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Old 03-10-2021, 08:54 AM
 
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Thinking of doing a solo roadtrip end of March for 5 nights from philly to Virginia. I’m in my 30s and enjoy exploring new towns, good restaurants, wineries and live music at bars. Was thinking 1 night Alexandria, 2 nights Charlottesville and 2 nights Richmond ? Then also doing day trips to some small towns to explore and maybe Williamsburg ? Was thinking of doing a wine tour in Monticello. Are there any other towns I should consider ? Any suggestions on bars or restaurants for solo travelers ? Any ideas are appreciated ! Thanks!
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Old 03-10-2021, 11:35 AM
 
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Northern VA has great wine tours. Middleburg area is gorgeous.
Alexandria- I recommend spending a day in Old Town, plenty of shopping, restaurants, tours. You can also take a boat ride on the Potomac.
Mount Vernon is nearby and is another full day to spend touring through the home, grounds and museum. Also a fun boat ride on the Potomac and a restaurant.
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Old 03-10-2021, 01:16 PM
 
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There are all kinds of possibilities in Alexandria, Richmond, Charlottesville and points around and in-between. I think you can get some great ideas from https://blog.virginia.org/. It has photos and descriptions of various sites and scenic routes as well as suggestions for dining and lodging. Just use the search bar at the top right of the page for a specific city, or you can browse sequentially using the page numbers at the bottom of the home page.

If you are not familiar with driving in Virginia, you should know that the main interstates that you would drive on can clog badly during rush hours in the morning and evening. They get particularly bad on Fridays and Sundays as people depart and return for weekend trips. The interstates can also choke up unpredictably when there are major crashes. If you are planning side trips, such as to Williamsburg, be aware that you could spend a significant chunk of your time sitting in traffic if you are unlucky.
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Old 03-10-2021, 03:23 PM
 
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Tried and true suggestions like Old Town Alexandria, The Fan district in Richmond, downtown mall in Charlottesville. I really like Maya in Charlottesville for food and there a couple of fun breweries where they have live music in that area.
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Old 03-10-2021, 03:43 PM
 
Location: Beautiful and sanitary DC
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Since you live in Philly, maybe avoid the traffic a bit by avoiding 95. Instead, swing west and dive into the DC metro midday/evening.

One nice route is US 15, from Gettysburg south past Middleburg(ish) to Charlottesville: https://www.hallowedground.org/
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Old 03-16-2021, 07:10 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paytonc View Post
Since you live in Philly, maybe avoid the traffic a bit by avoiding 95. Instead, swing west and dive into the DC metro midday/evening.

One nice route is US 15, from Gettysburg south past Middleburg(ish) to Charlottesville: https://www.hallowedground.org/
Is it worth driving through skyline drive too ? Was thinking of getting on halfway through.
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Old 03-16-2021, 02:18 PM
 
Location: Virginia-Shenandoah Valley
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Originally Posted by phillygirl123 View Post
Is it worth driving through skyline drive too ? Was thinking of getting on halfway through.
If you've never done it then you should. A beautiful drive for sure. If rainy, too hazy and so on it can obviously take away from the views.
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Old 03-16-2021, 04:25 PM
 
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Originally Posted by Bigfoot424 View Post
If you've never done it then you should. A beautiful drive for sure. If rainy, too hazy and so on it can obviously take away from the views.

Agreed, beautiful, but you aren't the only one with the same idea. Skyline Dr. was mobbed with cars /visitors last summer during COVID. When driving in your car is one of the only things you can do, the best places to drive will be packed with traffic.
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Old 03-17-2021, 04:14 AM
 
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The water taxis on the Potomac from Alexandria aren't running right now due to Covid. I think they are re-opening in April. this link has some suggestions for Old Town https://www.visitalexandriava.com/plan/visitors-guide/
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Old 03-18-2021, 10:39 PM
 
666 posts, read 478,817 times
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So I would like to do a winery tour in Charlottesville and book transportation so I don’t have to worry about driving. I don’t want to do those hop on hop off bus with covid. Any ideas of affordable transportation for 1? Seems most private tours have a 2 person minimum. Was thinking of Uber but I read that may be difficult to get at the winery. Any suggestions ?
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