We are thinking of staying outside of D.C., then driving into town to visit various sites and museums. I would have to be convinced to stay in town, and/or use public transportation. When we were young and foolish and had one kid, we did love the Metro on our trips to D.C., but with three it seems like finding parking will be less trouble than watching out for the subway doors. Also we would not want to walk "that" much, one child is a preschooler.

What do you think? Should we just pick a very few sites and wait for the kids to get older for the walking and subway tour? Or could we find parking reasonably at the key sites and museums?

Use the subway. Much of DC's parking capacity is filled by 10 AM. Many lots will declare themselves closed by mid-morning.

You are going to have to walk whichever way you go.

Did you plan on driving to each of the memorials and think you would find a parking spot at each one?

Did you plan to drive from one museum to another and find street parking at each museum?

Did you plan to drive to your lunch or dinner spots and find parking?

The best you could hope for driving is to find ANY spot to park your car, hope it's within 6 blocks of the Mall, and pick it up at the end of the day.

That said, I see happy tourist families with toddlers staying downtown, walking, and using the subway all the time.

I think it's a matter of pace. If ANYONE is tired, take a long break at an outdoor cafe (the one at NGA is classic) or public park (or walk back to your downtown hotel) and don't worry too much about missing a few sites. Ther are many great places to take a break near all the sites.

Also, don't forget about
TAXIS. Your family can take multiple taxi rides for less than it would cost you to park in a garage.

Would six (three adults three kids) fit in a taxi? Youngest would need a car seat.

The question then is can/should we park at one spot (which?), then walk/subway to other places? Do any hotels have tour buses?

We would not mind a driving tour of some of the memorials (anywhere online to find a driving tour?); frankly the younger kids would not be up to waiting for us to read things and soak in too much history.

I'm thinking this should wait a few years since the youngest is a bit of trouble. I am sorry that I am not overly familiar with DC; I do know that in NYC and Philly, you can find parking if you know where to go and also there are spots where you can be within 10 blocks of several things.

Parking will vary depending on whether it is a weekend or a weekday. Finding parking on the weekend is possible but it is better to get there before 10.

With the very GREATEST of respect, if anything will "convince" you to use the Metro or the TourMobile then it will be trying to find a place to park near the monuments on a decent-weather day.

You do not say how old the children are or how much supervision they need. I would certainly agree that if it is parking you need then the best thing is to get there early.

Actually, I think you situation is all the more reason to stay in the city instead of one of the far-flung suburbs. When you get tired and need a break in the middle of the day, would your rather be a short hop from your hotel room and some beds, or a 45-minute drive to your hotel.

Once you get back to your hotel in the far suburbs you are NEVER going back into the city that day. If you are closer to the city, near the Metro, you can rest and then go back and see some more.

Truthfully, driving dramatically limits your options because you are forced to do the DC tourist deathmarch because you have to justify the time it took getting in the city, finding parking, paying for parking, and the drudgery of getting back to your hotel.

Or maybe this just isn't a good time of your life for DC. Nothing wrong with that.

Yeah, maybe we should wait. Kids are 4, 6, and 10, and the 4 year old is a runner, and the other adult is 80 (well, he can't wait too long, but...). Maybe just the Air and Space museum outside the city, and try for a day trip (from Philly area, by train perhaps) with the oldest one if we want to go soon. The more I think about it, I doubt the preschooler and first grader would appreciate or enjoy D.C.

To answer some questions, it would be a weekday end of June. We would not be picky about where to eat (at a museum cafe would be fine). And we do have a handicapped placard, although I know at touristy spots the parking spaces so allotted fill up quick.

I think the little ones would appreciate DC. The monuments are very cool, even if they can't fully appreciate the history just yet. The International Spy Museum might be of interest as well.

The Metro is clean, well-lit and very easy to use, I don't see where it would be a problem with children your age. I say stay in DC and use the Metro, it will be fine.

I didn't realize you had three adults. Two parents and three small children can squeeze into a taxi. Three adults and three children cannot.

We often drive into DC for day trips. If you get there early, you have a good chance of snagging a handicap parking space along the Mall. You'll find lots of things to see that are easily accessible from a mid-Mall parking space.

Your older kids would probably love the subway, and if it weren't for the 4 yo I would definitely recommend the Metro. But, my son was a runner when he was 4, too, so I know how terrifying that can be.

Have you seen the route for the circulator bus? The littlest ones will not have to walk miles and miles once you are on the mall.
http://www.dccirculator.com/routemap.html

Stay downtown, so that your group can split up if some need a nap but the others want to keep going. With the car you are all at the mercy at the one who gives up first.
Form the initial post, I thought the kids were all preschoolers. But this group will do fine on Metro, including the youngest. I think riding Metro was what my 4-year old nephew found most exciting about DC.

"Your older kids would probably love the subway, and if it weren't for the 4 yo I would definitely recommend the Metro. But, my son was a runner when he was 4, too, so I know how terrifying that can be."

Well, let's just say that my husband got three gouges (hands and one knee) diving after her after she left-turned into a busy street. She wasn't hurt, but his blood was all over her jacket. I think buses therefore might be best for us.

We have had some significant changes in our family situation lately leading to careful thoughts about how much time any of us have, so we may just go to DC, use buses if we can't get decent handicapped parking and deal with it.

Thanks to all for your advice.

You are talking about the Circulator tourist bus, aren't you? I hope you're not considering the Metrobus system. No, no, no, please don't do that. The subway would be much better than the commuter bus.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the subway. The metro is clean and easy, and a great way to get around - and pretty cheap. I, personally, don't like the tourist busses, but only because they are... well... "touristy". I don't have any good reason not to take those, and in reality they probably make a lot of sense.

As for parking, I will give away a jewel: Behind the department of education (no child left behind) building which is directly south of the air and space museum is a holiday inn with a garage. The garage has 24-hour security and 24-hour access. It is $10 all day, and it has never been full when I have gone. My wife and I travel to DC from time to time from Baltimore and we always use it. I fear that posting this information may ruin what I think is a tricky little spot, but when I think of how much help I have recieved from other Fodorites, I know that it is only right to share this little gem with everyone.

Enjoy! The parking garage will put you 2 blocks from the Nat. Air and Space museum, and thus from the Mall as well.

Great tip, it'll be our secret!

Again I want to thank everyone for their advice, we feel a lot more comfortable about our trip and will be hashing out details soon.

Have fun, and let us know how it turns out.

Well, we chose the Residence Inn Capitol because of the room size (4 beds if you get a rollaway) and location. We're really looking forward to the trip, and we should be able to walk to the Smithsonian and A&S museum with no trouble.

Thanks again guys!

After surviving travelling with two small boys (one of whom - aged 4-ran away from us at the Lincoln Memorial and we had to CARRY him a mile back to the hotel) I'd say make life as easy as possible for yourselves! WE go every year, and often only managed to get to the carousel on the Mall and maybe the Air and Space...but the kids have great memories and want to go back.