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I have an upcoming trip to Washington DC and I've browsed the forums to find some suggestions on places to stay but thought I'd ask anyway.
I'm flying into Reagan airport and would like to know any reasonable hotels in the area. I've been told DC can be rather dicey as far as safe areas are concerned.
So here's my question,
Can someone give me some advice on local reasonable hotels where safety won't be an issue - ideally within walking distance to the subway since I prefer to use local transportation instead of renting a car?
If you stay in the DuPont Circle area, you won't have any problem finding a hotel or places to eat or shop. It's a very nice part of town and there's also a Metro stop right there for getting around. The cab ride from Reagan, if you choose that form of transportation, isn't a very long one.
Also consider staying across the river from DC in Alexandria. There are two metro stops on the edge of old town Alexandria (Braddock and King Street). The old town is nice to walk around in, and it is a very short ride into DC - the walk from the station to a hotel in old town would probably take longer than the metro ride to L'Enfant Plaza.
You probably know this URL: http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm - it's the system map for the metro.
My mother-in-law lives near the Van Dorn station on the Blue Line, and has never learned to drive; she doesn't need to...
I'd look into to staying in the Georgetown area. It is nice, there is lots to do in the area, and it's only a few minutes from Reagan National Airport. I live in the area and love it. Try using Orbitz to find a hotel on M St NW. You oughtta like that.
I doubt you will have a problem with safety. Most hotels are in touristy areas. However, DC tends to be pricy for hotels.
If you're really looking for a cheap place, try a hostel. I've had good luck with www.hostelworld.com for europe but since I live in DC, I don't need it here.
Dupont, Downtown, Georgetown, Capitol Hill (a few), or anywhere along Metro's red line have most of the district hotels. They are all centrally located. There are several good hostels in these areas as well.
In VA, try Arlington, Alexandria, or Crystal City. In MD, try Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Silver Spring.
If you are looking outside of DC, proximity to metro will be your biggest concern. A free hotel shuttle to metro or a nearby bus would be ideal. A twice daily taxi ride will add up fast. You can check travel times from your hotels address to anywhere in DC on www.wmata.com - look for the Ride Guide.
Almost everything you will want to visit will be walking distance from a metro stop - renting a car will be more hassle than it's worth. Rent for a day or two if you want to get out of town.
Here's a quick list of some of my favorites: I love the %L[http://www.corcoran.org/]Corcoran%L*. They frequently do really good exibits - worth the 5 bucks if you don't go on a free day. They are open until 9 on Thursdays
The %L[http://www.smithsonian.org/]Smithsonain%L* can be overwhelming and really could take your whole 10 days. Some of the musuems are not on the mall and you could miss them completely if you don't do a little homework. Check the website for exhibits that look interesting and plan to go to those. You can always pop into whatever else strikes your fancy while you are there. Everyone goes to Air & Space and its worth a stop but those aren't my favorite exhibits. My favorites have been at the Freer and Sackler Galleries (Asian art).
The %L[http://www.nga.gov/]National Gallery of Art%L* isn't a Smithsonian but the only thing that means for you is that you need to check another website. The permanent collection is quite extensive. In fact, I’ve seen very little of it.
%L[http://www.cultural-alliance.org/tickets/today.html]Ticketplace%L* sells reduce price day-of tickets near the %L[http://www.oldpostofficedc.com/]Old Post Office%L*. Most of the theaters in town, including the %L[http://www.kennedy-center.org/]Kennedy Center%L* sell some discounted tickets either last minute or to students, etc.
The %L[http://www.usbg.gov/index.cfm]United States Botanic Garden Renovation%L* is pretty cool.
%L[http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorer/]National Geographic Explorers Hall%L* sometimes has good stuff.
To do a %L[http://www.whitehouse.gov/]White House%L* tour, you need to get your member of %L[http://www.house.gov/]Congress%L* or embassy to arrange it.
As for somewhere to stay, I doubt you will have a problem with safety. Most hotels are in touristy areas. However, DC tends to be pricy for hotels.
If you're really looking for a cheap place, try a hostel. I've had good luck with %L[www.hostelworld.com]hostelworld.com]%L*.
As you probably know, the metro picks up right there at National airport. If metro is it for you, consider taking the Blue line and getting off at Rosslyn metro stop (3rd stop). This is about a block from the Key Bridge Marriot. The hotel is walking distance to trendy Georgetown and like I said, one block from the metro stop.
If you think that this Marriot is a bit too expensive, then from the airport, take the Blue line again and get off at the Crystal City station (1st stop) and around you you will find various hotels (Marriot, Days Inn, Sheraton, Holiday Inn). The farthest from the metro will be about a 10 minute walk, and some actually sit above the metro.
Downtown it will always be more expensive, but it's worth checking on the internet because you can always find some deal or another.
