ready to stay in the hotel for the night. Not ideal and not as good as staying in DC but not the worst thing in the world. Make the best of it (and keep looking for an affordable, well located DC hotel). New Carrolton is the last stop on the Orange Line of the Metro system and is about a 30-40 subway ride into downtown DC.

Priceline and Hotwire are good ideas. Make sure you get TWO rooms however.

A spot-check of one night in late June shows the Embassy Suites in Alexandria available for $218. Not only would you save time and money that otherwise would be spent on taxis and commuting (they are right across the street form the Metro), but they have a huge free breakfast.

How pricey is the Rosslyn area? I haven't checked what's there, but it is convenient to Metro. Also, what about Bethesda?

Have you checked the Red Roof Inn in Chinatown?

I recall a thread about Landover some time back .. altho I think the hotel was a Doubletree Suites, not CY by Marriott. The writer reported back that with the free shuttle service back & forth to the Metro that all was well. Just that you won't be strolling the neighborhod near your hotel.

Rosslyn is a pretty good area (there's a "Marriott" there ... maybe a Courtyard), and the next few stops along the Orange Line have a number of hotels nearby. The DC (Chinatown) Red Roof is a good option, but probably booked.

Further away from DC, but better location than Landover (imo) is a Holiday Inn Eisenhower Ave, next door to the Eisenhower Metro Stop (Yellow) in Alexandria. Two different Comfort Inns have shuttle service to the Van Dorn (Blue Line) Metro station.

Probably no further than the Landover trip are a number of hotels In Springfield with free shuttle to Franconia/Springfield (Blue) Metro, and the large Springfield Mall nearby.

I assume you are coming from north of DC? See if your train stops at BWI, and if so, can you get a good deal on a car, and look at hotels up near Laurel and Greenbelt. Drive (15 min from Laurel) to the Greenbelt Metro station (safe & lots of parking) and take Metro (green line) from there.

All the places in DC that tourists would want to go are generally safe. Have a great vacation and don't worry too much about your present reservations. I'd prefer that over no visit at all!

Thanks for all your help and suggestions. We have decided not to stay at the New Carrollton Courtyard and have opted for the Alexandria Embassy Suites. The suite rate is not that much more and, like someone else said, the Metro/Amtrak station is right across the street. This should be very convenient and more affordable when we go into D.C.

I've stayed there; it's a nice hotel and a great location. You'll find evening walks down King Street very pleasent. Enjoy.

If you are new to D.C. I'd suggest staying very close to the city either right in D.C. or just over the river in VA (like Rosslyn, Arlington). Lived in the area some time ago and was never crazy about the MD suburbs even for commuting for a job.

fitz, you have made a wise decision.

Jsut to reinforce your decision: At the Embassy Suites, you're on the edge of Old Town Alexandria, which is a tourist destination in itself. There are some great restaurants and it's a great place to walk around. See www.funside.com. Have fun!

Another endorsement - your new location is much better. You have easy metro access, good evening walking on King Street and lots of restaurants of various styles and prices in Alexandria.

You're also close enough to DC to come and go easily but just far enough away to feel like you're in a different time and place.

I appreciate all your endorsements of the Alexandria selection! We're really looking forward to our "last" family vacation. (My oldest son is off to college next year, so it looks like this may be it for the whole family vacation thing.)