solo travel to D.C.
Jan 17th, 2013, 07:30 AM
#21
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You might consider seeing a show. The Kennedy Center is swell, Ford's Theater is historic, and there are many other venues. You can find a schedule on the Washington Post website. I know you said you'd prefer to go out only in daylight, but it's a really safe city...
Museums and historic sites are really DC's calling card; locals go to those, too. I'll try to think of other things to do, but it's not easy!
Lastly, the Metro system is really easy to use. Take your time when you get to a station, look at the maps, ask attendants for help, and you'll be fine. Every station in DC, practically, sees tourists, so don't worry about looking like one.
Museums and historic sites are really DC's calling card; locals go to those, too. I'll try to think of other things to do, but it's not easy!
Lastly, the Metro system is really easy to use. Take your time when you get to a station, look at the maps, ask attendants for help, and you'll be fine. Every station in DC, practically, sees tourists, so don't worry about looking like one.
Jan 17th, 2013, 09:24 AM
#23
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Don't be surprised if you're confused by the ticketing system for the metro. I'd still be standing at the ticket machine at DCA if I hadn't found a kindly attendant to help me buy and load money onto a SmartCard.
Jan 17th, 2013, 11:33 AM
#26
You can also buy your smartcard online and save the trouble of fooling around at the metro station. I was not aware that you could purchase them at CVS stores.
http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartrip/
That said, I have always found the station attendants are very helpful whenever I have had a problem.
While DC does get billions of tourists & we are certainly used to them figuring things out, be prepared if you travel metro during rush hours mid week, you will get impatient glances from people in a rush to get to work. Fares are higher then also.
On a weekend it's fun to check out Eastern market on Capital Hill - very convenient to a metro stop. http://www.easternmarket-dc.org
Are you into hockey by any chance. The Capitals will finally be playing at the Verizon Center. Their games are huge for area hockey fans.
The Botantic Gardens are nice to visit esp in the winter when it can be so dreary out. http://www.usbg.gov
My favorite museum has become the Newseum. As mentioned DC has a ton of museums and many of them free. Check out Washington Post online to see what is going on at them and other activities while you are here.
As a day trip you can take the metro or Marc(weekdays) to Baltimore and check out all there is to do up there. It's about 45 or so by train from UnionStation.
DC is a safe city as big cities go. I wouldn't be concerned to stay out after daylight. In FEb the sunsets around 5:30 pm so that will cut your sightseeing considerably & having a nice meal out.
http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartrip/
That said, I have always found the station attendants are very helpful whenever I have had a problem.
While DC does get billions of tourists & we are certainly used to them figuring things out, be prepared if you travel metro during rush hours mid week, you will get impatient glances from people in a rush to get to work. Fares are higher then also.
On a weekend it's fun to check out Eastern market on Capital Hill - very convenient to a metro stop. http://www.easternmarket-dc.org
Are you into hockey by any chance. The Capitals will finally be playing at the Verizon Center. Their games are huge for area hockey fans.
The Botantic Gardens are nice to visit esp in the winter when it can be so dreary out. http://www.usbg.gov
My favorite museum has become the Newseum. As mentioned DC has a ton of museums and many of them free. Check out Washington Post online to see what is going on at them and other activities while you are here.
As a day trip you can take the metro or Marc(weekdays) to Baltimore and check out all there is to do up there. It's about 45 or so by train from UnionStation.
DC is a safe city as big cities go. I wouldn't be concerned to stay out after daylight. In FEb the sunsets around 5:30 pm so that will cut your sightseeing considerably & having a nice meal out.
Jan 17th, 2013, 02:51 PM
#28
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Double check the location in Alexandria and exactly how far it is to the Metro. I live in (and love) Alexandria and recommend Old Town Alexandria, the charming historic district, as a great place to stay. The King Street metro stop is right there, lots of nice dining and shopping and strolling, etc. There are some hotels that market themselves as being in Old Town but they are really out by the beltway in no man's land. If you post the hotel and address, I can give you a better sense of what you can expect. They can offer good deals but aren't in walkable, charming areas and require a shuttle to the metro.
Jan 23rd, 2013, 07:16 AM
#30
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Best neighborhoods to stay solo in Washington DC:
Kalorama, Dupont Circle, Woodley Park.
Best Place to stay solo: Bed and Breakfasts and Inns. The reason is because at a b&b your host/innkeeper will make sure you meet the other guests, you will normally have breakfast on a communal table making it easy to meet others. The atmosphere in a bed and breakfast is normally relaxed, friendly and in many cases a home away from home. This is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Another plus is that room rates are discounted to compete with hotels and most importantly it includes great gourmet breakfasts and wireless internet.
Kalorama, Dupont Circle, Woodley Park.
