Medical Study in Washington DC - WWYD?

[SEA333]

I am part of a medical research study and have been asked to travel to Bethesda MD for further in-person testing/exam and an MRI. I am excited to be part of this, and the study pays for airfare, 1 night lodging, and meals and travel costs to and from the NIH for an overnight stay. They gave me the option of extending my stay in the DC area for as long as I like, and they will accommodate this with a departure day of my choosing, but do not pay for hotel/meals/travel/etc past the 2nd day.

My sister (who is the one I am doing the study for - she has a incurable medical condition and they are researching genetic links for possible better treatments/cure one day) and I decided that we would like to make it a long, sister-only, no kids or husbands, weekend. We are flying out on a Wednesday and staying until Sunday. I have always heard that the DC area was a relatively inexpensive vacation - until I priced hotel rooms and car rentals!!! Even with DH's corporate discount, I am still looking at $65/day for a standard cat rental. Holy cow!! We are used to paying about $17-20/day for a small SUV.

Hotels are another issue - I have no idea where I should book. The study has us booked at a Doubletree in Bethesda the first night, but for the remainder of the stay, we want to stay closer to the Springfield area - my uncle lives there (works at the pentagon) and we will want to visit. But the hotels are crazy-expensive, even on Hotwire.

Anyone familiar with the area that can help? It looks so far like we have three options:

1. Rent a car and stay farther out (but WHERE??!!)
2. Forego the car and stay within walking distance to everything (but how would we get to the "suburbs"??)
3. Beg my uncle (LOL) to stay with his family and figure out public transportation into the city?

I would really like the car - I don't want to have to worry about checking out of one hotel and not having a place for our luggage, plus my sister and I are flying in and out of different airports and it would just be so much easier if we had a car. I live in the Chicago area, so I am used to big city costs, but I have to admit that the "discount" prices in DC have thrown me. I was hoping to spend a total of $400-500 for the entire weekend...and at this rate it won't even cover the hotel and car rental.

Any advice??!!

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

I am part of a medical research study and have been asked to travel to Bethesda MD for further in-person testing/exam and an MRI. I am excited to be part of this, and the study pays for airfare, 1 night lodging, and meals and travel costs to and from the NIH for an overnight stay. They gave me the option of extending my stay in the DC area for as long as I like, and they will accommodate this with a departure day of my choosing, but do not pay for hotel/meals/travel/etc past the 2nd day.

My sister (who is the one I am doing the study for - she has a incurable medical condition and they are researching genetic links for possible better treatments/cure one day) and I decided that we would like to make it a long, sister-only, no kids or husbands, weekend. We are flying out on a Wednesday and staying until Sunday. I have always heard that the DC area was a relatively inexpensive vacation - until I priced hotel rooms and car rentals!!! Even with DH's corporate discount, I am still looking at $65/day for a standard cat rental. Holy cow!! We are used to paying about $17-20/day for a small SUV.

Hotels are another issue - I have no idea where I should book. The study has us booked at a Doubletree in Bethesda the first night, but for the remainder of the stay, we want to stay closer to the Springfield area - my uncle lives there (works at the pentagon) and we will want to visit. But the hotels are crazy-expensive, even on Hotwire.

Anyone familiar with the area that can help? It looks so far like we have three options:

1. Rent a car and stay farther out (but WHERE??!!)
2. Forego the car and stay within walking distance to everything (but how would we get to the "suburbs"??)
3. Beg my uncle (LOL) to stay with his family and figure out public transportation into the city?

I would really like the car - I don't want to have to worry about checking out of one hotel and not having a place for our luggage, plus my sister and I are flying in and out of different airports and it would just be so much easier if we had a car. I live in the Chicago area, so I am used to big city costs, but I have to admit that the "discount" prices in DC have thrown me. I was hoping to spend a total of $400-500 for the entire weekend...and at this rate it won't even cover the hotel and car rental.

Any advice??!!

I would get a hotel in Alexandria near the Metro station and not rent a car. Ask your Uncle to meet you or pick you up for a visit. Ask for a late check out at the first hotel, call a cab to take you to the second hotel. I know it would be easier to have a car, but you also have to factor in big parking fees and terrible traffic in the D.C. area. When we went, we drove but parked our car and never moved it the entire time we were there.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

I would get a hotel in Alexandria near the Metro station and not rent a car. Ask your Uncle to meet you or pick you up for a visit. Ask for a late check out at the first hotel, call a cab to take you to the second hotel. I know it would be easier to have a car, but you also have to factor in big parking fees and terrible traffic in the D.C. area. When we went, we drove but parked our car and never moved it the entire time we were there.

