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I am considering a trip to Washington for a few days April 1st. I have to make some quick decisons if this is going to work. It would just be myself and my 10yr old son. This trip is most contengent on finding good air fair prices. I mainly want to see the white house and George Washington's house. I want to see as much as possible while staying on a budget.
**I have heard the zoo is free, true??
**Is it possible to not rent a car?? (I get lost soo easily, I would prefer taxi if cost is reasonable)
**White house???do you pay to go in- can you go in without reservations? I have no clue.
**I am considering a tour, the best one I have found seems to be the onboard dc tour for $60 ad and $35 ch. It will tour me thru all but George W.'s home. Does anyone know anything about this tour or have any other suggestions??
**I seen a post on here about the wax museum that sound cool and reas priced, any thoughts??
**I really want to see George Washingtons home, I have seen the boat/cruise prices and also seen that its super cheap to go without the cruise, so my question is it accesible via taxi to get there without boat ride for not to much money??
**AND where to stay??? I am leaning towards the channel inn. Any thoughts or suggestions??? Must be under 200 per night and must be close to white house and such. (airport shuttle would be great, but I don't see that anywhere)
**THere are 3 airports, wich one????
OK, I KNOW THIS IS CRAZY LONG,,, BUT IF I DO THIS I HAVE TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS! I REALLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP!
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Well, I'll try to help with some of the questions.
First off, I don't believe at this point you are going to be able to get into the White House. Reservations need to be made, I believe, 6 months in advance with your congressperson or senator (thru their office). There are no more "tickets at the gate" like there were years ago
As for renting a car, I'd say probably not to do it. Washington DC has a great METRO system, and driving is really not fun (and parking is hard to come by).
The zoo is indeed free
Not sure on tours, as we've never done them. There is the TourMobile Welcome to Tourmobile Sightseeing that makes stops at all the main attractions in Washington DC
When we went to Mount Vernon, we drove and didn't do any boat tour (but that was almost 10 years ago).
Can't help you where to stay as we stay with family just outside the city. Nor which airport, although I'd go with the one that gives you the best rate. They all have transportation available to get you to the city proper.
And you should be going down during peak cherry bloom time, which will be beautiful, but also means lots of crowds around the Tidal Basin
**Is it possible to not rent a car?? Def. do the Metro if you need to get around. Also the Museums in the Mall and the Memorials are all in walking distance from one another.
**White house???It's too late to see the White House. Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. More info:
**I seen a post on here about the wax museum that sound cool and reas priced, any thoughts?? Here is the link to the wax museum you were refering too. I've been to the one in Vegas and London and they are pretty much the same. Wax people kinda freak me out so I try not to go if I don't have to. If you are taking kids they may like it. Madame Tussauds - Washington D.C.
**AND where to stay??? try going on a discount planning site like Expedia. You can browse different hotels and limit the searches by howfar they are from major tourist sites.
DC is a great city because most things are free once you're there.
I would say do not rent a car. The Metro has good access to the big tourist sites and driving in DC is not for amateurs.
According to the Mt Vernon website, you can get there by bus from DC proper. George Washington's Mount Vernon - Directions by Metro and Bus
You'll probably find your best hotel rates across the river in VA.
National Airport is the closest to DC and has a Metro stop right there. Dulles is farther out -- might be worth the taxi fare if the flight is significantly cheaper. Same with BWI -- you'll lose time in transit and pay for the shuttle to DC, but if you save a bundle on airfare ... All things being equal, I'd only look to National. And if it really is going to be a quick trip, your time is worth something.
Hey -- sorry, I was out today taking the family to the National Aquarium. We JUST went to Mount Vernon on Saturday!
**I have heard the zoo is free, true??
Zoo is free, parking costs -- you can take a cab, but most take the Metro (get off at Cleveland Park and walk down to the zoo -- when you leave walk -downhill to Woodley park -- Zoo metro).
