Would love your best advice:

Single mom of two teen daughters...mom is not crazy about driving in unknown areas...but will if the "ins and outs" are easy...
Would like to plan a summer DC visit...

Would like some information on hotels/motels readily available to the metro..perhaps in VA or MD....really needing your best advice on location.

Also looking for advice on tours to Arlington, Mt. Vernon, etc...

THANKS so much in advance !!!

Depending on how much you want to spend for a hotel, you can stay in Bethesda,MD or the Friendship Heights/Chevy Chase area on the MD-DC border. Alexandria, VA or Crystal City, VA would also work. I wouldn't recommend driving in DC. Take the subway.

There are plenty of metro-accessible motels and hotels in the suburbs, but if you're not driving to the city and don't need to stash a car for a few days, you can probably get a decently priced hotel in DC proper. Tourism has really taken a hit this year and prices are better as a result.

What's your budget?

Jinny:

You could stay at the Rosslyn Holiday Inn. Very close to the Rosslyn subway (2 or 3 blocks) and easy access to D.C. Stayed there once and the room was nice and clean. You'd have to connect to the Yellow Line subway to go to King Street and Old Town, Alex. When you get to King Street subway stop there is bus service to Mt. Vernon (I took it several times myself) that doesn't take too long. Ask the guy/gal at the subway booth about what bus to take. If you want to stay in Old Town, I'd suggest the Holiday Inn on North Washington (5 blocks from everything on King Street. I believe it use to be a Best Western but is now a Holiday Inn. A grocery store is right across the street from it - which would be convenient if you'd want some cheap eating.

Why stay out in the suburbs? You can probably get a good rate in town thru www.washingtondchotels.com or via Priceline. We liked the Best Western New Hampshire Suites, in Foggy Bottom.

Not clear from your post whether you'll have a car -- are you driving TO DC? Some hotels offer free parking for AAA members.

I would not consider driving in D.C. Not sure if you are flying to D.C., but if so we got great rates on Southwest into Baltimore and then took the shuttle into D.C. Much less hassle than traffic & parking. Parking is usually expensive, at least at hotels in the city. I have stayed twice in the Dupont area with my daughter and felt very safe there. On our last visit we found a great rate at the Wyndham City Center. It is just 2-3 blocks to the subway. The subway is the only way to get around the city! We took a trip to Mt. Vernon by boat, I think it was through Spirit Cruises. It was a beautiful trip - much more interesting than going by bus. The subway will take you close to most places you want to visit, but be prepared to walk. We also rode the subway one evening to Union Station and took the evening bus tour. It is much different to see the monuments at night. We did take a taxi back to the hotel that night. We were a bit afraid to walk through a small park after dark that was on our way back to the hotel from the subway station.

Stay in the Dupont Circle area. Your teens will love the action in that area at night and you will have a huge choice of restaurants for every budget.

Dupont Circle is on the Metro's red line.

Go to orbitz.com they have good prices and you can look at the hotels, and there location to the mall( museum area). Before you chose list the hotels you would consider and then come back to this board and go washington district of columbia board and type the name of each hotel and look up others posts on each. It takes some work but worth it in the long run. nick

If you REALLY dislike driving in, there are 3 Metro stations that allow long-term parking - altho only a limited # of spaces -- Greenbelt (MD) might be the best one - also Sprinfield-Franconia (VA) and I forget the other one, but I've posted it recently, so click on my name for recents posts.

I also stayed last week at Days Inn Camp Springs (MD) which was right off the Beltway at exit 7B. It was maybe 1/3 mile walk to the Metro, an under $5 subway ride.

The Rosslyn Holiday Inn suggestion is good, but just a few blocks away from it - still walking distance to Rossly Metro, is the Quality Inn Iwo Jima. Free parking, covered pool, restaurant, hair dryers.

If you are flying into DCA, IAD, or BWI, I also say DO NOT get a car.

If budget is a concern, and you ARE driving to the DC area, one year we stayed at Red Roof Inn Laurel MD (for about $40 night), right off the Washington-Baltimore Parkway. It was an almost traffic-free drive to Greenbelt, about 10-15 minutes to the Greenbelt Metro station. While it wasn't so "hopping" in the evening in Laurel, we only used it to sleep & bath at, and were ready to "crash" at each days end, so we didn't mind being on the farther outskirts of DC.