Washington DC Overview

I love Washington DC, or the District as the locals call it. It is a wonderful place to play with little or no money for so many reasons. If you have walking shoes, then the sky is the limit. It is also great because you can go over and over again and find new things to do and see.

The exhibits in most of the museums are changing all the time and the changing seasons makes you feel like your in a new place. The National Cherry Blossom Festival starts every year in March and last into April.

Plus the District is both budget friendly and has something for families, solo travelers, couples, and everyone else in between.

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I will spend under $250 for a weekend in the District when I leave Pittsburgh at about 5 am and leave between 5 and 7 pm, the following day which includes gas, food, parking, a hotel room for the night, and miscellaneous items.

But lets start with the basics such as getting there, tips for when you are in the District, how to find a room, and some basics.

Getting to the District

Driving In

I always drive into the District because I am only about 4 hours away and I love my having access to my car but then I use to travel with children and it was easier and cheaper then other methods.

I just pop in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Museum and it gets me to the National Mall which has most of the places that I want to see. I also park near there on weekend but more about that later.

I have heard a lot of people say not to drive in the District but I have not had a lot of trouble. Just accept that you will have to wait in traffic, lots of one ways, lots of no left turns but overall I have not had issues. Remember that three rights make a left.

But if you are coming in any other way but driving, then stay downtown. Everything is in walking distance or a short cab, lyft, bus, uber, etc away from where you want to be.

Flying In

There are three major airports that give you access to the District: Ronald Reagan Washington Nation Airport, Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

• Reagan is the closes to the National Mall on the metro, about 20 minutes.
• Dulles will have a direct metro line in late 2019 but has a bus available currently
• Baltimore-Washington has the MARC to DC Commuter train to Union Station

The only reason to come into Baltimore-Washington is if you are renting a car or if you want to arrive at Union Station on a train. Otherwise both of the other airports are more cost efficient unless you get a great deal on an airfare to Baltimore-Washington. If you are just flying in to see the site, then there is not need for a rental car.

Trains In

Amtrak comes downtown D.C. but I would not recommend taking the train in unless you are taking the train to see the country side. For example, from Pittsburgh to downtown D.C., it is a 7 hour plus ride.

Parking and Getting around the District

Walking

Walking is the best way to get around the District. Everything is so close if you are around the National Mall. Trying to park the car at every where is just crazy since most of the places that you want to go are next store to each other or at most two streets away.

Get your most comfortable shoes and your water bottle. No need for the gym while your visiting the District. Just walking around the museums will be a workout.

Parking

D.C. has a ParkWhiz which allows you to pre-book parking in DC and other cities.

But I love parking at The Ronald Reagan Building: The international Trade Center on the weekends.  It is $15 dollars for the day and it is right across the street from the American History Museum and near the Washington Monument. Note: It is a lot more during the week so I find some where else to park.

It is also a great place to start the day because they have a part of the Berlin Wall in the building.  Make sure that you use this exit when parking here.  It is the one that stays open the latest.  Not all exit are open in the evening. 

They also name the parking by countries.  I was in Italy all weekend last time and it was easy to find my vehicle at the end of the day.

Parking at your hotel.  Be careful about booking your hotel in town.  Most of them don’t come with free parking and you will have to pay for it.  Unless you are flying in.  Then look at booking downtown because you don’t really need to rent a car in DC unless you want to go outside of DC.

Metrorail, Metrobus, Taxi, or Uber/Lyft

During the week, parking is expensive so bring in the Metrorail or Metrobus can be a better choose. Use the WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) website to plan your trip. The Zoo even has it own stop and several lines go straight to the National Mall and other tourist places.

Taxis are never far from the tourist sites and can be flagged down if you are just to puckered out to make it back to the car. I took one about 5 blocks and it was about $5 but I was in a rush to get to my timed ticket at one of the museums. But the taxi was clean and the driver was nice. Also, if you tell the driver that you can cross the street to get to the place that you want to go, it can cost you less because of so many one way streets and no left turns.

Bike Rentals

The District has a Capital Bikeshare program for $2 for a single trip or $8 for 24 hours or $85 for a year. You can rent a bike for up to 30 minutes at a time but they have stations all around for attractions and enjoying the D.C. areas wonderful bike trails.

The Capital Bikeshare has over 500 stations and 4300 bikes. There are stations all along popular places like the National Mall and the National Zoo. They have several popular trails that the stations litter as well.

