Looking for a weekend getaway, even if it is 3 days during the week? Then check out Washington DC. Getting to DC is made easier with 3 airports to pick from, Washington National, Washington Dulles and Baltimore/Washington. All 3 offer easy access to the DC Metro which can get you pretty much all around the town.
DC offers plenty to do for the family, single parents with kids, singles, retirees and couples. Dining in Georgetown or old Alexandria Va offers elegance, a fun night life and plenty of unique shopping.
The Hop On and Hop Off Bus gets you around to all of the major attractions with just one ticket.
Hotels are of all price ranges from as much as you want to spend to places like La Quinta and other less expensive options. You will find a hotel in your price range most of the time.
So where to start. How about how to get from the airport to DC.
Washington National (DCA) – Easiest of all as the Metro (the DC subway system), also known as WMATA has a stop at the airport for the Blue and Yellow Lines and you can get to it from any of the terminals. Prices run $2 and up depending on when you are traveling and where you want to go.
Washington Dulles (IAD) – Bus operates during Metro’s service hours to/from L’Enfant Plaza, Rosslyn, Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride and Dulles Airport Ground Transportation Curb location 2E. Rates run $6 one way.
Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI) – For train lovers, this might be the most fun option. Take the MARC or Amtrak train from the BWI Train station to Union Station in downtown DC. Union Station is a stop on the Metro, so buy your Metro fare card and head off for any of the stops for the Metro. Yes you could even use this metro to transfer to/from BWI to DCA or IAD.
MARC train service operates seven days a week. Shuttle stops are located on the lower level terminal roadway in between door numbers 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 14 & 15, and 17 & 18. Shuttle buses from the BWI Marshall terminal building to the rail station operate every 12 min from 5:00am to 1:00am daily and every 25 min between 1:00am and 5:00am daily. Buses stop adjacent to the rail station garage, directly in front of the rail station. The BWI Rail Station is located one mile from the terminal building.
MARC is also how you can get to downtown Baltimore for the cheapest price, and yes for those of you over 65, they offer senior discounts! Regular fare is $7 one way.
Hotel Options – When it comes to finding a hotel, DC can be a challenge depending on what is going on. Thanks for the Metro and MARC you can look at hotels near BWI or in Alexandria. Yes it is more convenient to stay downtown or in Crystal City but you have to look at the prices. Remember MARC would cost you $14 a day roundtrip from BWI to DC and takes about 30 minutes. If the hotel at BWI is $100 a night less and there are two of you ($28 for the train tickets, 2 people roundtrip per day), then maybe you want to stay by BWI. It’s up to you and your needs. Just remember the Metro and MARC allow you to look at hotels further away from downtown DC. La Quinta offers a 10% discount to airline employees at over 800 of their properties. You will find several in the DC and BWI area. To check availability and rates at La Quinta, click here.
Of course if your airline has crew that overnight at either of the 3 airports (IAD, DCA, BWI) then check to see if that hotel will extend any kind of a discount to you.
Getting around DC
If this is your first time to DC or even if it is not but you are unfamiliar with all that there is to see and do, then get a pass on the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley. For about $39 you can discover Washington DC at your leisure with a one-day ticket on the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour. Create your own itinerary to see the most popular sights of Washington DC at your own pace. Upgrade to the 2-day pass!
The trolleys travel three different routes to all the biggest sights and depart regularly throughout the day. A simple, flexible and inexpensive way to explore the city. Hop on and off at any of the 20 stops as often as you like. Beats the heck out of renting a car, looking and paying for parking, driving in traffic, etc and is certainly much cheaper than taking a cab to each of the spots the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley makes with this one day pass.
Now once you know where everything is and you want to get around do like the locals do, take the Metro, bus or subway. Fast efficient and clean this is how the locals get around, to and from work, to and from events, and even to and from a night on the town and dinner.
Shopping in DC
Head for either Georgetown (cab or metro bus, there is no metro subway here) or Old Town in Alexandria, VA. This is where all of the good shopping is including antique shops, unique boutiques and interesting dining spots. Old Town Alexandria is just two stops after the National Airport stop as the subway heads out of town to Huntington on the Yellow Line or Franconia on the Blue Line.
Dining in DC
First of all check with your hotel’s front desk and/or concierge. They will know the good places close by and quite possibly have a discount coupon that you can use to save you even more $$$. Otherwise I would head for Georgetown or Old Town Alexandria for a great place to dine.
