Short trip to Washington DC, hotel and activity recommendations

[Disneyplanners]

DH and I are thinking about taking a weekend trip to DC without the kids to go to football game at fedex field. It's a college game, so it will be a Saturday night game. The thought is that we will drive in on Friday evening, stay Friday and Saturday night at a hotel, see some of the sights Saturday morning and early afternoon, and on Sunday.

From my initial research, it seems that there really aren't many hotels near fedex field, so we would want to stay somewhere that is walkable to the metro. Any recommendations for both an area we should look to stay at or a specific hotel? We are not picky about the hotel, just want somewhere safe, that has parking and an included breakfast would be a plus. I'd like to keep it under $100 per night and I'd be open to using priceline.

Also, any activity recommendation ideas? We know options will be limited since we only have Sat. and Sunday. DH would like to see some of the monuments. This will be in early November.

Thanks so much for any help / tips. Haven't been to DC since I was in high school

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

There is a Courtyard with the metro stop next to it. runs around $100 a night

 

[Marionnette]

DH and I are thinking about taking a weekend trip to DC without the kids to go to football game at fedex field. It's a college game, so it will be a Saturday night game. The thought is that we will drive in on Friday evening, stay Friday and Saturday night at a hotel, see some of the sights Saturday morning and early afternoon, and on Sunday.

From my initial research, it seems that there really aren't many hotels near fedex field, so we would want to stay somewhere that is walkable to the metro. Any recommendations for both an area we should look to stay at or a specific hotel? We are not picky about the hotel, just want somewhere safe, that has parking and an included breakfast would be a plus. I'd like to keep it under $100 per night and I'd be open to using priceline.

Also, any activity recommendation ideas? We know options will be limited since we only have Sat. and Sunday. DH would like to see some of the monuments. This will be in early November.

Thanks so much for any help / tips. Haven't been to DC since I was in high school

How far away from the city are you willing to go in order to pay so little for a room? The DC area can be very expensive. We actually stayed at the Embassy Suites on Centreville Rd. in Herndon, VA. It's closer to Dulles than it is to DC. They offer a free made-to-order breakfast and evening happy hour with appetizers. Parking is free and the hotel is close to a shopping center where you can buy some groceries if you want. The rooms have fridges, microwaves and a coffeemaker.

The Silver Line of the Metro recently opened in Reston, which is about 10 minutes from the hotel. The station is very clean and has free parking in their parking garage on the weekends. The staff is very helpful and even took the time to do the button-pushing on the ticket machine so that we got the exact tickets that we needed to go from Reston ->Arlington->DC->Reston. The only drawback is the amount of time that it takes to go from Reston to DC. It is not a 15 minute ride!

If you only have one place that you can visit, I highly recommend the holocaust museum and memorial. Educational and very moving. It is extremely well done.

For the monuments, keep in mind that you need a ticket. Tickets are free but you should reserve your spot well ahead of time. It can be done easily online.

If you have time, visit the Ford Theater (where Lincoln was shot). The presentation by the National Park rangers is very good. Don't skip visiting the Peterson House afterward. Tickets can be obtained at the theater or online but only if there are no performances scheduled. The theater is still in use for stage productions and concerts.

 

[tina.tina]

I don't have a specific recommendation, but have you seen hotelsneardcmetro.com?

We recently stayed in downtown Cleveland, OH and there weren't really any places to eat at all in the evenings. I've heard the same thing about downtown DC so I would avoid that area.

I've looked at a Fairfield near the Dunn-Loring station but the issue with staying near a metro stop in the suburbs would be whether there would be trains running as late as you need them to.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

.......

For the monuments, keep in mind that you need a ticket. Tickets are free but you should reserve your spot well ahead of time. It can be done easily online.

If you have time, visit the Ford Theater (where Lincoln was shot). The presentation by the National Park rangers is very good. Don't skip visiting the Peterson House afterward. Tickets can be obtained at the theater or online but only if there are no performances scheduled. The theater is still in use for stage productions and concerts.

The only monument which comes to mind as needing a ticket is if you want to go to the top of the Washington Monument. You don't need a ticket for the monuments or the Smithsonian Museums.

For a quick visit to DC, I would not recommend visiting the Ford Theater, as interesting as it is.

OP, it's hard to recommend activities since you didn't mention your interests.

 

[Marionnette]

The only monument which comes to mind as needing a ticket is if you want to go to the top of the Washington Monument. You don't need a ticket for the monuments or the Smithsonian Museums.

For a quick visit to DC, I would not recommend visiting the Ford Theater, as interesting as it is.

OP, it's hard to recommend activities since you didn't mention your interests.

I stand corrected. The Lincoln Memorial does not require a ticket. Visiting the Capital Building and a few other places of interest do.
http://washington.org/DC-faqs-for-visitors/which-attractions-require-tickets

And I do agree that the Ford Theater is a bit out of the way, not being near the Mall area. However, it is worth the stop if you have the time and a strong interest in the antebellum era. My son actually enjoyed it more than the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, which I had though would have been on the top of his list.