I would second this approach, you really don't want to drive in DC if you can help it (and parking? don't even think about it)...the Metro will get you everywhere you would want to go anyway.

This is what we did...near old Alexandria there are several nice hotels that are right by the Metro stop (plus it is a great place to tour by itself).

 

[pryncess527]

I would get a hotel in Alexandria near the Metro station and not rent a car. Ask your Uncle to meet you or pick you up for a visit. Ask for a late check out at the first hotel, call a cab to take you to the second hotel. I know it would be easier to have a car, but you also have to factor in big parking fees and terrible traffic in the D.C. area. When we went, we drove but parked our car and never moved it the entire time we were there.

Ditto. I never drive in DC. I'm close enough to DC to drive, but when I do, I pay to park my car at Reagan Airport and take the train in. Getting around town with no car is much easier than with a car, IME

DC is a nice cheap vacation because, while the food and hotels can be pricey, just about everything you actually do there is free. All the museums, monuments, tours, etc are very lost cost or free.

 

[SEA333]

Ditto. I never drive in DC. I'm close enough to DC to drive, but when I do, I pay to park my car at Reagan Airport and take the train in. Getting around town with no car is much easier than with a car, IME

DC is a nice cheap vacation because, while the food and hotels can be pricey, just about everything you actually do there is free. All the museums, monuments, tours, etc are very lost cost or free.

Thanks! I live in the west Chicago suburbs and have a Metra station in my town, so we take that in when we hit the city. I hear you about the traffic and parking!

Anyone have any idea if the Metro in DC goes out to Springfield? Or, even more important, how would one get from Dulles to a Metro train? I will be flying into Reagan from Chicago, but my sister will be landing at Dulles from Detroit. She gets in first and I will get in about 3 hours later. We would need a meeting point so we can get to Bethesda. The study will pay for a taxi from the airport to the hotel, so really all she needs to do is get to Reagan from Dulles and we can go together. (the study is paying for me, she is tagging along for the vacation. She is not part of the study)

 

[rigs32]

Those two airports are about 30 miles apart, but with DC traffic, you're looking at a drive of possibly an hour or more.

The Metro runs to Bethesda, so it's probably a big time saver to just meet at the hotel. Use google maps - you plug in the info and they can give you public transportation directions.

Don't rent a car. Why would you need to get to the suburbs? Just to visit the uncle? As others said, have him meet you in the city. Save yourself the cost and headache and then you won't feel as bad spending more on a hotel. And no parking fees.

I would recommend some of the first tier VA suburbs near a metro stop for your hotel - Arlington or Alexandria. Just make sure they are close to the metro.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Anyone have any idea if the Metro in DC goes out to Springfield? Or, even more important, how would one get from Dulles to a Metro train? I will be flying into Reagan from Chicago, but my sister will be landing at Dulles from Detroit. She gets in first and I will get in about 3 hours later. We would need a meeting point so we can get to Bethesda. The study will pay for a taxi from the airport to the hotel, so really all she needs to do is get to Reagan from Dulles and we can go together. (the study is paying for me, she is tagging along for the vacation. She is not part of the study)

The blue line starts/ends in Springfield (and has a stop at Reagan and Alexandria Old Town/King Street (which is my suggestion for hotels)...think there is a bus-rail from Dulles.

Here is their rail map: http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

 

[SEA333]

Those two airports are about 30 miles apart, but with DC traffic, you're looking at a drive of possibly an hour or more.

The Metro runs to Bethesda, so it's probably a big time saver to just meet at the hotel. Use google maps - you plug in the info and they can give you public transportation directions.

Don't rent a car. Why would you need to get to the suburbs? Just to visit the uncle? As others said, have him meet you in the city. Save yourself the cost and headache and then you won't feel as bad spending more on a hotel. And no parking fees.

I would recommend some of the first tier VA suburbs near a metro stop for your hotel - Arlington or Alexandria. Just make sure they are close to the metro.

Thanks! I'm sure he would meet us anywhere, but I like my independence. Plus they have a two-year old (they are "mature" parents LOL...meaning old! haha!), so not sure how often they go out on the town. I wouldn't mind seeing their house, either....and we will likely have some family issues to go over, (for several issues, but the biggest being that he is the primary executor of many of our family's inheritances/retirement funds/etc, one being my mother - he is younger than her...much closer to my age, which is creeping way to close to middle-aged for my liking!), of which wouldn't be appropriate for a restaurant setting due to both privacy and length of conversation reasons. He has already indicated that there are things he would like to discuss with my sister and I regarding these issues, so I am pretty sure he will think that our visit would be a good time. I agree...I only get to see him in person every few years, and part of the reason we added the 4th day was for this reason. So, we either need him to pick us up or we need some way to get to him.

