Since we are adding in stuff to do:
-we did a Segway tour and loved every minute of it.
-we did a “Museum Hack” tour and it was so fun and we learned a lot.
Both were available for purchase at discount via local Groupon.
Newseum
We had a private bus tour when we were there with H’s former HS classmates. It was indeed nice to see monuments at night when it was cooler and there was much less traffic. We also caught a ferry in Alexandria, which was fun too. Lots to do in DC proper, and since your trip is so short, I’d opt to spend it all in DC, near the attractions you want to see. You don’t want to spend all your time getting between hotel and attractions and back.
We stayed at the Americana a few years ago. It was basic but we were comfortable. They had a shuttle to the metro and it was walkable too. There were a couple of other hotels right there that were a step up in quality as well.
Here’s a handy metro trip planner: http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/tripplanner/tripplanner_form_solo.cfm
The “close in” suburban stops like Crystal City, Pentagon City, Friendship Heights, and Bethesda don’t require a lot of commuting time to the stops handy to the Mall and attractions like the Smithsonian stop. Your looking at 15-25 minutes depending on timing and exact location, especially if you choose one of the hotels literally right on top of the subway like Embassy Suites At Chevy Chase Pavilion or others. DC proper is pretty tiny geographically. It wouldn’t waste a lot of time truly.
Your D and her friends might enjoy Georgetown, but there is no Metro station there. It should be an easy Uber trip from the mall.
I have lived in the DC suburbs for years and I always recommend fall as the ideal time to visit. The weather is usually good and the crowds are smaller compared to spring and summer. Enjoy!
There’s a public bus that goes to Georgetown. It you use Google Maps for directions and chose the public transportation option, it’ll tell you which bus number to take. You can track your progress on the bus realtime using GPS on Google Maps, so you’ll know where to get off the bus.
I used to never take buses in unfamiliar cities, but Google Maps has changed that! It worked great for me for buses in Rome & Paris, too. Good thing about the bus is you see things along the way and get your bearings, as compared to using the Metro and emerging onto the street like a disoriented mole.
Thanks all! I’ve been to DC a couple of times - once for sightseeing, once for a conference so have a rough idea of the area. The night tour sounds like something we’d definitely give a try.
Stayed recently at Omni Shoreham which is near the zoo and metro. Got a good rate for the weekend in the spring but was over $150. Was a big room and right at a metro stop. . May be worth spending a little bit more for shorter metro rides or even walking to some sites. Close enough to walk to the zoo.
If you aren’t already familiar with the Smithsonian, it’s a good way to spend a day – or parts of several days. The museums are free and several of them are located close together. You can wander around as you please and feel free to leave when you’ve had enough museum for the day without feeling that you’re not getting your money’s worth.
Remember that you have to go through metal detectors to get into Smithsonian museums. My son once showed up at one with a pocket knife in his jacket pocket. He was advised by the security guard to go bury it in the nearby garden while he was in the museum – which he did – but knives can get rusty from this kind of treatment.
I’ve stayed at the Omni Shoreham too. I think I got it through a “mystery hotel” groupon and in fact, asked CC people about what hotel they thought it might be. It was convenient to the zoo and the metro. We did an evening Segway ride in October a couple of years ago, also, via a groupon, and it was the coldest October date in years! But, still fun. I liked doing it a little late because of the lack of traffic. We’ve also rented bikes, through the very popular bike share program - that was fun but a little nerve wracking for this small town dweller that had to get used to riding a bike in a city. I’ll hold off on other suggestions until after you get a hotel!
I mentioned this in Good Buy thread when you posted - we stayed at the Hampton Inn Downtown/Convention Center(the one on 6th Avenue) in June. Clean, free breakfast, free wifi. One block from a Circulator stop (where you can get to places like Georgetown for $1). Near the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro but we didn’t use that as we could walk to places like the Newseum , National Portrait Gallery, from there. I enjoyed staying right in DC . We took the Super Shuttle to and from BWI . They drop and pick up directly at the hotel. I checked rates for October 14-17 just to get an example and the AAA rate for the hotel is currently $134. Other dates could be higher, depending on when you’re going. Good luck.
Too lazy to figure out how to do quotes. Bethesda isn’t between BWI and downtown (BWI is NE of DC and Bethesda is NW).
Plaes in Arlington such as Crystal City, Courthouse and Rossyln are the best close in bets. There are some relatively cheap places in the Balston area.
The close-in Arlington stops are all <10 minutes from downtown via Metro which is significantly closer than Bethesda.
