Budget trip to Washington DC

[holyschmolly]

Your metro tickets will be a bit of an expense--you will just have to figure that in--there is no getting around it unless you want to pay outrageous parking fees. I may have missed an earlier discussion, but if you are driving in your hotel will likely charge you a hefty fee each day just to park there. I hope you have figured that into your budget already. Also, check Tripadvisor.com for more info on Washington DC. Have fun! We'll be there in June, too.

The Metro should have a visitor/weekend pass where you pay a flat rate for 3 days. Much more economical and you come and go as you please on any route.

 

[Lady SnowElla]

I am subscribing to this thread as it is so helpful. Next summer my DDs and I plan to do Williamsburg, DC, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Hershey. We would be traveling (driving) from Louisiana so you can see that we want to do as much as we can while in the East. How many days would you plan to see most of the free things that everyone mentioned in DC?

 

[Cindy B]

Don't forget about the National Museum of Art-- this is directly across from the Air and Space Musuem and it isn't well marked..

It is FREE!

 

[PlutoPony]

All these ideas are great. Now my big question is . . .

If so many events are free, why does my school charge families $800 per student for their 4 day trip to Washington, D.C? The school has been doing this 8th grade trip for a number of years, and they use a tour company called World Strides. They travel by Motor Coach from Connecticut, stay at a hotel for three nights, the cost includes hotel and all meals except during the travel to/from CT. They do a Mediaval type dinner one night. Not sure which museums/monuments they did this year.

My daughter will be in 8th grade next year, and we have to send in the $100 deposit in the next week. The thought of the cost of this trip is killing me! I'd much rather take my whole family, and it would probably cost me less doing it on our own!

Anyone elses kids do a school trip to Washington, D.C.? If so, what's the cost for your school per student?

$200 / day doesn't seem too bad to me.... while most admissions are free here, food, lodging, and transportation will definitely add up.
My son's school is going to Medieval Times next week - probably the same one you're talking about - and it's costing us $50 for meal + transportation (we live in the DC area so this is a day trip)

 

[kellia]

Good post! We are planning on going next spring. Anyone know of any good priced hotels near the metro or at least cities to look in? I am always afraid of getting one in a bad area in a city I don't know!

 

[NeedaVacation03]

We are going to a wedding in DC in August. We are hoping to make it as budget as possible. Thanks for all the great info.

 

[ksjayhawks]

All these ideas are great. Now my big question is . . .

If so many events are free, why does my school charge families $800 per student for their 4 day trip to Washington, D.C? The school has been doing this 8th grade trip for a number of years, and they use a tour company called World Strides. They travel by Motor Coach from Connecticut, stay at a hotel for three nights, the cost includes hotel and all meals except during the travel to/from CT. They do a Mediaval type dinner one night. Not sure which museums/monuments they did this year.

My daughter will be in 8th grade next year, and we have to send in the $100 deposit in the next week. The thought of the cost of this trip is killing me! I'd much rather take my whole family, and it would probably cost me less doing it on our own!

Anyone elses kids do a school trip to Washington, D.C.? If so, what's the cost for your school per student?

The price also includes the cost for the chaperones, one or two tour guides, parking expenses, security in the hotel, insurance, and a profit for the company offering the trip.

 

[WTP]

Does anyone know if the Butterfly house at the Botanical Garden are free on Tuesday?

It is! There are timed tickets. Arrive early, get your tickets, and then check out the rest of the NH museum. Like a FP.

 

[WTP]

I am subscribing to this thread as it is so helpful. Next summer my DDs and I plan to do Williamsburg, DC, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Hershey. We would be traveling (driving) from Louisiana so you can see that we want to do as much as we can while in the East. How many days would you plan to see most of the free things that everyone mentioned in DC?

It depends on how much you want to see. One could easily spend 2 days and not see all the Smithsonian has to offer. Most of the free monuments and memorials require a lot of walking, but take up about a day. The zoo can be done in half a day to a day, depending on the ages of your kids. I wouldn't try to do it all in less than 2 days. Three sounds just about right to me!

 

[sharonmickey]

Great thread. I'm considering a weekend trip to Washington DC this summer. Like kellia posted a few threads back --- Does anyone have suggestions for an inexpensive hotel near the Metro in a good location?

 

[PinkRhombus]

We have an upcoming trip there in a few weeks. We're staying 5 nights (first night is after a day of travel) and then heading to Virginia beach for 3 nights.

We LOVE Residence Inn's or Embassy Suites anywhere we go because they have good free breakfasts (Embassy Suites has the B-e-s-t). And we appreciate the seperate room from the living area (where we take advantage of the sofa bed for the kids)

Residence Inn's have full kitchens though (refrigerator, cooktop/oven, Microwave).

We were staying at the Residence Inn by the Pentagon, but moved it a mile or two further out to the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town (but still two blocks from the train) to save on the Marriot Rewards points we would have to use. It is a block from a Whole Foods, too. Parking there is $15 a day. Great area to wander around, and only about 20 minutes from Mt Vernon.

