I will be visiting DC (from London) with my husband and a three month old baby in late June.

We will appreciate advices on the different modes of transportation from airport to the hotel, and hotels in a convenient and safe locatiobn, on a budget of upto $150 per night ?

Thanks.

Do you want to stay downtown or are you willing to stay out in the suburbs somewhere? What do you plan on doing while in DC?

Do you want to stay downtown or are you willing to stay out in the suburbs somewhere? What do you plan on doing while in DC?

We always stay at the Hampshire Suites Hotel. We book it through 1-800-VISITDC, and we usually pay about $80 per night during the summer. It is a couple of blocks from Dupont Circle and the Metro. A cold breakfast buffet is included.

Thanks, Cheryl. Dawn, we would like to stay in the centre of town where it is convenient for us to keep returning to the hotel to feed our son, between trips to the museums. We are planning to do some sightseeing for three days.

I'm with Cheryl then,$80 a night is cheap. I'm assuming it's a pretty nice place, and that is a central area. I'd call the 1-800 number and make a reservation there.

Since we have stayed at the Hampshire Suites Hotel about 10 times, obviously we find it a very nice place for the cost. Not luxurious, but very comfortable. The staff is also very helpful. I don't know if it is as central as you would like. It sounds like you want something right on the Mall, and this would be a subway ride from the Mall. However, since it is a small suite, with refrigerator and microwave, this may be very convenient for you with a baby.

If you want something on the Mall, you may want to look into the Loews L'Enfant Plaza directly across the street off of Independence Avenue. Regarding transportation from the airport, there are several shuttle services. The Super Shuttle is very reliable and costs approximately $30 per person. No reservations are needed in advance to travel from the airport to downtown.

Ilisa, doesn't that mean that the Supershuttle for two people would be about the same price as a cab into DC? I'm thinking that two people and a baby getting off a transatlantic flight with all the attendant baby paraphernalia might want to hop (or stumble) into a Washington Flyer, but I'm sure you're much more aware of the needs of infants at the moment (congratulations, by the way!).

Thanks, Martha! I honestly don't know what a cab from Dulles to DC costs and have never used the Washington Flyer, but you are probably right. I just know that I have used the Super Shuttle several times with positive experiences; I don't like cabs and try to avoid them wherever possible, unless I need to use them for work. I also think that a cab may be kind of small with the extra baby paraphernalia (and I've found that infants certainly do have a lot!).

Thank you all for the valuable advice. One last thing, do we need to carry our three month old infant in a baby car seat / carrier when riding Washington cabs (from the airport and within the downtown area)???? Is it illegal not to use a baby car seat in a cab ?

Li, it is definitely illegal to travel with a baby, in any vehicle, who is not in a car seat. My husband is in law enforcement in DC, and assures me that the laws apply to cabs, as well as any other car. Anyway, cab drivers in DC are not the most cautious of drivers, so regardless of the law, I would recommend putting your child in a car seat.