The one drawback to Balston is that the metro reconstruction project is likely to make the commuting time back from downtown a little longer
This just came to my in-box from jetsetter: https://www.jetsetter.com/search?q=Washington%2C%20District%20of%20Columbia&max-price=200&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily&utm_term=20160803_v_WEDS_np&utm_source=sniqueaway&nl_id=168258&DG=9ef917b8-094d-4f6f-8e35-fd8373ef5522
I am admittedly someone who always has to look for a “good buy” (hence, the thread!) . Clearly the $82 flight was one of those!
Now I’m still trying to book a hotel. Every time I look it gets overwhelming! Here is my current frame of thought - tell me the pros/cons of these thoughts.
To refresh, going in October w/D and 2 of her college friends. Flying into BWI on a Saturday morning. Will likely train into hotel where it is - if that is an option.
I first thought it would be wise to stay in the Chevy Chase area - between BWI and DC - which might make our flight which is later at night easier for leaving luggage at the hotel the last day and retrieving it on the way to the airport (as opposed to a suburb farther away.
After LOTS of mulling and LOTS of looking this is what I think I ideally want now:
- hotel closer to the mall - so capitol hill/national mall area
- suite would be great, but not necessary.
- would be willing to pay a little more for free breakfast - which I feel pays for itself with 4 of us.
- free internet (3 college girls on their phones!!! And me!)
So, on Hotwire I can find a room that meets ^^ these needs (not a suite but may have a semi-separate lounge area w/pull out couch) for $209. Free breakfast, internet, national mall area.
Of course, with Hotwire, you buy it, see what it is and done. No backing out. Always a little risk, but I have had pretty good luck in the past.
Opinions???
I second @eyemamom and @arc918 about Crystal City. We stayed there (I can’t remember exactly which hotel, but it was next to a really tasty noodle restaurant and right on the metro line) and we took the metro in to DC. It was a lot more affordable than hotels closer in.
We got off at the Arlington cemetery stop, walked past the lincoln memorial, and walked all over that area. It was awesome, I love DC. <3
The one time we used Hotwire (in Orlando) it was a disaster and we’d never use it again because I’m a control freak who likes to know what she’s getting.
.I think the plan to stay in DC proper is a very good one. I’ve used Hotwire a few times and it has worked out. Not sure I would want to use it this far out from October unless you are prepared to lose all the money (or take insurance). If you are all able bodied, you would be surprised how far you can walk around in DC. In other words, even hotels a little more distance from the mall could still be doable . But if you do find something close to the mall that is within your price range, that is always good (if you have already decided that the mall i where you will spend most of your time). I’ve stayed in Chinatown and Mt. Vernon Square areas and you can walk to the mall, Newseum, etc. from those areas as well (of course, a longer walk though). Free breakfast, free wifi, walkable distance to attractions and public transportation is always good. Good luck.
Some of it is a matter of luck , particular dates, with snagging a good rate when you see it (especially there is a liberal cancellation policy). I think you will definitely find differences of opinion about whether or not to stay in DC or outside the city. My kids both have lived in DC so have stayed all over the place-Arlington, Dupont Circle, Chinatown, Mt. Vernon, Capitol Hill, Embassy Row, Georgetown, etc… I enjoyed staying in DC more than Arlington (stayed in, Ballston, Courthouse area, Rosslyn) My kids each initially lived in Arlington. I enjoyed the DC locations and hotels more when they moved into DC from Arlington. But that is a personal preference. Hope you find something soon. The hotel I checked yesterday went up from 134 to over 300 (and now it says the hotel is quickly filling and no two bed rooms are left).
I always stay in the Residence Inn in Bethesda. Right off the red line metro stop, plus there is a good shopping area and excellent restaurant row right there. Also a mainstream movie theater and an indie/art-house movie theater are right there too . The hotel is roomy, the prices are reasonable, and the area is great.
@abasket For that hotwire deal, is breakfast for all 4 of you definitely part of the offer? Would two young adults (not a couple) really feel comfortable sharing a pull-out couch? I think they are best for kids or 1 adult in a pinch. What kind of star rating/reviews does the offered hotel get? Any idea exactly where the hotel is, how close to metro it is?
I have often found the hotwire type hotels are there for a reason - construction, outdated, etc. Not always, but often.
What is the price difference between the $209 quoted and what you’d have to pay for an acceptable hotel direct? How much would you save? $209 doesn’t seem too cheap to me.