OT - Washington DC during Christmas Break? And which Hilton?

[100AcreWood]

Hi - we are thinking about taking the kids to DC after Christmas for a few days. Any advice on whether that would be a good time to visit? We'll spend most of our time in the museums, zoo and just looking around (we've never been to DC before).

Also - any recommendations on a hilton in DC? My dh has some hiltons points so that would be a nice way to make the trip cheaper.

We are a family of 5 (my kids will be 5, 7, and 11 by Dec)

Thank you!

 

[pryncess527]

Hi - we are thinking about taking the kids to DC after Christmas for a few days. Any advice on whether that would be a good time to visit? We'll spend most of our time in the museums, zoo and just looking around (we've never been to DC before).

Also - any recommendations on a hilton in DC? My dh has some hiltons points so that would be a nice way to make the trip cheaper.

We are a family of 5 (my kids will be 5, 7, and 11 by Dec)

Thank you!

No hotel recs because we stayed with family, but I spent Christmas in DC a few years ago and it was wonderful! It was really cold, but that's to be expected. The Christmas decorations were beautiful -- in one of the national mall areas each state had decorated a tree and they were all up on display.

Congress should be in session the first two weeks of December so you might be able to visit your Congressmen - your kids might not be as geeky as I was when I was a kid, but I loved doing that, I felt so important! Planning this early, you may also be able to secure a White House tour, which would be extra awesome with the decorations up. (you usually have to request those through a Congressperson)

 

[katrina1122]

I grew up near DC, so no hotel reccomendations, but DC at that time of year can be in the 50's but in can be in the 0's as well.

You might have snow, freezing rain or sun. It's not a predicatble thing. Sometimes the river is frozen other's it's not.

With that said, we often went to the Nat'l Christmas tree and just wore tons of layers to keep warm outside at night. The museums will be warm, but the zoo could be miserable. Use the metro to get around so you don't have to worry about parking which is NOT easy.

Wear layers if it's cold. We went to Obama's first Inauguration when it was 18 degrees for a high and stood in one spot for hours. It was crazy cold. Went to a few other inaugrations throughout the years and they weren't nearly as bad. These, of course, are mid January.

Blizzards don't normally hit in December, but wait till later in the winter, then I remember around Xmas as a small child.

 

[darnheather]

Oh you'll love it! Absolutely go to the National Mall to see the Christmas tree, trains and state decorations. The zoo is fabulous in winter because it is deserted. There are many buildings to go into to look at animals, get warm, and talk to docents. Museums are always great. If you want to see your senator/congress office write them NOW. It takes a really long time to get permission these days.

 

[100AcreWood]

Thanks for all your help! It sounds like this is a great time to visit assuming the weather isn't 10 below .

Can someone help me figure out how much the metro costs? I checked their website and I'm even more confused.

 

[automaticsoap]

The cost of each metro ride depends on the distance you go and if you are travelling during rush hour. To calculate the cost per trip, you will need to know which metro stop you are getting on and off at. There are weekly passes available, but depending on how many trips you are taking, it may be a lot cheaper not to get a pass. Also, paper farecards add an additional $1 to each trip so you may want to get a Smartrip card ($5).

 

[danygirl]

DC is great. The museums are all open so you can enjoy them. The zoo can be cold but they light it up at night to make it special. The natl Christmas tree is out. Fords theatre always does A Christmas Carol and the show is great. I would say go for it

 

[GraysMom]

We were just in DC a month ago and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown on 14th St, just across the street from the McPherson Square Metro Station. It was a few blocks to the White House and we used the Metro to get us started anywhere else. HGI Downtown is nice, has a friendly staff and has valet parking (expensive, as are most of the parking garages around there, but there isn't much of a choice in the area). They offer a nice buffet breakfast, but it's expensive, so we just walked to Starbucks a block or so away and grabbed breakfast before hopping on the Metro. Oh, and you'd need 2 rooms. Our room had two double beds and no couch or room for a rollaway bed.

As far as the Metro pricing goes, something we didn't know until we went to buy tickets, is that you need to add additional money beyond the fare to each paper ticket (as opposed to a reloadable SmarTrip card which can be ordered ahead of time and has a one-time $5 fee). For example, from McPherson Square (blue & orange rail lines) to the Smithsonian stop (also blue & orange lines) costs $2.10 (off peak, such as weekends) plus an additional $1 paper ticket fee for a total of $3.10 per person from McPherson to Smithsonian, one way. If you're gong to ride a lot, it would make sense to buy the SmarTrip card ahead of time so you're ready to hop on the Metro when you're ready. You can trade in paper tickets with money left on them when you buy your next ticket as well. In our experience (off peak, weekends in May), the Metro rail was right on time, but I'm not sure how the schedule is during the holidays.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Also - any recommendations on a hilton in DC? My dh has some hiltons points so that would be a nice way to make the trip cheaper.

We are a family of 5 (my kids will be 5, 7, and 11 by Dec)

Are you hoping to stay in one room? Because with 5, your options get cut back.

I'm going to throw out the suggestion of the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. - at the Chevy Chase Pavilion. This is a convenient location on top of a metro stop (you don't have to go outdoors to get to the station) and its near plenty of places to eat (Whole Foods, PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, McDonalds, plus a bunch more are on the same block or across the street).

Make sure you factor in the cost of metro when deciding where to stay. Base fare is around $2 per person, and staying out in the suburbs is more expensive. X 5 and you could be talking $30-40 per night getting back and forth on metro to a suburban hotel.

 

[Britster18]

FYI- no tours for White House due to sequestration. I'm not sure about the Capitol but WH is a no for sure.

Smartrip cards are the way to go for the metro. You can buy them now and have them sent to your house. You can add money on them online or at a kiosk at the station. MUCH easier (and cheaper) then a fare card.

