Washington D.C. advice, Please

[amybippy]

Hello Everyone... I need a little help, Dissers. I have been drafted to plan the annual "Ladies Only" trip that some of my friends and family go on every couple of years or so. We have decided to try to do Washington D.C. I know absolutely nothing about the city, except that there are a whole lot of things we want to see. We think we would like to maybe stay outside the city in an area that is accessible by train or something. What are some good areas for us to consider?? I have read about Rosslyn...is this good? I am really kind of lost here. I want us to have fun, be safe and be in an area with at least some restaurants. And are there some good tour busses that we can use to see things. Any help from my favorite group of people in the world would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, folks...

Amy

 

[jonestavern]

Although, I have never stayed in hotels (Mom worked in DC & lived in Maryland) many lovely suburban areas w/great shopping are close to the Metro

Jean

 

[bigmerle1966]

The Tourmobile is great.

http://www.tourmobile.com/

Be sure to see the WW2 Memorial, very beautiful.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We vacationed in DC in April. We stayed at the Washington Suites in Alexandria -a 25 minute Metro ride from the Mall. We chose this hotel because it had good rates, great reviews, and was all suites -as opposed to other places that did not offer suites. It was a great place to stay. Neighborhood felt safe; hotel provided shuttle to and from Metro station; courteous and efficient staff; free breakfast each morning

 

[Christine]

Rossyln
Crystal City
Bethesda
Chevy Chase
Old Town Alexandria

All of the above are outside the city, safe, nice, and accessible by Metro without too far of a ride.

Tourmobile is probably the best "around town" tour bus, although I'm sure there are others.

 

[Olaf]

There's so much to see and without knowing you, it's hard to make recommendations. I would stay in Alexandria or Crystal City. Here's a good guide book to get you started.

http://www.amazon.com/Washington-D-...5930237?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181130846&sr=8-1

 

[LaraK]

How long will you be there? In addition to the sights right in DC, there are many fantastic locations within a short drive. (I always put in a plug for my hometown )

In all seriousness...there is so much to do in DC you'll have a great time. In addition to all the National Monuments and museums, there are lots of quaint neighborhoods both in the city and just outside the city. Alexandria is nice because you can also find great shops and restaurants right there.

One thing I always did with out of towners when I was giving a tour was to go to the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials at night....beautiful!

 

[ndelaware]

We went last fall and stayed at the J.W. Marriot, which is just around the corner from the White House. We loved it, train to everywhere just around the corner and taxis right out front. We took the night tour of DC on Old Town Trolleys. It was spectacular.

 

[Pugsley]

Crystal City and Rosslyn are OK, but I wouldn't choose them because they are mostly just office buildings and are really dead at night and on weekends. A couple of Metro stops away from Rosslyn is Ballston, which has a mall and lots of restaurants but I'm not sure about hotels there. I think the best place would be Alexandria (Old Town) near the Metro (King Street). There are tons of things to do there (restaurants, shopping, history - all walkable) and it's very close to DC. If you're avoiding staying in DC because of price, you might consider using Priceline. You can get great deals with them.

 

[Christine]

Crystal City and Rosslyn are OK, but I wouldn't choose them because they are mostly just office buildings and are really dead at night and on weekends. A couple of Metro stops away from Rosslyn is Ballston, which has a mall and lots of restaurants but I'm not sure about hotels there. I think the best place would be Alexandria (Old Town) near the Metro (King Street). There are tons of things to do there (restaurants, shopping, history - all walkable) and it's very close to DC. If you're avoiding staying in DC because of price, you might consider using Priceline. You can get great deals with them.

Crystal City not so much anymore. Have you seen it lately? They've added tons of new restaurants, spruced it up, and have done as much as possible to draw in the night/weekend crowds. Also, it is very close to Pentagon City Mall and the shops over by Costco. Not walking distance, but certainly a hotel shuttle could get your there.

But I agree that it is not as "friendly" as Old Town Alexandria!

 

[Pugsley]

Crystal City not so much anymore. Have you seen it lately? They've added tons of new restaurants, spruced it up, and have done as much as possible to draw in the night/weekend crowds. Also, it is very close to Pentagon City Mall and the shops over by Costco. Not walking distance, but certainly a hotel shuttle could get your there.

But I agree that it is not as "friendly" as Old Town Alexandria!

Wow Christine, that's good to know. I haven't been there in a while - I'll have to check it out.

 

[LukenDC]

My aunt visited me last week and was able to secure a room at the Washington Hilton (4*) via Hotwire for $89 +tax. Dupont Circle, the neighborhood where the Washington Hilton is located, is a nice place to stay.

 

[Snowysmom]

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase, MD. It is located above a subway station and the subway is an easy way to get around DC. The suite was roomy with 2 beds in the bedroom as well as a sleeper sofa. They offer a free cook to order breakfast each morning and an afternoon snack/cocktail hour. The area is safe and clean. We plan on staying here again, maybe next summer. I second the Tourmobile. We were on that one day and it is a great way to get to alot of the sights. We picked it up at Arlington National Cemetary but there are lots of places to pick it up.

 

[castleview]

Do you still have to pay an arm and a leg to park in the District - even if you're staying there? This is a trip we would like to do in the next few years and are searching for a place to stay (I have three kids under 7).

Regarding the memorials at night - they are GORGEOUS.

 

[Christine]

Do you still have to pay an arm and a leg to park in the District - even if you're staying there? This is a trip we would like to do in the next few years and are searching for a place to stay (I have three kids under 7).

Regarding the memorials at night - they are GORGEOUS.

Yes, I think most DC hotels charge about $20 per day.