Washington D.C. Travel Forum

I've heard that the SE and NE sections of D.C. are to be avoided- what about the area around Catholic Univ. of America? We'd like to see the National Shrine, but is the area around there safe enough?

I'm relocating to D.C. with the BF and need to find a job. I work in healthcare and have been looking at the hospitals in D.C. Which hospital would you consider the nicest? Georgetown University Medical center, George Washington Medical center or Howard Medical center?

Hi,
I'm going to Aberdeen, MD here pretty soon and i need help with transportion from the two locations. I've been doing some research, as far as taking the metrorail to Amtrak Union Station but im not sure how all that stuff works. I'm from Fairbanks, AK visiting my husband for his memorial day weekend. I'm just worried about getting lost lol. It'll be my first time ever riding a train or anything so yea im kinda iffy about the whole thing. But i'd appreciate anyone's help with this.

Our family will be in DC for 2 nights over July 4th and will be staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on NW 14th st. We plan to walk and use the metro/bus lines to get around, but need to park our car during the stay. I hate to pay the $30 a day hotel fee. Any parking garages in that area or other options?

Can someone shows me how to get to the Old Town Alexandria from Westin 1400 M Washington DC ?

Will a half day tour good enough? Anything particularly interesting ?

I'll be staying at Westin 1400 M Washington DC for 3 to 4 days. What are the places that I should go to within walking distance ? What are the areas that I should avoid as I am travelling alone ? Any tips and hints to help making my vacation safe and memorable will be very much appreciated.

hi, i am in washington for a conference and looking for places to party to unwind and meet new people and make friends. i am here for 7 days. can anyone suggest me the best places? u can also email me instead of replying in the forum. thnx - rucci

The short story is that we will be driving from Atlanta up to Baltimore and then back home to MN in June. I know I should spend more time in DC, but it is not in the budget or itinerary for this particular vacation. We do plan on driving through and seeing what we can out the window. If anyone could recommend a city where we could park the car and take the train in, then indeed we will get out of the car and spend some time there. We could do it from Baltimore, but that is a one-hour train ride each way. Perhaps a city that is on our way West, that is only 30 minutes away. That way when we get back to our car, we hop in and continue home or get a hotel that is not $400 a night. The kids (13,11,9, and 10 months in June) really want to see the White House. I suppose we can see that driving through. If anything, I would like to get to The Mall and see some memorials close up and some monuments from far away. I will have a diaper bag and stroller to hinder me. Any suggestions? We would love to take an East Coast trip next year, but I just cannot stand the fact that we will be so close this time--we must stop, if only for a few hours, but I prefer those hours not to be horribly stressful and terribly expensive. Thank you.

My party of 7 are flying in from Orlando tomorrow (Saturday April 19th)to Ronald Reagan National and have a connecting flight to Heathrow from Dulles. We will have quite a few cases and have no idea what would be the best way to get to Dulles Airport. Does anyone know if there is a bus service running between the two airports or would we have to get cabs? We fly in at about 1.45 and flight to London is about 6.30.
Thanks.

How early should I get to the ticket kiosk to get ticket for the first daily tour?

We'll be moving to DC area in the summer and would like to stay in MD county. We were thinking Rockville/Silver Spring area. What are the most desired neighborhoods in those areas? Do you have any other location suggestions? We'll be working in Silver Spring.

Will be at a meeting at the Convention Center at Mount Vernon Place. Are either the Capital Hilton at 1001 16th St NW or Four points Sheraton at 1201 K Street NW within walking distance of the convention center? If so, which is closer?

Hi,
I was about to book a flight to New York with a stop-over at Washington, but now I see I arrive from Amsterdam at Dulles and leave Reagan for New York. Is this convenient? How far and in what way will I have to travel between those two airports?

Thank you for your quick reply.

I'd like to take the family to Washington DC this year. Trying to figure out if a 5-6 day trip (with an extra couple of days reserved for driving from New Hampshire) will be too long. Is there enough to do or is a 3-4 day trip better? I realize this is highly subjective and people will have all different kinds of answers, so I'm just looking for opinions. Our kids are ages 10 and 13, both boys.

The other consideration is that if a 3-4 day stay in DC is long enough, we might just do it over Memorial Day weekend (would have to take the kids out of school for an extra couple of days) in order to beat the summer heat. After Memorial Day weekend, the earliest we could go would be late June, going into the first week of July.

Thanks

Is it true that 3 of the 4 quadrants in Washington, DC are untenable for tourists because of crime?

If this is not the case, what sights in the "other three" would you recommend seeing?

Robert

I see that Dulles is about 25 miles from downtown Washington DC.
Is it a decent airport to fly into or would it be better to fly in Reagan.
I have found a low fare to Dulles on Labor Day weekend.