 

[SEA333]

The blue line starts/ends in Springfield (and has a stop at Reagan and Alexandria Old Town/King Street (which is my suggestion for hotels)...think there is a bus-rail from Dulles.

Here is their rail map: http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

Thank you! I looked that same website up, too, but without a map of the area, it didn't mean much. I was going to try to find a map that I could screenshare with so I could try to get a picture of where the streets and cities were in relation to the rail map. Chicago has an eerily similar-looking map for our Metra system, but since I know where everything is here, it is easy to figure out. The good thing is, it looks like both systems are alike, so I don't anticipate having problems once there.

Thanks again!

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Thank you! I looked that same website up, too, but without a map of the area, it didn't mean much. I was going to try to find a map that I could screenshare with so I could try to get a picture of where the streets and cities were in relation to the rail map. Chicago has an eerily similar-looking map for our Metra system, but since I know where everything is here, it is easy to figure out. The good thing is, it looks like both systems are alike, so I don't anticipate having problems once there.

Thanks again!

When I was planning I pulled up Google maps and searched for metro stations.

You should be an old pro at it. Being from the Austin Area it was all new to me, but we found it simple and easy to use...by the end of our stay I was upset we didn't have something like it as we dreaded the return of the hour-long commute by car to work.

But honestly, almost everything you will want to tour is no more than four blocks from a metro stop. And I do strongly (yet again) suggest Old Town Alexandria for your hotel as it is super convienient with two main rail lines, and all the wonderful shops and restaurants right there along King Street.

 

[karice2]

There is a shuttle bus that goes from Dulles airport to Reagan National airport. So your sister would be able to take that shuttle from one airport to the other.

 

[clutter]

Can she be the driver? I just rented a small SUV from Dollar at Dulles for $88 for two days, all in, for this weekend and next. I don't know if they have the same deal at Reagan. Just hit the button to see if there is a City Code. (I just looked. I think it's a weekend thing, but I could get one for Sa/Su next weekend for about the same price.)

They are opening the silver line soon (July 26 is the last I heard), so she could take transportation to Reagan. Or there is the shuttle. She could also simply take the bus and train to the hotel in Bethesda and meet you there.

To do sights, you don't need a car if you are near Metro. Perhaps your uncle could pick you up when you go visit. There have been a lot of posts about hotels in DC recently. I'd stay closer to town, and do the Dollar rental over the weekend if you need to drive anywhere!

 

[Judique]

How about checking out the Crystal City area? It's really close to the Pentagon and also fairly easy access into DC.

There are quite a few name brand high rise hotels in that area with July/August rates in the $90 - $150 range as well as much higher if you are not happy with Hilton/ Marriott properties. (Not sure what month you are travelling?)

You would be relatively close to the airports for your departures - probably free hotel shuttles for Reagan.

Your uncle could easily pick you up on his way home from work and drop you at the Metro in Springfield to go back to your hotel.

Your sister could bus from Dulles to Reagan and you could use your included transport option to get to Bethesda and back to the area the next day, then easy peasy back to Reagan and Dulles - no car really needed. Use Metro for sightseeing.

Enjoy your visit!

Edit: I like Alexandria also, but you will find higher hotel prices and more limited options. Alexandria has it's own vibe and is on the Potomac and is a nice place to visit, but in your circumstance - more expensive and less convenient. But great as a destination to just visit the city.

 

[pintamino]

Can she be the driver? I just rented a small SUV from Dollar at Dulles for $88 for two days, all in, for this weekend and next. I don't know if they have the same deal at Reagan. Just hit the button to see if there is a City Code. (I just looked. I think it's a weekend thing, but I could get one for Sa/Su next weekend for about the same price.)

They are opening the silver line soon (July 26 is the last I heard), so she could take transportation to Reagan. Or there is the shuttle. She could also simply take the bus and train to the hotel in Bethesda and meet you there.

To do sights, you don't need a car if you are near Metro. Perhaps your uncle could pick you up when you go visit. There have been a lot of posts about hotels in DC recently. I'd stay closer to town, and do the Dollar rental over the weekend if you need to drive anywhere!