Best Place to stay solo: Bed and Breakfasts and Inns. The reason is because at a b&b your host/innkeeper will make sure you meet the other guests, you will normally have breakfast on a communal table making it easy to meet others. The atmosphere in a bed and breakfast is normally relaxed, friendly and in many cases a home away from home. This is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Another plus is that room rates are discounted to compete with hotels and most importantly it includes great gourmet breakfasts and wireless internet.
Jan 23rd, 2013, 11:04 AM
#31
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I'm a single woman who travels to DC all the time on MegaBus from Manhattan and I've never had a problem in DC. Hotels.com for the hotels is great, and check Travelocity for hotels around Dupont Circle and in the Kalorama area. Do NOT take a car, rent one for a weekend if you want to get out of town (which could be more time consuming than you think) but use Metro subway and buses in town. Also, there is a cheap bus that runs four different loops around town and is only $1 each ride, no transfers. I forget the name, but its something like smartbus.
Take the opportunity to see some of the non-traditional sites such as National Cathedral (360 panorama view of DC), Kreeger Museum, Newseum, Canadian Consulate art gallery, Textile Museum, Bead Museum, National Building Museum, and a host of others in and around DC. Spend at least one day in Alexandria and check out both the architecture and the gallery spaces. Jose Andres recently had a pop-up restaurant upstairs in the old building of the National Gallery that was a fabulous buffet. And try the Cafe Mitsistam in Museum of the American Indian. In fact, most of the museums have good cafes and restaurants.
Some neighborhoods are just not safe at night: Chinatown and Convention Center unless you stay on the main street. Most others are fine.
I envy you such a long stay, have fun and let us know what you did!
Take the opportunity to see some of the non-traditional sites such as National Cathedral (360 panorama view of DC), Kreeger Museum, Newseum, Canadian Consulate art gallery, Textile Museum, Bead Museum, National Building Museum, and a host of others in and around DC. Spend at least one day in Alexandria and check out both the architecture and the gallery spaces. Jose Andres recently had a pop-up restaurant upstairs in the old building of the National Gallery that was a fabulous buffet. And try the Cafe Mitsistam in Museum of the American Indian. In fact, most of the museums have good cafes and restaurants.
Some neighborhoods are just not safe at night: Chinatown and Convention Center unless you stay on the main street. Most others are fine.
I envy you such a long stay, have fun and let us know what you did!
Jan 23rd, 2013, 11:31 AM
#34
Chinatown/Penn Qtr (the whole area around the Verizon Center) is definitely hopping as sf says. It's not really much of a Chinatown, but rather the epicenter of lots of activity -- lots of restaurants, shoppes, movie theater, Caps games keep the area crowded with people - tourists and locals. Problems have arisen upon occasion with groups of teenagers particularly on weekends. I have not heard of an issues in ages. I would not feel unsafe in Chinatown at all.
Not a lot goes on in the block where the convention center is. Its busy when there is an event, but other than that I'm not sure why one would go there. The area is safe.
Not a lot goes on in the block where the convention center is. Its busy when there is an event, but other than that I'm not sure why one would go there. The area is safe.
Jan 23rd, 2013, 12:40 PM
#35
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When riding the Metro, you will likely find that the escalators in and out of the subway stations are the longest you've ever seen. If you're afraid of heights, don't look down when riding one. It can take as long as 3 minutes to ride one without walking, which brings me to an unwritten rule of the Metro: when riding the escalators, ride on the right, walk on the left, as the locals do. If you do otherwise, you will make it obvious to everyone that you are a tourist. One last thing, to quote a much overused phrase, "there's an app for that." Assuming you have a mobile device, there are DC Metro apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Jan 23rd, 2013, 02:19 PM
#38
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When riding the Metro, you will likely find that the escalators in and out of the subway stations are the longest you've ever seen. If you're afraid of heights, don't look down when riding one.
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This is very good advise. My stop was Woodley Park which I learned was the deepest stop of the system. Be aware that most stops also have an elevator. It came in handy one day when I was not feeling too well.
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This is very good advise. My stop was Woodley Park which I learned was the deepest stop of the system. Be aware that most stops also have an elevator. It came in handy one day when I was not feeling too well.
Jan 23rd, 2013, 02:38 PM
#40
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<Some neighborhoods are just not safe at night: Chinatown and Convention Center unless you stay on the main street.>
This is untrue. Chinatown is a busy area at night, the blocks immediately surrounding the CC are less so, but it's a safe area. Perhaps the poster remembers when it was very different years ago, but those neighborhoods have changed a great deal. Not to mention that there is no single "main street".
This is untrue. Chinatown is a busy area at night, the blocks immediately surrounding the CC are less so, but it's a safe area. Perhaps the poster remembers when it was very different years ago, but those neighborhoods have changed a great deal. Not to mention that there is no single "main street".
