Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am looking to plan a trip to DC for about 3-4 nights. I am planning to drive as i am about 4 hours away. However i am noticing, almost all hotels have no parking unless you pay $40-50 a night! Then there is a resort fee on top of this? Am i understanding this correctly?
Where should i be looking to stay? I was looking in the DC downtown area as it was walking distance to attractions that i wanted to see or very close to a metro but they all offer no parking. Should i be looking elsewhere? I'd prefer to stay in DC because it seems even if i stayed in a nearby town with free parking in hotels i'd still have to drive into dc and then pay a garage for the day.
Any tips or hotel suggestions? Location matters as i like the ease of coming and going and not being forced to stay out for long hours, but not to the point that i am willing to spend $800 a person for 3 nights.
Ever thought about using Airbnb? You may find a nice DC apartment with a free parking spot.
You're way better off getting a ride (bus or train) to DC and taking the metro or a taxi where you want to go, so you won't have to worry about driving around for hours wasting gas, looking for street parking and getting expensive tickets, or parking in an overpriced parking garage all day.
Hmmmm.... interesting. I am in the same situation; flying to BWI and renting a car there and then drive to DC. I am going through your postings here and you made me think twice.
My idea was, first the plane ticket is cheaper if we fly to BWI and rent a car there. Was thinking that having a car, since it's such a huge area to cover, gives me more options, i.e. can pick cheaper hotel 20-30 miles out of the DC area and then drive to museums and so on. If parking near the museums and central areas is 2-3$/2-3 hours that's still acceptable in my book.
Now, you guys scared me, and I'm thinking maybe we should dump the plan and fly to IAD or something. Are there any toll roads/bridges when driving, for example, from Arlington/Bethesda/Alexandria to the DC area. Is it worth the trouble to stay in Arlington/Alexandria and then drive to various locations? Also if you would have some local tips as to what/when to visit that would be great(dumb tourist, yes ). I could do tripadvisor and other sites but there's nothing like a local opinion .
As an idea, we're looking to visit American heritage/historical spots, White House/Arlington Cemetery/Capitol and so on, don't care about shopping/zoos/restaurants/parks. We're a family of three in case that matters.
Hmmmm.... interesting. I am in the same situation; flying to BWI and renting a car there and then drive to DC. I am going through your postings here and you made me think twice.
My idea was, first the plane ticket is cheaper if we fly to BWI and rent a car there. Was thinking that having a car, since it's such a huge area to cover, gives me more options, i.e. can pick cheaper hotel 20-30 miles out of the DC area and then drive to museums and so on. If parking near the museums and central areas is 2-3$/2-3 hours that's still acceptable in my book.
Now, you guys scared me, and I'm thinking maybe we should dump the plan and fly to IAD or something. Are there any toll roads/bridges when driving, for example, from Arlington/Bethesda/Alexandria to the DC area. Is it worth the trouble to stay in Arlington/Alexandria and then drive to various locations? Also if you would have some local tips as to what/when to visit that would be great(dumb tourist, yes ). I could do tripadvisor and other sites but there's nothing like a local opinion .
As an idea, we're looking to visit American heritage/historical spots, White House/Arlington Cemetery/Capitol and so on, don't care about shopping/zoos/restaurants/parks. We're a family of three in case that matters.
Thanks everyone for your input.
Forget the rental car. Waste of money because you'll spend half your vacation sitting in traffic and searching for parking. Yes there are parking garages where you can park for $15 or $20 a day but many of the sights are a loooonnng walk away from any parking garage, or at least any cheap parking garage. The Metro can get you closer to more things and it allows you to not have to worry about the area's notoriously bad traffic. If you stay in Arlington or Alexandria, take the Metro to get to the sights, don't drive. If you stay in DC, take the Metro, or take cabs or just walk, depending on where your hotel is and where you're going.
You can take the MARC train from BWI to DC for $6 per person and it takes 45 minutes. But I would only fly into BWI if it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than DCA (which is the airport you want to compare BWI to, not IAD, which is nearly as far out as BWI). Like well over $100 cheaper. If the price differential isn't that great, fly into DCA because it is only a 10-15 minute cab or Metro ride from downtown DC and is so much more convenient.
You have to remember that the population density and the traffic of the DC area make mileage here a completely different animal than most parts of the country. Where you are from, a 20-30 mile drive probably is no big deal. Here, that can be a 90-minute commute spent snailing along in traffic.
Traffic congestion throughout the whole DC metropolitan area is ranked the second-worst in the nation, consistently every year. according to careful studies done by the Amer. Auto. Association.
On weekends you can park all day, for free, at suburban metrorail stations. On weekdays, the parking lots cost, and they fill completely up early in the morning (except for short-term spaces).
You do NOT want to Drive to any museums (especially on weekdays). Most museums are located in the heart of downtown, traffic is bad, and parking in garages is expensive. Any street parking, fills up very early in the morning (especially on weekdays).
There are no toll-roads strictly in the immediate DC area, except for the Dulles Access Road and the Inter-county connector in MD. However, in the Baltimore area, the 2 tunnels there, and the Bay Bridge are tolled - as is I-95 further north of Baltimore.