Cabs are possible -- the ones based in DC are protesting sometimes -- this should be on the news if they are. They also use a zone system (for now), not meters (this is what they are protesting about). The ones based in VA and MD are different. They should be able to give you a good idea ahead of time what it should cost.
**Is it possible to not rent a car?? (I get lost soo easily, I would prefer taxi if cost is reasonable) It is possible to rent at the airports, there are also a VERY few rental places actually in the city. It is possible to get around without a car, if where you are going is near a Metro stop. Also, look at the other threads in this forum about DC -- there is a lot of information on getting around from myself and others.
**White house???do you pay to go in- can you go in without reservations? I have no clue.
It may be worth it to contact your member of Congress -- just so you'll know for sure what is required.
**I am considering a tour, the best one I have found seems to be the onboard dc tour for $60 ad and $35 ch. It will tour me thru all but George W.'s home. Does anyone know anything about this tour or have any other suggestions??
Gray Line has an open top bus tour that looks pretty neat, if the weather is nice. I would love to do the DC Ducks tour sometime!
**I seen a post on here about the wax museum that sound cool and reas priced, any thoughts??
If you are into the wax museum scene, you may like it. We have yet to go as I have said, it is somewhat new. You and your son may enjoy the National Spy Museum, but that is a $$ museum. National Air and Space is a must.
**I really want to see George Washingtons home, I have seen the boat/cruise prices and also seen that its super cheap to go without the cruise, so my question is it accesible via taxi to get there without boat ride for not to much money??
As Carousel96 shared that link, I think the Gray Line Tour may be your best bet for Mount Vernon. Much of it is outside, so be ready for that. They have the BEST museums on GW I have seen so far.
**AND where to stay??? I am leaning towards the channel inn. Any thoughts or suggestions??? Must be under 200 per night and must be close to white house and such. (airport shuttle would be great, but I don't see that anywhere)
I would check with AAA -- I have found good deals there on short notice. There are many hotels in the area of varying price and quality. If you are set on the Channel Inn, it is close to a Metro, they may have a shuttle, it is walking distance for most folks, I would be careful, esp. at night, doing that. If you do stay there, the boat trip to / from Mt. V would be neat, but you wind up having at lot less time on shore than I would like, unless you skip lunch.
**THere are 3 airports, wich one????
As others have said, whichever airport you get the best price / travel. There are ways to get to the city / your hotel from them all. I would, however suggest Reagan National as it is on the Metro line. My personal fav is Mashall / BWI, but it is easier for me to get to from my house.
OK, I KNOW THIS IS CRAZY LONG,,, BUT IF I DO THIS I HAVE TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS! I REALLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP!
If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.
i apologize in advance if i'm repeating, i didn't read everything in depth but i know i'm covering some stuff that wasn't
Is it possible to not rent a car?? (I get lost soo easily, I would prefer taxi if cost is reasonable)
you can get by really easily in the inner area of DC without a car. even without mass transit if you plan carefully. a lot of things are grouped together and within walking distance (the zoo is not one of them - i believe even the metro is like a mile or so away). however be mindful of temperatures as DC can get pretty hot. in the inner area, where most things are, the streets are laid out on a grid of numbers and letters. easier than NYC in fact. the only glitch is the avenues named after states which intersect everything diagonally. that and certain areas may make you walk around them for security issues.
**White house???do you pay to go in- can you go in without reservations? I have no clue.
no charge, but in your case, no chance either. you need pre-made tours of groups of 10 or more and it's a process that takes months to get approved for (you really need to do this more like 6 months out, 3 if you're lucky). you can however visit and walk into the white house welcome center which has various things on display (i'd also have suggested the museum of american history but unfortunately it's closed for renovations).
you can also pass by the white house on either side. it's actually surprising how small that lawn really is.
both were amazing and really make me consider taking a comparable type service here in NYC
**I seen a post on here about the wax museum that sound cool and reas priced, any thoughts??
is this madame tussauds? i don't think i've been to the one in DC. i have been tot he one here in NYC and in vegas. it's definitely interesting. i'm not sure if i only had a day or 2 in DC that i'd be spending time here though.
