Cheryl_

My family is traveling to Washington DC in a motorhome because my parents are older and are not able to walk/move well. I was wondering if it there is motorhome parking. We have a handicap sticker if that would help us at all.

If a motorhome is not feasible, is the metro okay for people with limited mobility?

Thanks.

laphroaig

Not in the District. The closest park I'm aware of is in College Park, MD--Cherry Hill Park. See http://dcpages.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=19081

Metro can present some problems for people with limited mobility. the elevators have a nasty habit of being out of order, as do the escalators at times. It's something most of us who are blessed with no limitations pay little attention to most of the time, but a couple of years ago I was on crutches and became painfully aware of the broken escalators that I don't usually think twice about, and the long distances to elevators only to discover them out of order.

hop_along

This suggestion needs to be checked and confirmed, but there are some campgrounds in Northern Virginia near public transit, which might be an option. I believe the Fredericksburg KOA has a daily bus to DC, and there are one or two county parks south of DC that are fairly close to Metro stations, where an RV can be parked for the day.

kayd

Another problem with Metro for people with mobility limitations is that even downtown the stations are not very cose to each other (unlike NY, Paris, London) so even if all escalators are working fine, you may still be quite a distance (five blocks is about a half mile on the city grid) from your destination when you get off Metro. I think that if you find parking at an outskirts station and ride Metro into the city, you'll want taxis to get from point to point in downtown. Plan ahead with a good map. Stationmasters.com has a wealth of information about transit stations and their surroundings. Good luck.

Anonymous

But unlike London's Tube, if you're switching from one Metro line to another you'll find the platforms separated by just an escalator, and not by an underground hike that feels like several blocks!

IMHO, the Metro is not a good option for anybody with mobility issues, since there's always a lot of walking within the station, and between the stations and your point of origin and destination. I'd recommend taxis.

Anonymous

When my daugher attended Caholic University in DC, I parked my motorhome right on John McCormack Road, which goes off Michigan Ave and past the Brookland Metro station (Red line). The street is metered, but the meters weren't in effect on weekends. There were always plenty of spaces especially on weekends and in summer, and one side of the street has lots of driveways; anybody who has parked a motorhome on the street knows how important it is to not get blocked in, and one good strategy is to have a driveway or other guaranteed opening (hydrant etc.) behind or in front of your space. The street is virtually part of the campus, perfectly safe and even watched by the school's security guards. You can get a good idea of the layout by using the Stationmasters link above.

nytraveler

For people with mobility issues - and DC requires a LOT of walking between sights - cab is really the way to go. Esp for several people it's often's no more than Metro - and can usually bring you right to the sight - not several blocks away as Metro would.

Save their limited walking capabilities for within - raather than between - sights.

Separately, if walking within sights is an issue you canorganize to rent a wheelchair in the museums if necessary.

MikeT

Buses and trolleys may also be a better alternative. The Circulator buses go from Gtown to Union Station, the Convention Center to the Southwest Waterfront, and around the Mall. The various trolleys also offer hop-on, hop-off service often at the door to the various sites.

jacobmarley

Motorhomes are, unfortunately, not well adapted to Washington, DC. There are very few places to stay, and the metrorail system is good, but often crowded with fast-moving people - not what your parents would find overly fun, most likely. If I were you, I'd spring for a good hotel and use cabs or rent a car. Walking is a spread out and tiring reality for tourists in DC...Even the mall area with a number of sites takes a while to cover on foot.

Good luck,
Regards,
Jacob Marley

Cheryl_

Thanks.

All have been extremely helpful.