 

[turtlebean]

Like all the pp have said, there are a lot of free things to do in DC. The things that will cost you money are food and parking/metro expenses. I would definitely use the Metro if possible. I have lived in/around DC all my life and still get confused driving around here. If you take the Metro to go to the zoo, get off at the Cleveland Park stop, not the Woodley Park/Zoo stop. It's much closer (only about a block away) and it's the next stop after the Woodley Park/Zoo stop on the red line. Here is the link to the Metro map and you can even see how much the fares will be. This would help with budgeting to see if it is going to be worth it.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm


If you want to drive to the zoo, I would suggest going early and parking on one of the side streets. The parking lot at the zoo fills up early and is expensive. It's $10 for the first hour, $15 for hours 2-3, and $20 for more than 3 hours.

If you do decide to drive thru the city, here is a tip: all of number streets run vertical, all the letter streets run horizontal and the state streets run diagonal. You do not understand how much that has helped me

 

[LeesyUD]

Definitely take advantage of using the metro!! I have a anxiety issues with public transportation bc I worry about getting lost or being late for things but the Metro is great!! I have been to DC 5 times in the past year and I actually refuse to pay for a taxi unless for some unforeseen reason we have to. It is inexpensive compared to public transportation here in the Philly area. (We have Septa and it stinks) Definitely check out the History Museum!!

Here are a few suggestions on DC on a budget from http://www.washington.org/visiting/experience-dc/family/dc-on-a-budget

What to do
When looking for entertainment in DC, one thing’s for sure: you don’t have to spend a dime. All of the city’s famous monuments are free of charge, as are the 15 museums in the Smithsonian system and the National Gallery of Art. DC by Foot even offers a free walking tour six nights a week, departing from the Washington Monument. Or, get off the National Mall and take a free, self-guided tour on one of Cultural Tourism DC’s neighborhood heritage trails. At the Bureau of Engraving and Printing take a free tour and watch the money come hot off the presses. End your day with a free concert or performance on the Millennium Stage at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, offered nightly.

 

[snowy76]

As others have said, the food in the Smithsonians is unbelievably expensive. We went outside and bought from the food vendors who set up along the streets near the museums- hot dogs, etc. Not gourmet, but definitely much cheaper.

Yep - last summer I sent DH into the line at the Natural History musuem with the kids to grab food and he came out to our table with his wallet $62 lighter! All for a few slices of pizza, drinks and some desserts (jello and apples!). Maybe an order of fries. It reminded me that the kids probably thought they were in a buffet a la WDW, or maybe in their school cafeteria where they can get a full meal for under $3.

And the food at the lunch carts outside tastes way better too!

 

[minniebeth]

Like all the pp have said, there are a lot of free things to do in DC. The things that will cost you money are food and parking/metro expenses. I would definitely use the Metro if possible. I have lived in/around DC all my life and still get confused driving around here. If you take the Metro to go to the zoo, get off at the Cleveland Park stop, not the Woodley Park/Zoo stop. It's much closer (only about a block away) and it's the next stop after the Woodley Park/Zoo stop on the red line. Here is the link to the Metro map and you can even see how much the fares will be. This would help with budgeting to see if it is going to be worth it.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm


If you want to drive to the zoo, I would suggest going early and parking on one of the side streets. The parking lot at the zoo fills up early and is expensive. It's $10 for the first hour, $15 for hours 2-3, and $20 for more than 3 hours.

If you do decide to drive thru the city, here is a tip: all of number streets run vertical, all the letter streets run horizontal and the state streets run diagonal. You do not understand how much that has helped me

Wow turtlebean, thank you! Your explanation of the streets is awesome! We will definately put this great tip to use!

 

[mhf]

Check out the Circulator Bus. It's bright red and $1 per ride, not sure about kids' prices. Exact bills or change! You can also get a daily pass for $3. It doesn't go as many places as the Metro and it closes much earlier. But it's nice to have it as an option and you can see some of the city as you ride. I use it on occasion for getting to work.

www. dccirculator. com




Melissa

 

[AnnaS]

Glad I saw this thread.

My uncle, cousin, wife and two kids will be visiting us from Europe end of June. They would love to go to Washington D.C. They are five people and if we drove from here, we would need at least two cars.

Does anyone know how far Amtrak is from there - would a cab do to get to a hotel nearby.

Any other reasonable, safe and clean hotels we can look into?

(They will have two children 18 months and 6 years old).

TIA.

 

[ntink]

Amtrak goes right into Union station and you can catch the metro right there also (Red Line). Also, Amtrak is offering 25% discount on certain Northeast Corridor routes through the summer www.amtrak.com

 

[AnnaS]

Amtrak goes right into Union station and you can catch the metro right there also (Red Line). Also, Amtrak is offering 25% discount on certain Northeast Corridor routes through the summer www.amtrak.com

I will check this out - what is the destination stop (name) - do I just put in Washington D.C?

I just went and answered my question, lol.

Thank you again.

 

[sueh]

I will check this out - what is the destination stop (name) - do I just put in Washington D.C?

I just went and answered my question, lol.

Thank you again.

The Destination name is WAS - Washington, DC Union Station.