Here are our picks for dining in Georgetown:
- Baked & Wired – Bakery & Coffee – 1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW
- Martin’s Tavern – Pub Food – 1264 Wisconsin Ave NW
- Il Canale – Italian & Pizza – 1063 31st St NW
- Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato – Gelato & Desserts – 1560 Wisconsin Ave NW
- Neyla – Mediterranean, Turkish, Middle Eastern – 3206 N St NW
- Dean & Deluca Cafe – Sandwiches & Coffee – 3276 M St NW
- La Chaumiere – French, European – 2813 M St NW
- Bistrot Lepic& Wine Bar – Breakfast/Brunch French Wine Bar – 1736 Wisconsin Ave NW
- Sweetgreen – Organic, Desserts – 3333 M St NW
- Patisserie Poupon – French Bakery & Coffee – 1645 Wisconsin Ave NW
- Chadwicks – Pub Food and Burgers – 3205 K St NW
- Five Guys – Burgers – 1335 Wisconsin Ave NW – Five Guys started in DC!
- Bourbon Steak – Steakhouse – 2800 Pennsylvania Ave NW
- Ching Ching Cha – Chinese – 1063 Wisconsin Ave NW
For Old Town Alexandria you should check out
- Five Guys – Burgers – 107 N Fayette St
- Faccia Luna Trattoria – Italian – 823 S Washington St
- Vermillion – American – 1120 King St.
- Mai Thai – Thai – 6 King St
- Pasara Thai – Thai – 2051 Jamieson Ave
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub – Pub Food, Burgers – 713 King St
- Warehouse Bar & Grill – Breakfast/Brunch, Seafood, Cajun, Creole – 214 King St
- Brabo Tasting Room – Sandwiches, Pizza, Subs – 1600 King St
- Grape & Bean Old Town – Coffee, Wine, Tapas – 118 S Royal St
Now for those of you who love Diners Drive Ins and Dives, Guy has visited 4 places in DC on his show. Those are: (all in Washington DC)
- Comet Ping Pong – 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW – 202-364-0404
- Tune Inn Restaurant and Bar – 331 Pennsylvania Ave. Southeast – 202-543-2725
- Oohhs & Aahhs Gourmet Deli – 1005 U St NW – 202-667-7142
- Tortilla Cafe – 210 7th St SE # 1 – 202-547-5700
Not to Miss
There are several things not to miss when you visit Washington DC. In no particular order those would include:
- Smithsonian – Especially the aviation section
- Tour of the Capital and White House
- Any of the places along the Capital Mall from Lincoln’s Memorial, to the Washington Monument to the Department of Treasury and others.
- Washington Zoo – Don’t miss the Panda’s!
- If it is summertime, then take in a Washington Nationals’ Game
- If it’s wintertime, then take in a Washington Capitals Hockey Game
- Arlington National Cemetery – Strolling thru you will see many names from your history lessons.
- The National Archives and Records Building – Amazing what they store here!
How to Save Money on a 3 day trip to Washington DC
Look at getting an Entertainment Book for Washington DC. It will be loaded with discount coupons to most major attractions plus restaurants, shopping and more. The Entertainment book right now is running less than $10 on a special sale they have as we go to print. It is very likely that just one coupon will save you more than that. For instance one coupon in the book gives you free child admission with a paying adult to the National Aquarium. That alone is a savings of $21.95. Normal ticket prices to the National Aquarium are $34.95 for adults and $21.95 for kids ages 3 to 11. Seniors over 65 are $29.95.
So if you get the Entertainment Book and just use the one coupon for the Aquarium you save money. Also the Entertainment Book is valid for the full calendar year. So if you want to come back to DC in the fall, you will save even more using the coupons in the book. Where do you get the book? Click here and you can buy an Entertainment Book not only for Washington DC but for many cities in the USA and Canada.
Tip – Look at the digital version of the Entertainment Book. The digital version gives you the same deals that the book has but also updated offers and nationwide offers. The digital version also means you don’t have to drag the book around with your or clip coupons, you have access to all of them right on your smart phone or tablet. It is just $10 more, $19.95 with their current promotion.
To get more information and to purchase your Entertainment Book for Washington DC click here.
Another way to save money is to check with your hotel front desk or concierge for restaurant options close to your hotel and ask if they have any coupons for those restaurants. You will be amazed at how many will have them and these coupons will save you as much as 10% on your meal.
When to go to DC
Well if you want to see Congress in session, avoid the summer when they are on recess. Also contact your local Congressional office, let them know you are going to DC and ask if they can get you a pass into the balcony to watch Congress.
Cherry Blossoms in the Spring is very popular but there is no set date on when the Cherry Blossoms will bloom. The National Park Service maintains a page tracking the blooms and when they expect peak blooming season to be. Check it out at www.nps.gov/chbl/cherry–blossom–bloom.htm
Fall can be beautiful as the weather cools down and if you go in early October you are often treated to some nice fall colors in the trees.
Winter can be very cold and bad weather can shut down the airports especially if a major storm hits. Otherwise Christmas time offers wonderful lights and decorations to enjoy with a nice warm drink or coffee.
Washington DC offers plenty to anyone wanting a 3 day getaway. Some simple planning can make this an easy and relatively inexpensive trip as you don’t have to mess with a rental car, parking and there are plenty of inexpensive and good dining options all over town.