But bring your own helmet for safety and you have to add a credit card. I did this once and it was very easy. Plus it was great to just leave the bike and go look around then come back and get a new one.

Food

The trick to eating great food in any place is to find a restaurant that has a line. No line, unless you are in the in between times breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, means that the food is not worth getting.

The District has all the normal fast food restaurants, if you are looking for quick and easy. Most of them are in buildings such as the Ronald Reagan Building which is across from the National Museum of History and downstairs but it is like any Mall food court but bigger with more places.

Most of the Museums have cafeterias which have salad bars, sandwiches, and most. The three that I like the most are:

• Supreme Court Building (More on the health side plus you could be sitting next to someone that is on a case)
• Smithsonian Museum of Art (All around cafe food but it is between the two wings and the waterfall is cool.)
• Unitied States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Kosher Items available and wine)

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The National Mall also has lots of food trucks that you can find good food but it can be a bit over priced. Anything that you can think of from Mexican, Hot dogs (the Polish ones), BBQ pork or ribs, Pizza, Indian food, Sushi, Crepes, Mediterranean, Ice Cream, Coffee, etc.

I got Lebanese food and it was about $14 but two could have eaten the plate that I had. But watch out for warm sodas and waters. Many of the food trucks don’t keep drinks cold. If you are like me and want a cold soda, then you might be going to several different trucks to find one that has cold sodas or waters.

Where to stay

Depending on the length of my trip, I will review different options for where to stay. When flying in or staying for long periods of time without a car, I prebook and get something downtown and/or close to the Metrorail and skip renting a car. Many of these hotel will send a vehicle to get you from the airport which is another cost saving.

I tend review a few travel hotel sites for booking hotels and find the closest and cheapest that have the items that I want, i.e. free parking, breakfast, ice machine, free breakfast, etc.

If I am only staying one or two night and have a car, then do this at the end of the day as rooms come available to the sites at 3 pm for lower rates. This can take a few minutes your looking for your prefect room at the prefect rate but the cost saving is great.

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Personally, I look for something that is less the 20 mins away and under $100.  I generally find a rate under $75 for a one night stay.  Then I put it into my GPS.

For longer stays(i.e. over a week), I would pick up an Airbnb or an extended stay and book in advance with kitchen available to be able to cook breakfast and/or dinner and/or pre-made lunches which is a great cost saver for longer trips.

I have never had a problem in all my travels through the years doing this except once. Colorado was having an “Oil Rush” and the oil industry was taking over every hotel, motel, apartment and house rental in the area.

Rooms could not be found within a 100 miles but that was the only time with “Oil Rush” going on that I did not find a place.  So, I just sleep in the car for the night with all the rest of the oil guys at the local park that was made into a rest stop because so many people where having the same issue…No Rooms Available!

It was a one in a million chance of that happening.  (But it was great because I got to chat with a lot of the guys about the new boom and some wonderful stories where told that night.)

Where to Charge your Cell Phone in a Pinch

Washington D.C. is great about having cell phone charging stations in their museums and attractions. On the lower levels of many of the museums on the National Mall, they have a bench and a cell phone charging post.

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I got a soda and read for a bit as my cell phone was running out but this is not a fast charging so this is for more of you need to be at 20% to find your vehicle or to call your mates not as a solution for a full charged phone.

Most of the museums have them tucked away on their lower levels. They tend to be free of people because they are tucked away. It is also a great place to leave someone in your group that is tried and willing to wait for you to look around a bit more in detailed while all the phones are getting a quick charge.

Miscellaneous Tips

• Don’t parking on the street unless you will be staying for less than 2 hours. Parking Tickets are between $25 to $100. D.C. get over $11 million dollar of revenue for parking tickets a year.
• At the end of the day, I see a lot of tried people looking for their vehicle. Parking lot Alzheimer’s is worst when you are in a new place. Take a picture of the road signs with a cross street or a landmark near your parking spot before you leave for the day. It works for me.

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• Take a picture of the Metro stop, station, and the local cross streets before you leave so that you know where to pick up your vehicle.  At the end of the day, you might forget. 
• Have a meeting place for your group just in case someone gets lost and does not have a phone or enough charge left for a call. Make new ones as you arrive at a museum or are in another area of the District.
• Drink lots of water. Bring your own water bottle as fountains are available all around the District.