Has anyone stayed at this hotel?
Have anything positive or negative to say?

We'll be in DC in April and had planned on dining at the Washington Hotel but I just learned that it closed. Can anyone please recommend a good dining experience where we might enjoy the nighttime view of the city? Thank you.

Are the Cherry trees blooming yet. I understand that the estimate of peak time is next weekend, but I won't be here then, only this weekend, and the weekend after next, so I was trying to figure out which weekend I could come and see some blooms?

Hi, I'm going to DC with friends in June. We'll be there for 2 nights - a Monday and Tuesday. We'd like to know if there's any good bars/clubs that will have life in them on those nights. We're staying near Dupont circle.

Hello,

I live overseas and will be visiting Washington DC from April 14-25, 2008, to attend a training course organized by the World Bank. This is the first time I'm visiting Washington and I don't know my way around.

Could anyone recommend a "reasonably priced hotel" near the course venue which is the Bank's headquarters at 1818 H Street, NW? By reasonable, I'm thinking of the US Dollar 100 - 120 range. Nothing fancy is required, just a clean and safe place.

Second, I want to use the opportunity of my visit to purchase a Sony laptop. A new model is coming out in a few days. Can anyone recommend a store which offers a very large selection of Sony laptops in Washington DC? Circuitcity may be good but the store selector on their website gave a listing of over 30 in the DC area. Is/are any of these on the list especially recommended for laptops? Can anyone recommend any other stores?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards, Aurangzeb

Two questions ...

First, is is safe to walk (with my husband) from the Folger Shakespeare Theater to Union Station after dark? If not, would another station be better?

Second, what is the best way to get back to the DuPont circle area from the Georgetown/Washington Harbour area on public transportation? I tried using the metro authority trip planner and didn't find anything very conclusive. Would I be better off taking a cab?

Thanks in advance for your help, Tracy Fox

I am considering visiting Hillwood, Dumbarton Oaks and/or Tudor Place the last weekend of March to see flowering trees and spring bulbs. I think it is a bit early for many bulbs. Can anyone advise which gardens might have good displays?

Also, I will be spending time on the mall (visiting the botanic garden and catching the orchid show among other things) and around the monuments. Are there any areas nearby with good early spring bulb displays?

Thanks for your help, Tracy Fox

I'm thinking about visiting the arboretum for two-three hours the last weekend in March to photograph spring-flowering trees. The web site indicates the tram won't be running yet. Will I be able to get to a variety of trees in a reasonable amount of time?

I will be using the X6 bus from Union Station I assume I arrive at the main entrance.

Thanks for your help, Tracy Fox

What is the best way to reach IAD from Hotel Harrington by 6:00AM? We have a 7:00AM flight to San Francisco.

We have checked www.wmata.com and the earliest we can arrive at IAD is 6:22AM on Bus 5A, leaving L'Enfant Plaza at 5:30AM.

I realise that there is an earlier schedule, leaving at 4:50AM but can we get a taxi ride from Hotel to L'Enfant Plaza at such hours?

Can anyone confirm the earlier schedule at 4:30AM?

Thank you for any suggestions too.

What's the weather like in the middle of Oct?

I'm trying to plan a mid-week break for my wife and a friend in DC during Mid-March. Looking for decent hotel, that doesn't completely break the bank, good spa-day package, and some happy hour/restaurant suggestions. Any help appreciated, thanks.

I am hoping that there might be some other British citizens interested in making up a tour of the Whitehouse on Saturday 5th April? The Embassy can only organise tours of a minimum of 10 people and there are only two British citizens who want to tour the Whitehouse that day so far....

There doesn't seem to be any other way of gaining access to the Whitehouse these days - the ticket booth is apparently long gone. If you are interested in touring the Whitehouse that day (it is free - go on!) please call the British Embassy in Washington and let them know - hopefully we can make up the numbers to ten! The telephone numbers for the embassy are:-

Telephone General: (1)(202) 588 6500
Telephone General: (1)(202) 588 7800

- if you dial 0, you will be put through to an operator, who will direct you to the appropriate person (who is really nice!).

Whitehouse tours are scheduled one month in advance, so if you want to tour the Whitehouse 5th April, please let the embassy know as soon as possible! Thank you!

Can you give me the name of the Iman for the Islamic Mosque on Mass. Ave. WE visited there for our class and have to write a report. We thought it disrespctful fo ask for his name, since we were there to share in their worship service. Thanks

We are planning a trip to Washington DC from march 24 thru march 29, We are 3 adults 2 children and would like to rent an apartment centrally located.Any suggestion?