Does anyone live near Dulles airport (Wash. DC?)

[Soupermom]

I need a Wash. DC local's advice please! Our family is headed to D.C. for our Spring Break. I need a place to stay the night before entering the city. I'd like to get up the next morning, visit Udvar-Hazey, and then drive to our hotel near Union Station...before the late afternoon rush hour traffic hits.

So, can you recommend a town about 1 hour (northwest-ish) from Dulles where we could spend the evening? We'll be coming from I-70, so something along that route. This will be for Easter evening, not that it makes a difference!

TIA!

 

[o2bacelt]

Have you thought about Fairfax or Sterling? There are lots of hotels there. You could also look in the Tyson's Corner area, it's right on the Dulles Toll Road so you could zip up that way as well, it's right off of 495 (the beltway.)

There are tons of hotels open around the airport in Chantilly and Dulles itself now. There's been a lot of new hotel construction going on around there the last couple of years.

Hope that helps.

 

[stacy6552]

I can give you a couple of places, right there! Udvar-Hazey is right next to Dulles Airport, so I wouldn't head to Tysons or somplace to stay the night and then double back to the museum, and then double back again to head downtown.

The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport would be perfect. Its a couple of minutes from the airport and "right across the street" from Udvar-Hazey. For convenience, this is the pace to stay. I can't imagine you getting lost either comming from the airport or heading downtown.

If you want to go deluxe and don't mind going about 10 minutes out of your way, Lansdowne Resort is georgus.

 

[larryz]

I can give you a couple of places, right there! Udvar-Hazey is right next to Dulles Airport, so I wouldn't head to Tysons or someplace to stay the night and then double back to the museum, and then double back again to head downtown.

The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport would be perfect. Its a couple of minutes from the airport and "right across the street" from Udvar-Hazey. For convenience, this is the place to stay. I can't imagine you getting lost either coming from the airport or heading downtown.

If you want to go deluxe and don't mind going about 10 minutes out of your way, Lansdowne Resort is gorgeous.

X2 on the Hilton. Are you an HHonors member? You could use points, or get the "lowest available rate" on their website. Weekends are really cheap!

 

[PlutoPony]

South-west side of Hagerstown (near I-70 / I-81 intersection) - that would be ~ 90 minutes away from Dulles
South-west side of Frederick MD (near I-70 / Route 15 intersection) - probably 60 minutes away
Leesburg VA (down route 15 from Frederick) half hour from Dulles and a nice town
Winchester VA (I-70 to I-81) - probably the cheapest and NOT out of your way. From here you'll take Route 7 straight in, then south on Route 28, probably an hour and a nice drive.

Most of these places will have the "normal" hotel options, don't think there are any real bad parts to avoid although I don't know the Hagerstown area at all... If you do end up going the Winchester route, let me know and I"ll give you a short cut to get there from the I-70 / I-68 intersection in case traffic on Easter afternoon is heavy.....

 

[Soupermom]

Thanks everyone. I knew some Disers would come through for me. I'll check these locations out on a map and post again soon with more questions...

P.S. How noisy are the airport hotels?
I'm a Hyatt goldcard member, but not Hilton; at least not yet! Maybe I can give priceline a try for the airport area...

 

[bunnyscootles]

Thanks everyone. I knew some Disers would come through for me. I'll check these locations out on a map and post again soon with more questions...

P.S. How noisy are the airport hotels?
I'm a Hyatt goldcard member, but not Hilton; at least not yet! Maybe I can give priceline a try for the airport area...

Hi! I live right across from the airport, so wave hi as your going by!
You really won't have much noise at the Hyatt, because this is north/east of the runway's and the usual flight path is coming in from the south.
FYI, the hotels around here are more expensive during the week, rather than during the weekend because this area caters to the business traveler.
I work in the flight path, and I can only hear them if I'm outside, most of the area was built after the airport, so they seemed to have done a pretty good job sound proofing anyway.

 

[bunnyscootles]

BTW - I don't know how your directions have you going into the district, but I would suggest taking the toll rd (that's rt 267) to 66 (it merges into it) and then that goes into constitution ave. Point being you avoid the beltway and hopefully the majority of traffic. The toll road isn't that much, you stop twice.. I think maybe 1.25 total but don't quote me on that I have EZ Pass!

 

[Soupermom]

Thanks bunnyscootles...great information on the directions!!! I'll try calling the Hyatt to see what prices they have and then maybe try priceline. There seems to be lots of 3* hotels near the airport.