 

[C-CMom]

Have stayed at the Hampton Inn in Crystal City on points in the past - is near a Metro Station, and only a short ride away from many DC tourist destinations.

 

[akcire]

In may we stayed at the Washington Hilton. Our room rate was either 99 or 109. I can't remember. They upgraded us to concierge.

The hotel was nice. Typical Hilton. The concierge lounge lacked in food but we have some allergies. Ate breakfast twice in the buffet restaurant. Food was good. Staff was wonderful.

My husband was in DC for a conference. It was him, myself, and our newly 2 year old. The metro worked fine as our only source of transportation. We took metro from airport. I think the walk to hotel was about 5 blocks from metro station. It was an easy walk with lots of businesses in DuPont. To get to the zoo I just walked. We went twice. My daughter loved it. On days we visited the smithsonian museums we took metro. My only complaint was waiting for metro elevators with the stroller.

To accommodate my daughters allergies the hotel supplied a small refrigerator. I walked to whole foods to get her familiar foods. I know there were some closer stores but I didn't want to have to read 1000 labels.

All in it was a good trip and I'd stoat the hotel again for things in the district.

The only thing I didn't do was a hop on off red bus tour. It looked fun but the day I planned it was rainy. We hit air and space instead.

 

[OrangeBirdFan]

Not a holiday specific recommendation but Udvar Hazy is definitely worth checking out if you can manage to get over there. However, it’s not very public transportation friendly. According to their website there is a bus that goes there but I’ve never taken it. I’ve always driven. All of the guests I have taken have enjoyed it far more than Air and Space on the Mall, but it is much harder to get to.

At Christmastime, it is really nice to go see Union Station. I like their decorations and the train displays. I also really like the Botanical Gardens since they do a replica of the Mall.

The zoo is probably still worth visiting, but during the colder months the animals can be less active, and occasionally have been on loan elsewhere. Just thought I’d warn you since the one year my family decided to visit during the season, a lot of what they wanted to see at the zoo was less than exciting or just not there. However, that was awhile ago, before they finished the Asia Trail. In any event, the Zoolights are pretty cool.

I would recommend taking a bus tour of the monuments by night. As much as I enjoy them during the day, I think they are much better at night. There is no tour company I would recommend. I’ve been on a couple but they have all been about the same. I’d just see what you can get a discount on by checking groupon and other deal websites.

 

[darnheather]

With five people you might have better luck with cab fares. Metro can be up to $5 one way per person and without the smart trip card minimum of $3.25 one way. Here's a cab fare calculator. http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Washington-DC

 

[100AcreWood]

Are you hoping to stay in one room? Because with 5, your options get cut back.

I'm going to throw out the suggestion of the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. - at the Chevy Chase Pavilion. This is a convenient location on top of a metro stop (you don't have to go outdoors to get to the station) and its near plenty of places to eat (Whole Foods, PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, McDonalds, plus a bunch more are on the same block or across the street).

Make sure you factor in the cost of metro when deciding where to stay. Base fare is around $2 per person, and staying out in the suburbs is more expensive. X 5 and you could be talking $30-40 per night getting back and forth on metro to a suburban hotel.

So the Embassy at Chevy Chase looks perfect. Is that considered a suburban hotel? I'm really out of my area here. Disney I know, DC not so much.

 

[honeybunches]

Love Embassy, their breakfast is awesome!

 

[bookluvingbabe]

The Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase is on the DC side. You cross the street and you're in Maryland. (And can shop at Bloomingdale's, Whole Foods and eat at PF Changs.)

In theory the Metro won't be as crowded after Christmas but the museums won't be empty.

I'd probably opt for closer in so there was less reliance on public transit--it adds up fast. When DH's family came, they opted for cabs quite a bit. They stayed at the Hilton on 16th Street. (Not the one on CT...) There is also a Hilton Garden Suites on 14th that people like.

 

[HeatherC]

Also check out the Residence Inn Pentagon City. We are staying here next week in a suite that sleeps 6 with full kitchen and free breakfast for $95 a night. I boooked it on the Marriott site using a AAA code of z2h. May work as well for your dates. Just type the code in the corp/promo box...but don't click the AAA box. When I did that the rate was higher.

It is rated number one for hotels in Arlington on TripAdvisor. It is near the metro and only three stops to the Mall. You don't have to change lines or anything since it is on the same one as the National Mall. There is also the Pentagon City Mall with shops and restaurants right near it.

Hope this helps!

 

[Swimalie]

Not a holiday specific recommendation but Udvar Hazy is definitely worth checking out if you can manage to get over there. However, it’s not very public transportation friendly. According to their website there is a bus that goes there but I’ve never taken it. I’ve always driven. All of the guests I have taken have enjoyed it far more than Air and Space on the Mall, but it is much harder to get to.

I believe they stopped the shuttle a while ago due to budget cuts. It is well worth the drive, though. Nothing like being up close and personal with the Discovery space shuttle.

 

[100AcreWood]

The Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase is on the DC side. You cross the street and you're in Maryland. (And can shop at Bloomingdale's, Whole Foods and eat at PF Changs.)

In theory the Metro won't be as crowded after Christmas but the museums won't be empty.

I'd probably opt for closer in so there was less reliance on public transit--it adds up fast. When DH's family came, they opted for cabs quite a bit. They stayed at the Hilton on 16th Street. (Not the one on CT...) There is also a Hilton Garden Suites on 14th that people like.

Yea, finding a hotel that sleeps 5 is the hard part. It seems the Embassy Suites are the best option for us since we're trying to use Hilton points. There is an Embassy Suites near the convention center but the cost of parking is much higher, the hotel rate is higher and costs more points so I'm not sure if we would save anything staying at that location.