 

[Disneyplanners]

Thanks for the responses so far, the links given are very helpful! We are mostly interested in seeing the monuments, maybe touring the white house (just sent a request through our congressman's webpage) and shopping.

 

[danygirl]

You don't want to stay near fedex and Dunn loring is in va far from fedex
Find something near the silver spring or Bethesda metro stations
You will have easier access to the game and the city and there are lots of shops and restaurants (local not chain) near those stations

 

[sheetz]

If you want no-frills the Americana Hotel in Crystal City, VA is decent. Free parking and breakfast and about 10 min walk to Metro station. Looks like you can get a room with 1 double bed for $67.50 with their weekend special.
http://www.americanahotel.com/arlington-va-hotel-specials-and-packages.htm


A little more upscale is the Holiday Inn Rosslyn. Free parking, and if you join their frequent guest program you get one free buffet breakfast in their hotel restaurant. Only 1 block from Metro station. Good weekend rates.

 

[Ladcassidy]

Any hotel in Crystal City is a good bet for visiting the main DC tourist district, they are metro accessible for heading to the game, and the area has lots of options for food and drink. The hotels are generally business-class hotels, and most offer very low weekend rates. The area is next to Ronald Reagan National Airport, so the hotels might be described that way, too. If you drive to town, you can drive and park at FedEx field. It will cost you, but so will multiple metro tickets.

 

[Loralei]

If you want no-frills the Americana Hotel in Crystal City, VA is decent. Free parking and breakfast and about 10 min walk to Metro station. Looks like you can get a room with 1 double bed for $67.50 with their weekend special.
http://www.americanahotel.com/arlington-va-hotel-specials-and-packages.htm

My husband & I stayed at the Americana when we went to DC last year. It is definitely a no frills hotel. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary with low rates when we stayed there & I'm not sure it has been updated since the 60s. That said, we really liked it. The staff was super friendly. They offered free shuttle service to area restaurants, free covered parking through the end of your check out date, and it was only a couple blocks walk to the metro. It was also a pretty short metro ride to the mall area where the monuments are. Our favorite was the WWII memorial...beautiful! Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip! We were only there for 2 days. So, I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what there was to see!

 

[Disneyplanners]

My husband & I stayed at the Americana when we went to DC last year. It is definitely a no frills hotel. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary with low rates when we stayed there & I'm not sure it has been updated since the 60s. That said, we really liked it. The staff was super friendly. They offered free shuttle service to area restaurants, free covered parking through the end of your check out date, and it was only a couple blocks walk to the metro. It was also a pretty short metro ride to the mall area where the monuments are. Our favorite was the WWII memorial...beautiful! Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip! We were only there for 2 days. So, I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what there was to see!

The Americana is actually where we stayed on our high school trip, I can remember the pink tile shower! I'm thinking we'll stay outside of dc a bit near the metro, maybe Arlington or Bethesda. Still researching though. It looks like the rates are lower on the weekends! Also, maybe a segway tour to see the monuments, since we won't have a lot of time.

 

[soccerchick]

Any hotel in Crystal City is a good bet for visiting the main DC tourist district, they are metro accessible for heading to the game, and the area has lots of options for food and drink. The hotels are generally business-class hotels, and most offer very low weekend rates. The area is next to Ronald Reagan National Airport, so the hotels might be described that way, too. If you drive to town, you can drive and park at FedEx field. It will cost you, but so will multiple metro tickets.

Residence Inn at Pentagon City was nice and has parking and included ("free") breakfast. It's also near restaurants and a one or two block to the metro. It's right across the bridge from DC. I wouldn't stay far out from the city if the game will go late, though without kids that's less of an issue.


There are so many monuments and museums that you shouldn't have any problem filling your time.

Check out Smithsonian si.edu and National Park service website nps.gov

Read some reviews on Tripadvisor too.

 

[mhf]

You don't want to stay near fedex and Dunn loring is in va far from fedex
Find something near the silver spring or Bethesda metro stations
You will have easier access to the game and the city and there are lots of shops and restaurants (local not chain) near those stations

Totally agree with this! Silver Spring has a number of hotels and restaurants "downtown" and the metro is right there too. Same with Bethesda. I think Pentagon City, Roslyn, and other places in VA are too far from Fedex.

There is an Embassy Suites in Friendship Heights (MD/DC border) that is right on top of the metro too. Closer in to DC. You might be able to get a weekend or AAA rate there. Shopping and Dining all around it.

 

[mrsp1030]

We live in the DC suburbs and we often stay at the residence inn Ballston. There are several other Marriott properties around the area and a short jump on the metro in Arlington. Check out that area as great restaurants and a great area overall. I'm assuming you are coming in for the Navy/ND game. Monuments are all free except you just need tickets to go up the Washington Monument but need to get there early. Highly recommend the hop on/hop off your as easy to get around and see more.