 

[justhat]

BTW - I don't know how your directions have you going into the district, but I would suggest taking the toll rd (that's rt 267) to 66 (it merges into it) and then that goes into constitution ave. Point being you avoid the beltway and hopefully the majority of traffic. The toll road isn't that much, you stop twice.. I think maybe 1.25 total but don't quote me on that I have EZ Pass!

If you back track to the airport you could get on the toll road and ride it into the city free. You only have to pay if you enter/exit anywhere other than the airport or the end of the road the other way.

I agree about staying near the airport. We've stayed there before a flight and never heard a peep from airplanes overhead or anything.

 

[stacy6552]

I wouldn't recommend trying o skip the tolls by doubling back to the airport. The police patrol specifically for people driving through the airport without stopping. Its just not worth it to save a few bucks.

 

[justhat]

I wouldn't recommend trying o skip the tolls by doubling back to the airport. The police patrol specifically for people driving through the airport without stopping. Its just not worth it to save a few bucks.

You don't have to actually stop at the airport to use that exit. There's a gas station over there with a mini-mart that you can stop at and legally use that exit. A nurse in my husband's hospital lives out there and her husband is a Loudoun County police office and, at his suggestion/approval, she stops there everyday to get a cup of coffee at the mini-mart, then reenters the toll road from the airport. He said that's a completely legitimate use of the road.

 

[stacy6552]

How much does the coffee cost? Its only $1.25 to go from the 28 through the toll gate at the other end.

 

[Soupermom]

I've checked out the Hyatt website and found a new Hyatt:Chantilly/Dulles Airport South; it is 6 miles south of the airport. Would this be an okay location for my plans to visit U-H and head into DC the next afternoon? It is $40 less per night than the airport location!

Thanks!

 

[SandrainNC]

We don't live in the area, but we stayed in the Staybridge Suites Dulles (actually located in Herndon, VA but only about 2 miles from the airport) in January 2007. Last January our youngest son was escorted in from Korea to Dulles International Airport and so this is where we stayed for two nights. It was a nice two bedroom suite so we had lots of room to set up a pack n play and that kind of thing. Also, he was not too happy his first night and I was thankful that we had separate rooms so my oldest son was not disturbed during the night. It wasn't overly expensive either.

Sandra

 

[PlutoPony]

That should be fine. Just looked it up and it must be in Westfields, which is a nice office type park adjacent to a nice suburbia / home type area. Probably a very quiet area if I had to guess. Should be a variety of restaurants along Route 28 there as well as at that exit. Route 28 will be busy during rush hour on Monday but doable since they've made many of the intersections into overpasses. Now we just need to have good weather for your visit! VERY mild winter so far around here....

 

[stacy6552]

That is south on Rt 28 from the airport and pretty direct, probably easier than the airport location in Herndon (Don't even ask me how to find that one, its one of those you can see it, but cant find it locations). If you stay there, you are doubling back to go to Udvar Hazy, but not too far.

 

[bunnyscootles]

It's a nice area, right across from where I work (hey are you following me around?? )
The ONLY thing is that that IS in the flight path, but like I said earlier the noise really isn't that bad, I can't imagine that they built it without some sound proofing stuff. That intersection is under construction at the moment. Hopefully they will have it done by the time you get there, it will probably cut 5 minutes off my commute.
There IS NOT anything to eat on 28 - but there is a lot of stuff off of 50 and fast food city (that's our name for it) is right across 28 off of Walney Rd. If you go north one exit and go 50 east there is Bob Evans, Damons, Long Horn, and then more on either side when you go down a little further. On the other side going 50 west is a Target, 5 guys (great burgers!), Red Robin, Chipolte, and a couple other places.
FYI there is a gas station across from fast food city (cheaper of the two), and also one off of 50 east after the first light on the left. Gas stations out here are few and far between. If you still take the toll rd (which I would suggest) those are the only two stations between your hotel and the toll rd. You don't really want to get off the toll rd and back on, more $$ - ok I'm rambling now. HTH!!

 

[bunnyscootles]

That is south on Rt 28 from the airport and pretty direct, probably easier than the airport location in Herndon (Don't even ask me how to find that one, its one of those you can see it, but cant find it locations). If you stay there, you are doubling back to go to Udvar Hazy, but not too far.

Yeah it's one of those, once you see it, you've gone too far and have to turn around to get to it. PITA for sure! Requires a GPS!!

 

[Native NYer]

My brother lives about near Baltimore and DC in suburban Maryland. Have you considered a quiet suburban town in MD? We've stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on Reisterstown Road and loved it. It's closer to 695.