In the "District of Columbia" forum of TripAdvisor: Read Reviews, Compare Prices & Book you will find thousands of posted questions and replies, just like yours, asking advice on visiting and getting around in D.C. People like you, ask the same question there every single day, that you're asking.
Forget the rental car. Waste of money because you'll spend half your vacation sitting in traffic ......
You can take the MARC train from BWI to DC for $6 per person and it takes 45 minutes. But I would only fly into BWI if it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than DCA (which is the airport you want to compare BWI to, not IAD, which is nearly as far out as BWI). Like well over $100 cheaper. If the price differential isn't that great, fly into DCA because it is only a 10-15 minute cab or Metro ride from downtown DC and is so much more convenient.
Hmmmm... now you got me thinking. The ticket from LAS to BWI is 287/person and LAS/DCA is 500+ so it's well worth it, especially since there's three of us. I'm thinking maybe we can get on that train that you suggested for 6$/person and it's worth the money. I will do more research on the train to see where it takes us.
Quote:
Originally Posted by slowlane3
Traffic congestion throughout the whole DC metropolitan area is ranked the second-worst in the nation, consistently every year. according to careful studies done by the Amer. Auto. Association.
........
You haven't seen California , but then again, I haven't seen the DC area.
Very good info guys, thank you so much for your invaluable advice. We will definitely dump the rental at your advice.
I agree with what has been said above. Take the MARC train from BWI into DC. Do not rent a car. Stay in a hotel somewhere on the blue or orange line in Virginia as it will be much cheaper than staying downtown and just a 10-15 minute metro ride.
Agree with take the train from BWI. You can also take Amtrak to Union Station or an express bus to Greenbelt Metro. I differ about staying in Virginia. Better to stay downtown and actually experience Washington. You wouldn't plan a trip to Springfield VA. Get the real thing not some suburban substitute.
...... I differ about staying in Virginia. Better to stay downtown and actually experience Washington. You wouldn't plan a trip to Springfield VA. ....
I tried but the downtown places are just too expensive for us. Can't find anything under 200$ whereas in more remote areas you could do 100-150$ and you can pay, with the difference, for the Metro pass for 7 days, as an example.
I haven't given up to a downtown location just yet; for now our plans are BWI, train to downtown or hotel. The 7 day pass is 59.70$.
My findings so far(as future advice for dumb tourists like myself ).
The preferred public transportation is(from what I've seen so far) the Metro Subway. I got confused in beginning because of the definition, but it's a subway(probably with surface stations here and there). There are surface buses and the pass is interchangeable, I think, between the two methods of transportation, though I don't see it in the definition "Pass available only on SmarTrip® cards for 7 consecutive days of unlimited Metrorail travel", so I might be wrong as I see they have a bus pass too.
You can buy the card itself at (almost)any Metro station and then load the 7 day pass on it, so the total cost is a little above 60$. 2$ for the card(it probably has an electronic chip on it hence the 2$) and 59.70$ for the actual 7 days pass.
It's too complicated for an ignorant being like myself. I'm used to just get in the car and go wherever you like, West Coast style . Buses, trains, whaat?!!! Anyway I will keep you guys posted with my findings but for now I'm looking for a hotel near the M sign on google . FYI, the closer the hotel is to the M sign the more expensive it is.
EDIT:
The criminal side of my mind can't help to ask: if Joe buys a 7 day pass who's/what's stopping Joe's neighbor, Mary to "borrow" the pass and use it?
I tried but the downtown places are just too expensive for us. Can't find anything under 200$ whereas in more remote areas you could do 100-150$ and you can pay, with the difference, for the Metro pass for 7 days, as an example.
I haven't given up to a downtown location just yet; for now our plans are BWI, train to downtown or hotel. The 7 day pass is 59.70$.
My findings so far(as future advice for dumb tourists like myself ).
The preferred public transportation is(from what I've seen so far) the Metro Subway. I got confused in beginning because of the definition, but it's a subway(probably with surface stations here and there). There are surface buses and the pass is interchangeable, I think, between the two methods of transportation, though I don't see it in the definition "Pass available only on SmarTrip® cards for 7 consecutive days of unlimited Metrorail travel", so I might be wrong as I see they have a bus pass too.
You can buy the card itself at (almost)any Metro station and then load the 7 day pass on it, so the total cost is a little above 60$. 2$ for the card(it probably has an electronic chip on it hence the 2$) and 59.70$ for the actual 7 days pass.
It's too complicated for an ignorant being like myself. I'm used to just get in the car and go wherever you like, West Coast style . Buses, trains, whaat?!!! Anyway I will keep you guys posted with my findings but for now I'm looking for a hotel near the M sign on google . FYI, the closer the hotel is to the M sign the more expensive it is.
Forget the 7 day pass. It IS way too complicated and not worth the minor cost savings it might bring you if you do take some minimum number of trips, and who knows if you will take that many? Just get a Smartrip card for each member of your party, and pay as you go. Just make sure the value of the card doesn't dip below the fare you need to pay. Fare depends on what station you start at and what station you get off at so I can't give you one number.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Then there is a resort fee on top of this? Am i understanding this correctly?
Same here!!
). I could do tripadvisor and other sites but there's nothing like a local opinion 