 

[SplashMo]

We stayed very close to George Washington University. We walked many miles each day. I started at Lincoln Memorial (six blocks from our hotel)and walked all of the memorials in both the morning and in the evening. They are very different at night. I would try to do both. Also the Natural History Museum and Museum of American History are must sees in my book. You can eat at the Natural History Museum. Expect to pay about $12 / person with no drinks... Also the Thomas Jefferson wing of the library was impressive. We went to the train museum and it was just OK. The Indian Museum also has food. A little more spendy but not bad...

 

[Judique]

DH and I are thinking about taking a weekend trip to DC without the kids to go to football game at fedex field. It's a college game, so it will be a Saturday night game. The thought is that we will drive in on Friday evening, stay Friday and Saturday night at a hotel, see some of the sights Saturday morning and early afternoon, and on Sunday.

From my initial research, it seems that there really aren't many hotels near fedex field, so we would want to stay somewhere that is walkable to the metro. Any recommendations for both an area we should look to stay at or a specific hotel? We are not picky about the hotel, just want somewhere safe, that has parking and an included breakfast would be a plus. I'd like to keep it under $100 per night and I'd be open to using priceline.

Also, any activity recommendation ideas? We know options will be limited since we only have Sat. and Sunday. DH would like to see some of the monuments. This will be in early November.

Thanks so much for any help / tips. Haven't been to DC since I was in high school

With such a short period of time, I would consider staying in DC. If you arrive on Friday evening, and then try to use Metro to get to the monuments and then get to FedEx, you will get a great tour of Metro - your time will be eaten up.

There is a Holiday Inn on 6th and C close to the Smithsonian. It is $109 a night plus tax and then parking is $37 - not cheap but not super high. The hotel, I mean - the parking is pretty pricey. You would be walking distance - about 2 blocks - to the Mall. You would have several Metro stations to choose from to get to FedEx. A cheaper parking option would be Union station - its $22 for 24 hours there.

You could also park at a Metro station outside the city (I think they are free for weekend parking) and Metro in to your hotel. Which site would be determined on which direction you are coming in.

If you go to Booking.com, and click 'map' on any hotel choice, it will give you a great sense of the locations of all the available hotels. Oh, and your nearest neighbor hotel would be the Mandarin Oriental on Maryland Ave, but they are pretty pricey.

 

[owensamo]

There is a Holiday Inn on 6th and C close to the Smithsonian. It is $109 a night plus tax and then parking is $37 - not cheap but not super high. The hotel, I mean - the parking is pretty pricey. You would be walking distance - about 2 blocks - to the Mall. You would have several Metro stations to choose from to get to FedEx. A cheaper parking option would be Union station - its $22 for 24 hours there.

We stayed at this hotel last November for 5 nights to tour DC - it was perfect! 2 blocks to the Air & Space Museum, we walked from here around all the monuments, to all of the museums we wanted to hit, and even to the White House and the Capitol. We did have a car, but got a rate that included parking (though we paid a little more than $109/night). The only places we drove to, though, were the National Zoo, Arlington Cemetery, and Tyson's Corners (DD *had* to go to American Girl Place! ). The hotel was nice and clean, the staff was friendly, and there is a Starbucks in the lobby, and a McDonald's and sub shop within a block (not much else around for food, though). There is a restaurant in the hotel, as well as a lunch counter that we never saw open (never around at lunch time) and a buffet breakfast offering that we took advantage of one morning that was really good (though not free).

I recommend the Capital tour and the White House tour if you can swing them - I think White House tours book up very quickly, but the Capitol seems to have some openings (we actually got our tour time moved up when we checked in because the tour before ours wasn't full). Lunch at the Capitol was good, as is the food at the Natural History Museum. I don't recommend eating that the Air & Space Museum (overpriced McDonald's). We had awesome gelato in the tunnel between the art museums.

 

[Ali]

There is a Holiday Inn on 6th and C close to the Smithsonian. It is $109 a night plus tax and then parking is $37 - not cheap but not super high. The hotel, I mean - the parking is pretty pricey. You would be walking distance - about 2 blocks - to the Mall. You would have several Metro stations to choose from to get to FedEx. A cheaper parking option would be Union station - its $22 for 24 hours there.

I stayed in this hotel in July. It was nice, seemed safe, and we walked to and from the metro and the mall and the mcDonalds on the corner all the time.

 

[SplashMo]

A few more notes. I mentioned food and drinks in the Smithsonian because at first glance there are not a lot of places to get food (or so it seems). Plenty of food is available though in some of the museums.

I walked the monuments but there are also buses and Segway tours. The airspace museum is worth ducking into. They have a Russian and US ICBM in the front entrance (memories of the cold war). Kitty Hawk and also the Russian and US spaceship connected together.

Walking up capitol hill is something that (even though it is a short distance) is a climb.