<p>Last week I posted a thread asking for menu suggestions for a dinner I was cooking for 10 mostly international college students last Sunday evening. These students were being driven up from the south by my nephew. We had a great dinner together Sunday, and the kids took the train into NYC, where they have been staying at a youth hostel all week. Their original plan was to come out here Friday evening and start the trip home. Now that there is a snowstorm looming, I am going to suggest that they come out here late tonight (they have tickets for a performance this evening in NYC), drive south for a couple of hours, stay in a cheap motel, get up early and continue to the DC vicinity, park the van and take the Metro in to have a day in DC before continuing south. This way they will avoid the worst of the weather.</p>
<p>My question is whether anyone knows of a place where the van could be parked for the day at a Metro stop somewhere outside the city, preferably somewhere near I-95?</p>
<p>Maybe the New Carollton Metro station lot? Maybe because I haven’t parked there in a few years years but it is the only Metro lot I can think of that allows(ed) over 24 hour parking.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Maryland but in Virginia, there is a large parking garage in Springfield, just a little off the I95/I495 interchange. It is behind the shopping center.
Here is Metro map. There is parking information on the side. </p>
<p>Singersmom, how late does that garage have spaces available? I’d worry about it filling early, as many lots do. Greenbelt always has spaces available on regular work days.</p>
<p>There’s a website somewhere that lists the approximate time lots reach capacity, but I can’t find it at the moment.</p>
<p>We use Springfield because it seems to have spaces most of the time. It is a very large garage. Other places closer to use run out early in the day. Other places where we have found spaces are actually in closer, Pentagon City and Crystal City.</p>
<p>I’m not super familiar with Metro but what about Eisenhower Ave? Even if they can’t park in the Metro lot there’s a movie theatre and office/shopping (Hoffman Center) area and there is plenty of parking there.</p>
<p>It’s only on the weekdays that the large Metro lots fill up early in the day. It’s the commuters who fill them. If they’re going to DC on Saturday, I don’t think they would have a problem. </p>
<p>Are they going to DC on Friday or Saturday?</p>
<p>By the way, another station with extensive parking is Shady Grove. It’s not near I-95, though.</p>
<p>The metro website is helpful. I always went to New Carrolton when I commuted from Baltimore to DC because the orange line was the most convenient for me. Where will they go first in DC? Orange and Blue lines go to Smithsonian for example - if my memory serves me. If they’re heading further south on 95 after the visit to DC, then continuing on to Springfield sounds good so they’ll be through DC. </p>
<p>They will be there on Friday (tomorrow) after they leave here in the very early morning (new plan, rather than in the middle of the night) ahead of the snowstorm. I imagine that they will be there around 11 am or so. The Smithsonian is the most likely destination, since my nephew is in charge! They will be continuing south on 95 after that.</p>
<p>Then I think I would drive down to Springfield and come into DC from there. Getting the drive around DC over is always good because you never know what the traffic situation will be.</p>
<p>I also think the Springfield idea is good. Traffic can be bad and that way they are at least south of DC when they resume their trip. There is lots of parking there and it’s right off 95 with easy access.</p>
<p>BTW - if for some reason they cannot get a metro space, there is a shuttle from Springfield Mall which is right there, too. </p>
<p>The Springfield Mall/The Fairfax County Tags Shuttle Bus brings customers to and from the Franconia / Springfield Metro Station and the mall; located at entrance 5,The shuttle picks up approximately every 15 minutes Monday thru Friday; for more information please call:703-971-7727 or visit; [Transportation</a> Association of Greater Springfield](<a href=“http://www.TAGSVA.org%5DTransportation”>http://www.TAGSVA.org) Metro Shuttle hours are:</p>
<p>Monday through Friday: 8:00am until 8:00pm (Metro Bus runs from 8am-11am and 3:30pm-8pm)</p>
<p>Saturday: 9:30am until 10:00pm (Springfield Mall/The Fairfax County Tags Shuttle Bus runs 9:30am until 10:00pm)</p>
<p>Sunday: 11:30am until 6:00pm (Springfield Mall/The Fairfax County Tags Shuttle Bus runs 11:30am until 6:00pm)</p>
<p>The TAGS (Transportation Association of Greater Springfield) runs a shuttle from approximately 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday through Friday. The shuttle stops frequently at the following locations:</p>
<p>Franconia-Springfield Metro Station
Backlick Road opposite Spring Garden Dr. (Backlick Center)
Bland St. & Amherst Ave. (Springfield Plaza Park & Ride Lot)
Commerce St. & Amherst Ave. Springfield Hilton (main entrance)
Springfield Mall Parking Deck “A”</p>
<p>For more detailed information please pick up a schedule at the Information Desk, The Rest Stop, or the VDOT Informational Office at Springfield Mall</p>
<p>What fantastic information, Singersmom! That sounds perfect. The only thing I am thinking is that they may arrive in the DC area on the late side (1 or 2 pm), and it might make more sense to park the van on the Maryland side, in order to get to the Smithsonian as soon as possible. If they stay until closing and take the metro back out to the van, they should be past the worst of the rush hour traffic by the time they get back on the road to go through (or around) Washington. </p>
<p>Interesteddad, to get to points south of Washington on 95, mapquest sends them around the city on 495, rather than using 295 through DC. Would it be better for them to take 295?</p>
<p>I am going to check the Smithsonian hours, and find some possibilities on the northern side of DC if the Smithsonian is not open late.</p>
<p>It is quicker to take 295 since it is direct. Also it would be smarter to stay on the MD side, because to get to Franconia/Springfield from New Carrolton it is about an hrs drive. and then you get on the Metro to go north again.</p>
<p>There is also a metro at the UMD with a very large lot and hotels. As college kids it also gives them college life, even though the dorms will be shut down, they can still go to restaurants around that area,</p>
<p>Make sure they go to China Town while they are there and visit the SPY museum if they have the chance.</p>
<p>I’ve just spent over an hour poring over regular maps and subway maps. I looked into the stations at Springfield, VA, and Greenbelt, Forest Glen, and New Carrollton in MD. It looks like the best plan will be for them to use the New Carrollton metro station. From what I can tell, it has plenty of parking, and it is the closest by metro (25 mins) to the Smithsonian (other 3 stations are all ~40 mins away). They can get to any of the MD stations half an hour earlier, without traffic, than they can get to Springfield. I imagine that in practice it would be about an hour, as bulletandpima said. </p>
<p>Thank you so much for the information, everyone. It looks like they should drive to New Carrollton, park there, take the metro to the Smithsonian stop, spend 2-3 hours there until closing, and then take the metro back, pick up the van, and continue south on 295, picking up 95 when it ends.</p>
<p>bulletandpima, I will mention the Spy Museum to them. It is actually open a little later (until 6) and if they prefer to go there, they will be able to eat dinner in Chinatown.</p>
<p>If they go there, tell them when they exit the Spy Museum walk towards the Metro, go 1 block past it (I think) and turn rt. (I say this because there are 2 metro entrances) On the left hand side is a big Chinese restaurant, it has a mongolian restaurant on the bottom and upstairs is the chinese restaurant. It has been voted yr in and yr out as the best Chinese restaurant in DC. The portions are very large, so don’t over order, we always come home with tons of food!. It is about $15-20 pp</p>
<p>Since they are getting the later start, New Carrollton makes more sense. I always take 495 to 95 though - not a fan of 295 - but that doesn’t really matter.</p>