Silver line is opening to Tyson's this month (supposedly). Will be several years until the Dulles connector is done.

There is a bus that I think is $6 or so to Rosslyn from Dulles. Then blue line to National.

 

[jimandami]

We recently stayed at the Westin in Old Town Alexandria for $107/night on Hotwire. It was an easy walk to the metro. The problem with renting a car is then you will have to pay the crazy parking fees too!

 

[AnAmericanInDisney]

I would stay downtown or Crystal City. You'll need somewhere to put your luggage after you check out in Bethesda. The only logical place to do that is your new hotel. So, you take trains/busses from airport to Bethesda, stay, check out of Bethesda hotel and go to new hotel, check bags, see sites, go to rooms at new hotel to freshen up, meet with uncle later that night for visit and dinner, go back to hotel. Hopefully, stay one more full day for more sites. Stay over. Check out. Go to National Airport together. You catch plane. Sis catches bus to Dulles.

Alexandria is too far from downtown to go to just for your bags.

When are you going? My husband always stays at the Beacon on Dupont Circle when he travels for business. It's pretty cheap, but he says some rooms are small and some are really big, so I guess it's a crap shoot.

What are your dates of travel?

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

My son and I went to DC in April. We used the Metro for everything and it was super easy and clean. We flew into Reagan and stayed near the White House with a good hotel deal. The Metro took us straight out of the airport to the tourist area/hotel.

To go home we flew out of Dulles because we wanted to see the Air & Space Museum near there that houses Space Shuttle Discovery. We took the Metro to the Rosslyn stop in VA and then they had a very nice bus that took us to the airport. It was very easy to find and use. The bus stop was at the exit up the longest escalator I have ever seen! The signs were very clear and easy to follow.

I used the trip planner tool on the Metro website to plan stuff out and it was easy to use:

http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/tripplanner/tripplanner_form_solo.cfm

 

[Patience]

Anyone have any idea if the Metro in DC goes out to Springfield?

We stayed at a Marriott Residence Inn in Springfield. They had a free shuttle to the Metro station that was very easy to use and convenient. The station was about 3 blocks away if I remember correctly. The hotel is pretty much brand new and has a kitchen and a free breakfast. There were also a number of inexpensive restaurants (Chipotle, Panda Express, etc.) within easy walking distance of the hotel. I don't know for sure because we didn't fly to DC but the hotel may have a free shuttle from the airport too. Lots of government employees were staying there. Here's the link: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hote...sok-residence-inn-springfield-old-keene-mill/

 

[danygirl]

Don't rent a car unless you used to crazy city driving. Parking in the city can run $20 per day and parking at metro is not free.

The doubletree in Bethesda is near metro why not stay there an extra day or two and then ask the family if you can stay the rest of the time with them .

There is metro in Springfield but honestly you won't find a hotel within walking distance. During the week your uncle could drop you at the pentagon city metro and pick you up in the evening at Springfield metro

Springfield is a big place. If you give me a street I can be more helpful - lived there for a long time and still live nearby
Once you are in DC there are a ton of free things to do. Check travelzoo and goldstar for discounts
Depending on time if year a Nats came can be fun and cheap

There are a ton of places to shop and eat in Bethesda for your time there. NIH is on the bus line and metro is close. You can get into the city pretty quickly from there

You should have a great trip!

 

[SEA333]

I would stay downtown or Crystal City. You'll need somewhere to put your luggage after you check out in Bethesda. The only logical place to do that is your new hotel. So, you take trains/busses from airport to Bethesda, stay, check out of Bethesda hotel and go to new hotel, check bags, see sites, go to rooms at new hotel to freshen up, meet with uncle later that night for visit and dinner, go back to hotel. Hopefully, stay one more full day for more sites. Stay over. Check out. Go to National Airport together. You catch plane. Sis catches bus to Dulles.

Alexandria is too far from downtown to go to just for your bags.

When are you going? My husband always stays at the Beacon on Dupont Circle when he travels for business. It's pretty cheap, but he says some rooms are small and some are really big, so I guess it's a crap shoot.

What are your dates of travel?

We are going in October. It will a Wed-sunday. I will have to doublecheck my paperwork, but I think the study wants us to check out before arriving thurs morning, and they provide luggage storage while I will be in the testing/exam rooms at the NIH. If we pack relatively light, we can retrive our belongings and transfer to the new hotel...we would just have to bring it on the train. It would be easier to stay at the same hotel the whole time, but I wasn't sure if the Metro would go to Bethesda?