we are flying in to washington dc on Sunday and watching our daughter perform at Kennedy center on Monday late evening. We only have about 1 day to see the sights.
we will probably fly into baltimore. We fly out on Tuesday morning.
Where to stay? What to see? What to do? How to get there?

I know it is a lot but I am hoping someone very familiar with the area can point us in the right direction.


thanks
Jen

I think the best you can do if you want an overview is to use one of the on-off tour companies. I think the Old Town Trolley covers the most territory.

Given your very short visit and the assumption that you'll be staying in or near DC, I'd seriously look into flying into Reagan National rather than BWI. I know BWI offers lower fare options but you may find some of that eroded depending on how you travel into DC. There are public transportation options which may or may not be convenient depending on where you stay. There is a shuttle ($35ish each way I think) or taxis (more obviously). Searching the forum on "BWI to DC" or some such will yield a lot of very clear information about the options.
Also flying out of BWI on Tuesday morning will very likely put you in rush hour traffic. Factor that into the time you need to appear on time for your flight. Depending on your departure time, it could have you leaving your hotel at the crack of dawn. National airport is a short metro ride or relatively inexpensive cab fare into the city.

Hotel? A little input would help. Do you want to stay near the Kennedy Center? Do you have a budget in mind? Spring is a popular time to visit and the hotel rates may be pricey.

Finally, I agree with the poster who suggested some sort of organized tour if your intent is to see the maximum possible. Otherwise pick one or two places and focus on them. Do you have specific interests? Spending the day on the national mall with access to multiple Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art buildings plus views of the Capitol & Washington monument would give you lots of things to see (more than you can) in a day.

I agree -- try to fly into DCA. BWI is a major hassle. If u must fly into BWI u can take an Amtrak train or marc train from BWI to Union Station and return Union Station to BWI-takes about 40 minutes and u would avoid any traffic tie ups. U can either take the metro at Union Station or get a cab to your hotel.

No MARC (commuter rail) trains on weekends, but an alternative would be the B30 express bus from the BWI terminal to the Greenbelt Metro station, then Metro to hotel. The B30 runs every 40 minutes and costs about $3. If the fare to BWI is a significant savings over National, then even a cab might be cost-effective.

I agree that on Tuesday AM it would be more prudent to take MARC (if the schedule fits) rather than risk getting caught in traffic on the bus; be sure to allow time for the shuttle from the train station to BWI terminal.

I have once gotten myself into a situation flying out of DC for an AM flight, (DCA to be exact) in that I didn't realize that holiday schedule for public transportation is the same as the weekend and ended up having to get a cab to DCA. Given that, my advice is to make sure before you buy your flight tickets that you keep in mind what time your other modes of transport start running for the day.