Very specific Washington, D.C. questions (hotel, etc).

[welovedisneyx4]

Thanks SEAlla and Christine. I didn't realize that. We barely get up that early for a Disney vacation. I'll have to get w/ my uncle and get some more info on Metro stations close to him.

 

[SEAlla]

Thanks SEAlla and Christine. I didn't realize that. We barely get up that early for a Disney vacation. I'll have to get w/ my uncle and get some more info on Metro stations close to him.

No problem. Here is the link to the metro rail map. It may help you get a idea of the stops and where they are.


http://www.wmata.com/tripplanner/maps.cfm

 

[TxJasmine]

We stayed at the Best Western Key Bridge for spring break a few years ago. It was a nice hotel and right across the street from the Rosslyn metro station. Very convenient. It took only a few minutes to get into town. We paid around $80/night. It's probably gone up some, but it's still probably less than $150.

 

[lsyorke]

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn at the Capitol. It's about a 6 block walk to the Capitol and there's a Metro stop pretty close by. The do charge for parking, so be aware. The Hotel itself is basic Holiday Inn, but clean and good security. Nothing fancy, but convenient.

 

[kilee]

I know it's not hotel advice. But, for getting around the city- we found the tour tram to be the best bet for the money. It lets you on and off all day (I'm thinking we bought multi-day passes last time). It stops at something like 15+ major sites. On top of that you get a "tour" while going from one stop to another.
We've used this everytime we're in D.C..

 

[Terri C]

Another option would be Alexandria, VA. There are some hotels in Old Town. There are some great restaurants and shops that you could walk to. And some hotels have free shuttels to the Metro

Spring is great time to visit DC. Hopefully the cherry blossoms will be out when you're there! Have fun

Terri

 

[MrsPete]

We just went to DC over Labor Day and had a GREAT TIME showing the kids the monuments, museums, etc. Details:

We stayed in the Residence Inn on Vermont St, which is 5 blocks from the White House (simliar distance to Smithsonian, etc.). The McPherson Metro Station is about 1.5 blocks away, making this a very good location. We "won" this hotel on Priceline.com for only $50 per night, which was great considering they also serve a free breakfast (eggs, waffles, fruit, everything). The CVS on the lowest level sells basic groceries, so we were able to cook in our kitchen. We found food in DC to be very high, so we were glad to have ways to stretch our food budget.

Two downsides to this hotel: 1) no swimming pool. 2) We had the smallest room, which included one very comfortable queen sized bed and an L-shaped sofa that pulled out into one generous single bed. Our tiny 8=year old was able to sleep on the non-pull out side, but it wasn't any too big for her. If we stay there again, I'll either get her a roll-away, or I'll pop for the larger suite.

We originally had reservations at the Crystal City Marriott, and I think it would've been a good choice.

We flew into DC and didn't have a car. I'm glad we didn't. I believe parking at our hotel was $20/day, not to mention traffic and parking fees elsewhere. Our feet were our main mode of transportation, but we also enjoyed the Metro. If you fly into Dulles like we did ($40/person tickets on Independence Air), use the Metro Flyer system to get yourself into DC -- excellent service for a very good price.

One day we did the Tour-mobile bus thing, which I'd rate as mediocre. Some of the guides were really great -- very informative, throwing out trivia game-show style, really entertaining the crowds . . . one guide, however, was just plain evil. I just wanted to get away from her! We waited way longer than I thought was reasonable for busses to come along (more than an hour at one point). If you do this, buy your tickets ahead of time on the internet; they're cheaper.

Best meal we had: Hard Rock Cafe
Best cheap meal: Food Court at Union Station
Best snack: Lemon ice at the Zoo
Favorite museum: Natural History (kids begged to go back a second day . . . okay, kids if you MUST return to the museum)
Least favorite stop: White House Visitor Center
Favorite monument: George Washington
Prettiest stop: National Botanical Gardens
Biggest surprise: Being searched when entering every museum
Best advice I can give: Comfortable walking shoes

 

[pjlla]

A belated "THANK YOU" to all who have posted here. I was reviewing this information again to try and make a final decision about hotel/transportation. I am printing this thread and will be referring back to it many times, I am sure. Thanks again......P