williamsburg, va
 

Stopping thru on our way home from NC for 2 days. Any suggestions on where to stay & what sights to see in williamsburg? Husband loves history. Would like to stay in a CLEAN place not too far from sights.

There are several hotels and colonial houses in Williamsburg in all budget ranges. Many years ago, we stayed at the Williamsburg Inn, but I don't think we could afford it now.

http://www.history.org/visit/

We also stopped in Williamsburg on the way up from NC. Make sure that you have hotel reservations, when we were there it was college move-in week and it was very hard to get a room. Also, be aware that Williamsburg in August is very very hot. We did have a really great time.

Check out Colonial Williamsburg Woodlands hotel & suites (757)220-7960. A bit pricy compared to some BUT it includes unlimited admission pass to Colonial Williamsburg. It is right next to the visitors center so it is convenient. As mentioned before it is advisable to have reservations - also, suggest you get an early start in AM as the afternoons can be very hot.

Thank you for all your help! I will look into the hotels!

We went a few years ago and stayed at the Hampton Inn...it was one of the nicest Hampton Inn's (and least expensive)that we stayed in on our entire trip that year. Have a good time!

You asked about "places" to see. Suggest you visit www.history.org/history/ for the Colonial Williamsburg Official History Site.

Suggest that when you arrive, first go to the visitors' center to see the orientation film, purchase tickets (if you do not stay in a Colonial Williamsburg lodging)and see day's scheduled events. Certainly you should plan to visit the palace, capitol, some craft shops, and other buildings such as Wren Bldg (at College of William & Mary), Wyeth House, Raleigh Tavern, etc.

Im looking into the williamsburg lodge, Inn or Providence Hall Guesthouses.... I think we're better off spending a little more to stay close??...I believe within walking distance? Can Colonial williamsburg be seen in 1 full day or is 2 full days better? Notice I'm not sure of anything as I am used to beach vacations...plop on the beach for 1 week & not do a darn thing! This pit stop would make my hubby very happy!

I can't think of a better waste of time than going to Williamsburg. It's a complete nothing.

All three choices are very nice and across the street from the restored area. Most of the chain hotels are within a 10 min drive to the visitors center parking where you can get a shuttle to the restored area if you want to investigate other options. You might also want to look at Kingsmill Resort www.kingsmill.com. They have a beach on the James River that is very nice for "beaching it." They also have a shuttle to Colonial Williamsburg.

Do a search here under Williamsburg to narrow things down a bit then we can answer more questions.

waldo...to each his own

birdie...Thanks for the info. Kingsmill looks very nice!

When we visited Williamsburg, we took a side trip to Fort Monroe. If your husband is a history buff, he will probably love this fort:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe

It is only about a 30 minute drive, and along the way you could also visit the historic Yorktown battle site:

http://www.nps.gov/york/index.htm

Can walking around colonial williamsburg be done in one day? Or too much ~ better done in 2 days?

You can easily do colonial Williamsburg in one day. It really isn't very big.

I forgot, also, if you have the time, visit historic Jamestown.

http://www.historyisfun.org/Jamestown-Settlement.htm

History lovers can spend a day for a too-quick overview or a longer time to get a better understanding of Williamsburg's place in history. Then add the surrounding area which was important in both the colonial period and the civil war and you can easily fill a week.

Our family, some years ago, spent 5 days (6 nights) touring just Colonial Williamsburg and two of our daughters enjoyed it so much they decided to go there for college. We often return for a day or two.

Take the Historic triangle pass for two days.It's worth it.And a must for American citizen.Paul

We stayed at a B & B right in the heart of Williamsburg. It was so many years ago, and I can't remember the name, but you might want to check out this google site. Hopefully it might help.


http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=...1b00b7cb80fe03

>>Can walking around colonial williamsburg be done in one day<<

Echoing the above poster, you can cover the physical territory in one day but given your husband's interest in history 2 days would be better and even then might not cover what there is to see.

Again agreeing with RVtraveler, an American history fan could easily spend a week in the area to include Jamestown, Yorktown, Civil War era plantations and battlefields, and military history sites.

CW is currently running a summer online discount for a 1 day plus pass that is essentially a two pass. I don't know if that is a better deal than the discount CW gives to guests of their hotels. You should check their website to figure what nets you the most benefit.

Regarding your hotel choice, if $300-$500 a night is in your budget, why not spend it at the Wmbg Inn? That's pretty steep for most of us and there are options up and down the price scale. Wmbg Inn, Providence Hall, the Lodge and the colonial houses are all in or immediately adjacent to the restored area. The other CW properties provide transportation. Williamsburg pretty much covers the gamut of chain hotels the vast majority of which provide transportation to CW so you could pick your favorite. Birdie's suggestion for Kingsmill is a great one. Wmbg is a small place so you're really not more than 15 minutes from almost anywhere.

And if you're coming in the summer, heat and humidity are a factor in visiting. Another reason 2 days might be better than one. Whatever you choose, hope you both enjoy yourselves!

With only 2 days there, I wouldn't spend all my time at Colonial Williamsburg. Suggest one long day for CW, then the next day Ft. Monroe, Yorktown, and Jamestown. and that will be another pretty long day in itself. We were there a week, so we took our time seeing the sights.