**I really want to see George Washingtons home, I have seen the boat/cruise prices and also seen that its super cheap to go without the cruise, so my question is it accesible via taxi to get there without boat ride for not to much money??
i haven't been to mt. vernon but it looks like it is accessible via mass transit. you can get door to door mass transit directions at: Metro - Homepage
**THere are 3 airports, wich one????
if i had to do it all over again, reagan. dulles is small and in VA and pretty awkward to get into the city if not driving.
also, in case it wasn't clear, all the smithsonian institutions museums (they even have one here in NYC) have free admission (the zoo is operated by the smithsonian). getting into the museums and through security is another issue. but they're great. and huge. the hope diamond is kept at the museum of natural history.
if you're going to go to the washington monument, you can save yourself a lot of time and heartache by ordering tickets online through Washington Monument - Fees - it costs a couple of bucks, but you'll have your tickets and times and don't have to worry about them being 'sold out.' if you want to pass up the monument which i don't really recommend (it's got some great views, not to mention next to the WWII memorial which is just astounding) and the lincoln memorial, the old post office building (that's what it's called) has a viewing area at the top which some say rival that of the monument's without any lines (i don't agree about the rival part. imagine looking out one window and seeing the white house, another and seeing the capitol, etc)
you may also want to get in contact with your senator/rep's office as well. even if the white house tour can't be pulled off, they may offer a small private group tour at the capitol building. if congress is in session, you should also be able to get tickets for the gallery.
What great information you've already had. I'd also say not to bother renting a car - we haven't bothered on any of our visits to DC and have never had a problem getting around. The Metro is easy to use, clean and we've always found it safe.
You've already had some good recommendations on tours - we've done the Monuments by Night tour and used Tourmobile on our honeymoon and can thoroughly recommend both.
You have lots of good suggestions for your trip. I would add...definitely fly into Reagan.....your flight would have to be extremely cheap for Dulles to make sense. I fly Dulles because it's close to me...but a taxi from Dulles is costly! From my home to Dulles is $70, and that was BEFORE these crazy gas prices!. There is no choice in taxis either....the Washington Airport authority has that set so it's a monopoly. I live in Northern VA.....closer to the airport than you would probably stay. If you get a hotel near a metro stop, you can get off the plane and take the metro to your hotel. Easy peasy!
actually, from dulles, i caught a bus somewhere for like $5 which got me to a metro station in VA I guess. just time consuming. the money I saved flying into Dulles wasn't worth the awkwardness and time spent getting into the city.
i'm scheming to go back to DC later this year (i want to see the jim henson exhibit when its at the smithsonian). greyhound just launched a new bus service from here to union station i think. you can get fares as low as $1 each way and they have free wifi on the bus.
The trip is now official, I just booked airfare!.. I will be flying to DCA on April 1st. This will be my first time flying. (this will be good practice for the upcoming Disney trip) I have some flying question that I hope someon can help with. (we will be flying delta for this trip)
*Is there assigned seats?
*It says bring govt id. Is a driv liscence all I need? and what about my son, is a birth certificate sufficient?
*Since I have literally never flew, I would appreciate ALL tips. Things you may take as commom sence, I am cluless and would like to be well informed.
Thanks in advance.................also I still need a hotel, if anyone has suggestions.
***1 more..................how much does it cost to use the public transport there?
depending on how you obtain them, Delta may or may not assign seats ahead of time. Delta's also prone for canceling/reorganizing flights and you'll need to get your seats re-assigned each time they do.
a driver's license is sufficient as long as you're not in one of the states fighting the REAL ID. I believe there are 14 or so of them. if you are in one of them, you'll need a passport / passport card.
children under the age of 18 when flying with adults don't need any identification. the only time ID may be required for children is when the airline requires it for reduced/free fare for infants (under 2).
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I'd also say not to bother renting a car - we haven't bothered on any of our visits to DC and have never had a problem getting around. The Metro is easy to use, clean and we've always found it safe. 
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